# question about eye color/coat color in flemish kits



## boundarybunnyco (Sep 7, 2011)

hi, as you probably remember, I have some flemish giants. I have a litter that is around six weeks old. two of them are a light gray/silver color.
they have white bellies.
my question is, since they have blue eyes, are they considered, grays, or blues? or what?


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

They are light greys. They are agoutis, meaning banded hair shaft, if you weren't aware. Blow into the hair, you will see. Agoutis all have white (or light creme in some breeds) bellies. However, in flemish giant, ONLY the blue may have blue eyes. A blue flemish will be blue all over, with a solid blue hair shaft. 
So, in short, your babies are light grey with an illegal eye color. It should be brown. 

If you were breeding for show, you would want to cull the line, so as not to continue to breed wrong eye color genetics. If you don't care about show, then carry on. I once had a black rex with blue eyes, and although worthless for show, he was gorgeous. I kept him anyway.

Just be sure, if you sell some to someone who wants to show, tell them about the potential for wrong eye color.


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## boundarybunnyco (Sep 7, 2011)

awwww I have illegal bunnies? lol. no I'm not breeding for show, so it's okay I guess. but I've heard that young bunnies can have blue eyes and then they turn brown, if the bunny is under 10 weeks old. is this true? the rest of the litter all have brown eyes. these are 6 weeks old.


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## brandkelz (Apr 15, 2011)

The flemish crosses that we currently have in the grow out pen have three that are the grey agouti and I wouldnt really call it blue per say, but more of a slate grey eye color. The remaining four are chestnut and have the richest brown eyes. Needless to say, the grey ones are a hit for some reason here on the pet market. We raise for meat, but if someone contacts me looking for a pet, I am not going to turn them down cause dollars are dollars and that is 15-20 bucks I dont have to spend on feed for that week!


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

The blue/grey eye is commonly called blue, and it is fine to say that. The only TRUE blue eyes you will find on a rabbit is with a blue-eyed white variety. Those are BLUE.

http://www.miniaturelops.com/colours.html

here is a random link I found. Look at the white mini lop upper left corner, then scroll down and look at the grey mini lop, lower left corner. both have close-ups of blue eye. You can see the difference in color quality. A lot of BEW, though have a red tint to the eye, and although not desirable, not a DQ either.


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## mysticklobo (Feb 24, 2008)

The blue gray eyes in black and chocolates are caused by the dark chinchilla gene. The gene needed to make chinchilla colored or silver marten rabbits, since it is NOT linked to just the agouti gene, any rabbit can carry it, so you can end up with self chinchillas. We have a black self chin JW doe, she is used in our breeding program for martens and chinchillas.


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