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antipodi
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Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:07 am
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 Rabbit Breeding Genetics ..Dense and Dilute
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Rabbit Breeding Genetics ..Dense and Dilute
"Carries Dilute" is a notation you see on rabbits for sale. Why is that worth mentioning on a "for sale" rabbit? Well, if you are like me, dilute rabbits are among your favorite colors. So what are dilute rabbits? They are just like dense rabbits except that there is less pigment in each hair.
In the black color family, two dilute genes will turn the black to blue. In the chocolate family of rabbits, two dilute genes will turn the chocolate to lilac. For every black color, there is a corresponding blue color. For every chocolate color there is a corresponding lilac color.
Some black color family dense colors are black tortoiseshell, black, black sable, chinchilla and orange. Some chocolate color family dense colors are chocolate, chocolate tortoiseshell, cinnamon, and chocolate sable point.
Some black color family dilutes are blue, blue tortoiseshell, squirrel, and smoke pearl. Some chocolate color family dilutes are lilac, lilac tortoiseshell, lynx and lilac ermine. A broken black tortoiseshell (dense) and a broken blue tortoiseshell (dilute) are shown here.
What's Going On Genetically
The dominant d-gene is the "dense" gene denoted as "D." Dense color gene rabbits can be either "DD" or "Dd." We can refer to the "DD" rabbits as "true-breeding" and to the "Dd" rabbits as "carries dilute." The "dilute" gene is recessive and is denoted as "d." Dilute rabbits are always "dd" and cannot carry the dense gene. There are just three different combinations of the dense/dilute gene: "DD," "Dd," and "dd."
What Happens When You Breed
The d-gene works just like the b-gene, since there are only two types of genes, one dominant and one recessive. If you understand how the b-gene works, you already understand the d-gene.
We'll start with the easy part first. If you breed two true-breeding dense color gene rabbits ("DD") together, you get all "DD" offspring. Each parent has nothing but a "D" to pass on to the offspring. Likewise, if you breed two dilute color gene rabbits together ("dd"), you get all "dd" offspring.
But what happens if you breed a true-breeding dense color rabbit ("DD") with a dilute bunny ("dd")? Then all of the offspring will be dense, but will carry dilute.
Conclusion
The "Dd" gene is responsible for a lot or little color in the hair shaft. Dense colors are black and chocolate family colors. Dilute colors are blue and lilac family colors. Knowing the d-gene phenotype of a breeding pair of rabbits can help you predict whether the offspring will be true-breeding dense, dense carrying dilute, or dilute. Perhaps you will get some of each. For every black or chocolate rabbit color, there is a corresponding blue or lilac color. You can use your knowledge of the d-gene and the color families to help you produce the colors you desire.
_________________
Antipodi
May one day man and Animals live together in harmony and peace
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