REW not a hidden broken?

[luvabunny]

Most of you will probably remember my post from awhile back about my REW Mama, bred to my bkn blue torte Papa, that produced 10 bunnies but only 4 lived. All of the bkn blues died. The general consensus was that she was carrying a bkn gene and the bkn blue babies were genetic charlies, even tho every one was heavily marked, and 2 of the survivors were bkn blue tortes.

So, Mama has delivered her next set of babies. A litter of 13 - 3 DOA at birth - all solid blue. She was bred to a solid blue buck.

So, does this mean both my Papa and Mama do not carry the broken gene? It is my understanding that if they had it, they would be brokens themselves. Since Mama is a REW and we don't really know what true color she is, can I mark hidden broken off the list?

Then, if she is not a broken carrier, that means the first litter of babies couldn't have been charlies - which I understand to be a double bkn gene, right? So, if the Charlie thing didn't kill them, it had to be something else.

Still searching for answers, and trying hard to wrap my head around this genetic thing. How close am I getting?

 

[akane]

You can get a litter of solids out of 2 brokens. Since each rabbit carries 1 broken and 1 solid gene you have a chance of 50% regular broken, 25% solid, and 25% charlie. The odds are never that neat though in individual breedings and you can end up with a litter of all one or 2 of those.

 

[ckcs]

I would agree that your REW doe and Blue Buck do not carry the broken gene. While I believe it is possible that your doe could be hiding broken, it is unlikely based on your two litters. The real gene experts will follow my post

 

[Dood]

I doubt the REW doe is broken under her white coat and the blue buck cannot carry broken since it is a dominant gene and he would look broken if he had it.

If memory serves the 4 broken kits from the last litter were normally marked brokens and the theory that they were heavily marked Charlie's was offered to explain the reason for death. It might just be a coincidence, a very unlikely coincidence, that the brokens faded. As long as this litter does OK then I would try crossing to the broken blue once more.

 

[luvabunny]

Well, the litter of 13 blues is down to 8. Still perfectly acceptable, in my opinion since one of the dead was a runt, and the remaining 8 all seem to be of equal size and well fed.

I'm hoping for the best for the rest, since she raised 2 blues from her first litter. After a bit of time off, since she's now had 2 litters back to back, I will rebreed her back to the original buck. (In all honesty, I thought I had, but when all the babies came out solid blue I checked the breeding card and sure enough, I bred her to my new blue buck).

Thanks for confirming that its probably likely that neither parent carries a broken gene. I am working under the assumption that it was just coincidence that all of the babies that died from the previous litter were all the same color, as I can't pinpoint any other reason.

 

[Dood]

It can really throw you for a loop when only one colour dies

My sister just lost 5 kits - all of them tri colours - but the 2 harlies made it and she freaked out a bit.

The buck and doe have had healthy litters of tri's before so logically she knew it was just a coincidence, a mind boggling one, but shoot happens :shrug: