# Dutch rabbits what colors for breeding



## ladytoysdream (Dec 13, 2008)

Sorry, not a good title but it is what it is.

So, does anyone here have Dutch ? Or can someone point me to a 
website where it explains what colors to breed to what colors. 
I have 3 generations of Dutch. I have 7 colors in my line. 

I have 2 yellow male youngsters. I was hoping one was a female, 
but no such luck. It was suggested to me to breed to a light chocolate 
doe. I also have some tortoise does. I want more of the yellows  
The mom of the yellow is a black, and the dad is a black. The 
grandparents are black buck and a chocolate doe. 

Thanks


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

I think to communicate we should establish what it's phenotype is. Then, we can likely help you by explaining the genetics and how to make more. Most color genetics are simple dominant/recessive traits, but the combinations of expression of traits allows for different phenotypes. For example, a black animal is B_ (this means either BB or Bb, either way the animal is phenotypically black). A chocolate is always bb. Non-dilute is D_, dilute is dd. (for example, an animal that is B_ D_ is a black, but an animal that is B_ dd would be a BLUE). Finally, an animal that is bb dd would be a LILAC - expressing both chocolate and blue at the same time.  Clear as mud? There are lots of different loci, and they all 'add up' to the end phenotype. 

It doesn't help that some breeds/varieties of breeds use different terminology to describe the same genotype as different breeds. For example, a gray dutch is an agouti based animal, also called 'chestnut' in some breeds. 

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/li...rabbits-what-colors-breeding.html#post7592030
http://www.dutchrabbit.com/aboutthebreed/aboutthebreed.html

As for genetics, I find this website to be very helpful. 
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-genetics/


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## ladytoysdream (Dec 13, 2008)

Thank you  

I may have to stop procrastinating and just learn this new "language". 
It's all clear as mud yes. 

And the way the colors are named is also confusing. 
I have some that are what I call the wild bunny color and I think that is gray. 
And I have some that are a darkish gray and I understand that is a blue.


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## a7736100 (Jun 4, 2009)

Are they all gentle? I have a black and white Dutch male that is really nice but the sister bites. At this point I'm really tired of bites and I'm going to cull those who bites.


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## Agriculture (Jun 8, 2015)

Order a copy of the Standard from ARBA. It describes all of the colors as they are listed for each breed. While a little bit confusing, different terms to describe the same variety in different breeds is less common in rabbits than in other species such as dogs, cats and poultry. I don't know why the parent clubs have never had the nerve to stand up and declare all varieties which are the same to use the same term no matter which breed they occur in. There would be some grumbling from some breeders who don't want the change, but ultimately it would lessen a lot of confusion. This issue seems to create a lot of confusion for novice breeders. At least the ABA and APA have stood up recently and are not bowing to pressure from breeders of new varieties who want them to be recognized using a redundant term. Rather than allowing breeders to continue the cycle of confusion they are requiring newly proposed varieties to use current Standard terminology if the variety is already recognized in another breed. The Self Blue Silkie breeders found this out. The Lavender Ameraucana breeders are only hurting themselves by holding out and not accepting the convention. Self Blue Cochin bantam breeders are doing the right thing too.

Except in vary rare cases temperament is not associated with color. When a pattern can be noticed it is more likely in a rare variety which happens to be highly inbred, where selection was done only for color and not for good temperament, but even then it is not actually genetically linked to color. To generalize it is more common for does to have poor temperaments than bucks, and some breeds tend to be known for it more than others. Dutch are not one of them. They are generally very mild tempered, and I would cull a nasty Dutch in a second. It's been almost 30 years since I've bred Dwarf Hotots, but back then when they were just becoming established the does were notorious for being evil little witches. I still have a few scars on my hands as a reminder. FWIW they are an example of a breed which should have been recognized as a color variety of Netherland Dwarf rather than a separate breed of it's own, to keep consistency with Marten Dwarves, Tan Dwarves, etc


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