Rabbit Breeding and Color Genetics
Do’s and Don’ts of Rabbit Breeding Genetics
Genetics play a huge part in the production of healthful, attractive rabbit lines that appeal to both breeder and potential owners alike.
Rabbit genetics is a science unto itself, and a excellent rabbit breeder will take the time to educate themselves in a small depth in the subject. But there are a few basic dos and don’ts that should be followed, whatever breed you are tiresome to raise.
Do:
- Make sure you start your breeding program with the healthiest, feature specimens you can afford. A high pedigree is not an essential to successful rabbit breeding, but using animals free of major and noticeable genetic defects such as misshapen limbs and teeth certainly is.
- Concentrate your initially efforts on breeding healthful rabbits with excellent body types previous to experimenting with color. New and experimental colorations are often accompanied with poor body types until the shade has been properly developed.
- Take the time to research the specific breed you are hoping to raise. Each uncommon one is prone to its own genetic strengths and weaknesses.
Don’ts:
- Breed two “broken” rabbits together if you hope to produce a litter for show purposes. This pairing nearly always consequences in one or two “Charlie Marked” kits in a litter, babies who are nearly all white in color with only patchy spots of color.
- Attempt to cross breed species as an inexperienced breeder. The genetic difficulties that may result can be recessive, and not show up until the third or fourth generation of the line.
- Breed a rabbit of attractive color but with visible bodily defects into a feature line. Breeding out the physical defect will take far longer than adding new insignia and patterns into a healthful line.
As the public in general tends to adore the dwarf or mini breeds of rabbit, such as the Holland Lop or Mini Rex, some breeders are tempted to try to produce a Dwarf strain of their own line.
If two right Dwarf rabbits are bred together it is nearly particular that at least a few of the litter will be born with a double dwarf gene, which is invariably fatal.
Sadly, these kits are nearly certainly destined to die in a few small days, and the kindest thing a rabbit breeder can do is allow nature to take its course.
Inexperienced breeders should not really attempt any genetic experimentation until they become skilled at breeding healthful, feature livestock.