Baby Color Genetics

Question
QUESTION: Ok I am baffled about something.  I thought that if you bred self colored rabbits to self colored rabbits that it was genetically impossible to get brokens??  I bred my Red Eyed White mini rex to my Blue mini rex.  The babies are only 4 days old but I have 7 of them.  I have no doubt that 1 is a rew, 1 is what looks like a blue or a blue otter, which I find odd.  AND there are 5 brokens a mixture of broken blues and blacks.

Can you please tell me how this could have happened?  I know that this doe was never with another buck.  I take great care about keeping my rabbits separated.  The whole purpose of this breeding was to get self colored babies, or whites.  I don't show brokens so now I have at least 5 babies that I am going to have to find pet homes for.

Thank you in advance for trying to help me figure this out.

Sue

ANSWER: Hi Susan

Genetically speaking ruby eyed whites (we will refer to them as REW from here on) are actually not white rabbits at all they are albino.  In simple terms this means that they are a colored rabbit that's color is masked.

In mini rex there are 4 varieties of self rabbits.  They are black, blue, chocolate and lilac.  Any other color will either fall under the agouti, tan or pointed varieties.  There are also some non-extension agouti's such as red and with any breed there are always a few unrecognized colors.

Brokens can be any of these varieties.

People say its ok to breed white to anything and they aren't entirely wrong.  Whites generally have better fur and often times people will use them in their breeding programs to produce better fur on their mini rex.  The problem is that if you don't know their pedigree's you could end up with many non-showable colors.  For example if you bred a red to a REW that was genetically a black otter, you could end up with babies that are red otters, actually called red fox and they are not even recognized anywhere in the US.  Some breeders in Canada have dabbled with them a bit but if they do ever get accepted here its going to be along time from now.

Do you have the pedigree for your REW?  I can tell you this much about it.  Genetically it carries the En gene which means it has a broken pattern.  I almost bet you that it is a broken otter of some sort.  I can't tell you for certain without its pedigree but I do know that if you breed it again and you don't have its pedigree then either stick with other REW's or even the blue that you used.  There is nothing wrong with broken babies.  There is a good market for high quality mini rex.  If you can produce rabbits that can compete with the broken class and finish even within the top 5 you should feel great accomplishment.  This is one of the biggest accomplishments there is.  

I used to hate broken too.  I thought they looked like little kids rabbits.  I would let the kids show the broken and I showed my favorite blues, chocolates and lilacs.  Then I realized that there was really no competition in these colors in the state I am at.  Not enough people raise them.  So at the last show I took my broken buck just for kicks.  He is one of my pets and I adore him.  I never considered showing him.  Well he not only won Best of Breed but went on to win Best in Show.  So give broken a try.  You just never know.

Good luck and if you have anymore questions about breeding mini rex and which colors are compatible I would love to help you.

Sincerely

Pam

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Sorry I put this in comments instead of answering you.  No I don't have the REW's pedigree.  I bought him at a show last year for $10.  They sold him so cheap because he didn't have a pedigree.  He won his class that day and has done quite well.  I just wanted more white babies.  The broken class usually has about 50 or 60 rabbits.  Thats a lot to compete with.  I have done fairly well with my blue's but there aren't usually more than 10.  Is there anyway to ensure that you will get more REW's?

Answer
Hi Susan

The only way to ensure you are going to get REW's is to breed REW to REW and you will get 100% REW.  

Just think about what you are saying here for a minute.  REW's are one of the most competitive classes out there.  The rabbit pretty much has to be perfect in order to win.  It has to have 0 faults.  They are judged with heavy emphasis on fur and type and you can't compete at a national level without an incredible animal.  The competition for REW's is very strong.  If you are able to compete this well with a REW that you bought for $10 then you certainly should be able to make the top 10 with some of your brokens.  Just something to think about and in no way am I trying to push you to show brokens.  When I go to convention I take the best animals I have.  I don't show blacks but unfortunately I got 19 of them this breeding season.  So at convention this year I will pretty much be showing blacks or nothing at all.

Good luck Susan, see you in Michigan.

Pam