Occasionally Butterflies
© Copyright 2003 - 2008 - Ruskin Miniature Lops - All rights reserved
Now for the next stage. Lets presume that we have a mixed sex litter and we retain a buck from here to mate back to his blue mother. From the punnet below we can now see what a black carrying blue mated to a visual blue will produce.
d |
d |
|
D |
Dd Black Carrying Diltue |
Dd Black Carrying Dilute |
d |
dd Blue |
dd Blue |
Self Blue Rabbit aaBBCCddEE
Self Black Rabbit carrying dilute aaBBCCDDEE
As the punnet square above indicates, we should produce 50% Black rabbits carrying the dilute gene and 50% Blue rabbits expressing the dilute gene. Now as I have mentioned earlier in this section, this is what should happen. As Mother Nature has her own way of causing havoc, I have seen this mating done and a full litter of SIX babies born, ALL BLUE. This does not mean that the punnet square is WRONG. What it does mean is that as one gene is passed from each parent to make up the two, the dominant (D) gene from the father this time round has not been passed on to ANY of the babies. This does not mean however that the next time this mating is done it will not work out differently again, maybe all black and maybe (like the punnet square predicts) 50/50 next time.
This simple square has now shown us how we can work out what we are hopefully going to produce and how many of each we will get. You can use it to calculate ANY of the colour series genes, but one rule must always be remembered. The dominant gene MUST appear before the recessive and if you are working with two different recessives (like cchl and c) the most dominant of those recessives must ALWAYS come first.
If we were to write the whole genotype of the rabbit into the punnet square we must do the first half of the pairs in the first box and the second half of the pair (recessive or not) in the next. Like before evaluate the A series from the left column top box with the A series in the top row left box and in the square write your findings. Do this again for the B, C, D & E series and there you have it. One fully calculated genotype. Repeat this in the other boxes and you will see your colours unfold.
Once you have learnt the basic genetics you will find out just how much fun breeding can be. Genetics is a tool that will help you understand what is behind your rabbits and how to procure and avoid certain colours you desire or not. We must always remember though that when breeding, breed for type first above all other. Colour can be added later. A great saying I was told many moons ago, but one I think is very apt in the case of breeding and genetics was "Build your house first and THEN paint it"
This simple square has now shown us how we can work out what we are hopefully going to produce and how many of each we will get. You can use it to calculate ANY of the colour series genes, but one rule must always be remembered. The dominant gene MUST appear before the recessive and if you are working with two different recessives (like cchl and c) the most dominant of those recessives must ALWAYS come first.
If we were to write the whole genotype of the rabbit into the punnet square we must do the first half of the pairs in the first box and the second half of the pair (recessive or not) in the next. Like before evaluate the A series from the left column top box with the A series in the top row left box and in the square write your findings. Do this again for the B, C, D & E series and there you have it. One fully calculated genotype. Repeat this in the other boxes and you will see your colours unfold.
Once you have learnt the basic genetics you will find out just how much fun breeding can be. Genetics is a tool that will help you understand what is behind your rabbits and how to procure and avoid certain colours you desire or not. We must always remember though that when breeding, breed for type first above all other. Colour can be added later. A great saying I was told many moons ago, but one I think is very apt in the case of breeding and genetics was "Build your house first and THEN paint it"
Make sure you keep uptodate and precise records
Use breeding record sheets and pedigrees to keep track of your rabbits breeding and genotypes.
