Ultimate Rabbit Colors for Dummies Thread

[Joanie]

@ alforddm

I know the theory of the genetics of the colours of the rabbits and the possibilities of the combination of the alleles rather well. But the theory it the ones and the practice is the other. The difficulty consists in recognising the suitable colours in practice with the kits also. Some kits have different colours of the genetic code, however look alike first. It is to be distinguished very tricky and to recognise the right colour. It helps in some kits if i know the genetic formula of the parents, because i can exclude then certain colours. But i not always know all alleles of the parents. A very exact description would be very helpful here. And so much more information one reads about a colour, the more one learns about or?
Therefore, i believe has opened syberchick70 this tread. He should help that one recognises the colours in practice. Thus i have understood it in any case.

 

[alforddm]

View attachment rabbit colors (1).pdf

I know the theory of the genetics of the colours of the rabbits and the possibilities of the combination of the alleles rather well. But the theory it the ones and the practice is the other. The difficulty consists in recognising the suitable colours in practice with the kits also. Some kits have different colours of the genetic code, however look alike first. It is to be distinguished very tricky and to recognise the right colour. It helps in some kits if i know the genetic formula of the parents, because i can exclude then certain colours. But i not always know all alleles of the parents. A very exact description would be very helpful here. And so much more information one reads about a colour, the more one learns about or?
Therefore, i believe has opened syberchick70 this tread. He should help that one recognises the colours in practice. Thus i have understood it in any case.

I really doubt you'll ever get exactly what you want. Different colors can look different in different breeds and are even called different names. For example, castor in Rex is a very dark chestnut and looks very different from chestnut in other breeds. This is why the different breeds have a standard of perfection for the different varieties. There will always be cases where you think you have one color but genetically you have something else. This is due to modifiers most of which have not been discovered. It's easier in some other species (dogs, horses, and cats) because you have genetic color testing but in rabbits, you're stuck with doing test breedings. Unless we can convince UC Davis or another lab to start color testing rabbits that is just the way it's going to be. We all have to deal with "best guesses" and thank our lucky stars for people like Dood and Zass who have experience with color variations and are willing to share with the rest of us.

__________ Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:07 pm __________

Syberchick70, I really want you to understand this. I tried rewriting some explanations and I hope it helps.

 

[Joanie]

@ alforddm

Thanks, this i understands and accepts. But then we can save every discussion or gathering of information about the single colours. Nevertheless i think that it a beginning was to the better understanding, even if not everything applies to all races. In single treads about the single colours specific features of the colours could be mentioned with single races with.
I am also grateful for persons who have experiences with colours and their colour shadings and divide this with us. Therefore i am in this forum. But although i am very glad if somebody helps me if i have a colour question, nevertheless i would like to learn in the long term also a lot in addition. Therefore such colour descriptions are helpful for me.

 

[Susie570]

Therefore, i believe has opened syberchick70 this tread. He should help that one recognises the colours in practice. Thus i have understood it in any case.

Yes, that's my intention

__________ Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:29 pm __________

Syberchick70, I really want you to understand this. I tried rewriting some explanations and I hope it helps.

That's a very nice document!

I do understand that a rabbit can LOOK like one color, and actually be something very different genetically. However, I want to guide to eventually be something people can use to easily just say "Oh my rabbit is a chestnut agouti" (when in fact, it may genetically be something else, but it won't matter because they never intend to breed the rabbit and if they DO breed the rabbit, they will be on a learning adventure about genetics)

It would be great to, at some point, be able to include more detailed (and well organized) information that will assist people with genetic information - much of that is already included in this thread if they want to sift through it, but I think most people (like myself) have a difficult time latching onto the 'alphabet soup' of color genetics and just want to be able to tell their friends what color their pet rabbit is (without looking stupid). lol

It may appear that I'm not doing anything with the thread, but I'm actually in the background trying to learn this stuff so I can update it over time and finally have something valuable (and simple!).

Also, in the meantime, I'm gradually learning more and more about colors.

 

[Dood]

Joanie : Both of these websites try to fulfill your request

http://www.rabbitcolors.info/int/en/index.html

http://www.nockrabbits.com/coat_colors1.html

 

[EnglishSpot]

Syber, you really have yourself a thread here!!! Good job! And thanks to all the contributors!!

 

[Joanie]

@ Dood

I already know this online sites. They have contain a great deal of information over the colors of rabbits und are very helpfull. On the side rabbitcolors.info i have learned the genetic code from the rabbit colors and the different possible combinations of the alleles. Unfortunately, are on this side only very few descriptions like the colors look in the phenotype, like the undercolor looks, like the colors look to the kits and how they change if the kits become old.

I know the administrator of the side rabbitcolors.info personally, I have already called up her. She is a German rabbit breeder and is very nice. She breeds in a breeders union. There it is color purely breed. It becomes only black to mate with black and red to mate with red and so on. Therefore, one must not know the differentiation. I breed with mixed colors and then these sometimes become difficultly the different colors to recognise, because they can be brighter or darker.

Here also is a link to a very intresting online site, ist also very helpfull.

http://mosaicrabbitry.weebly.com/

There i have also found so many informations of the rabbit colors.

Nevertheless, on all these sides the difference is nowhere described between the colors which are similar to themselves in phenotypes and how one can recognise them.
Here is link to a side where at least for some colors such a description stands.

http://wildriverrabbitry.weebly.com/sha ... guide.html

Please you can scroll something under and there one finds under the headword seal a description that is:

What is the difference between Black and Seal or Chocolate and Seal?

And further below still come some descriptions: What is the difference between ...

Exactly such information is interesting because they help practically to make a distinction which colour it concerns in phenotype. Unfortunately such information is to be found only very rare.

 

[Susie570]

Syber, you really have yourself a thread here!!! Good job! And thanks to all the contributors!!

Thanks I certainly can't do it alone