Chart of 144 Rabbit Coat Colors And Their Genotypes Below is the most extensive color family chart on this website. It contains most of the rabbit colors you might think of, though there are some exceptions. For example, there are no “steel” colors listed. You can take any of the “E-” full-extension colors (e.g., black) … Read more
The breeds that carry the dwarf gene are the Holland Lop, Netherland Dwarf, Mini Rex, Mini Satin, Dwarf Hotot, Polish, Britannia Petite, American Fuzzy Lop, and Jersey Wooly. This article is written for Holland Lops, but the principles apply to all dwarf breeds. Some of the smallest breeds that don’t carry the dwarf … Read more
True Dwarfs, False Dwarfs, Peanuts, and the Challenges of the Dw Gene in Rabbits There is no doubt that Holland Lops are challenging to breed. Among the challenges–slow maturation, wide variety of quality in resulting kits, multiple characteristics to manipulate–is the dwarf gene. The following information on the dwarf gene applies to other types of … Read more
Rabbit Fur Colors Genetics And Other Rabbit Genetics Information *NOTICE!* We are planning a new article on the Blue-eyed White or Vienna gene in rabbits! If you have any photos of VM, VC, or BEW rabbits that you would be willing to share, or any experiences with this gene that you find remarkable, please e-mail … Read more
Rabbit colors can be grouped many ways. Although “color families” is not an official term that I know of, on this page I’d like to use it to group together rabbit colors that vary only in the A/at/a gene. By way of example, let’s look at the most prevalent Holland Lop color, the black tortoiseshell. … Read more
Using Your Knowledge of the A Gene In Rabbit Breeding Many phenotypes — that is, the color of the rabbit’s appearance– are easy to detect just by looking at the rabbit. Some are a bit more tricky. Knowing what the choices are from the parents’ phenotypes (or better yet, genotypes, if you know them), can … Read more
*New to Genetics? Don’t let this page confuse you till you’ve checked out our Simple Rabbit Genetics Primer and Part 1 of the A-series discussion* Rabbit Breeding Outcomes With Respect To the A Gene Now we get to the fun part: what happens when you breed one rabbit to another, with respect to the “a” … Read more
Holland Lop Genetics And The Agouti Gene * Wait! We have a new, illustrated article to replace this one! Check it out here! * The “a” gene comes in three forms: “A,” which is responsible for agouti rabbits; “at,” which is responsible for otters, tans (rare in Holland lops) and martens; and “a,” which is … Read more
A Simple Tutorial to Understanding Genetics in Rabbits The life of a rabbit breeder — or a breeder of any animal from cattle to hamsters — is a constant struggle with genetics. They control everything about the physical aspects of our bunnies, from fur to color, to body type to health, even sometimes to traits … Read more