Breeding Dilutes
I breed all colors together for the most part. The only cross I avoid unless absolutely necessary is Blue x Lilac. There is a color that I refer to as a Blilac that tends to come out of these types of crosses. It is hard to distinguish between a blue and a lilac. Too light to be a proper blue, but too dark to be a proper lilac. There may even be a pink tint present.
The only real way to tell what it is, is to breed it to a chocolate. Any other color in the litter other than chocolate and lilac will tell you the rabbit is genetically a blue regardless of what it looks like. However, even if you do this cross and get proper colored offspring, I will caution anyone that DOES do this, to proceed with caution and keep an eye on the color of the offspring. I don’t believe it will cause issues down the line IF you cull accordingly.
We had a few Blilacs when we first started. I forget what cross led to them. Most likely Blue X Blue or even black. Back then, we had no experience with color genetics. We assumed they were blue because they were very dark for lilacs and we had NEVER gotten lilacs out of the rabbits we had. As they got older (and were subsequently returned to us), we realized they had the distinct pinkish tint of lilacs but were definitely more blue colored. We asked around and were told this happens when you breed dilutes together, usually blue to lilac. Since then, we have come to realize it’s more than likely a throwback color. We cull them and only keep the most correct colored dilutes.
Some breeders say to breed Blues to Blues and Lilacs to Lilacs to maintain the correct color. I don’t necessarily agree with that. However, I also take into account that we may be working with different lines. In either case, it’s definitely something to keep in mind regardless of what you decide. I have gotten correctly colored offspring out of lilac x chocolate crosses. I cull my blues hard for color to make sure I’m not passing on modifiers I, myself, don’t want.
The other issue with breeding dilutes together is toenail color. Himalayans are considered solid colored rabbits. Therefore, they need to have dark or colored toenails. Lightening of the toenails can result from these repeated breedings if you don’t add in a dense colored rabbit (ie black or chocolate) in every now and again to both maintain dark toenail color and too much lightening of the blue color.
The only real way to tell what it is, is to breed it to a chocolate. Any other color in the litter other than chocolate and lilac will tell you the rabbit is genetically a blue regardless of what it looks like. However, even if you do this cross and get proper colored offspring, I will caution anyone that DOES do this, to proceed with caution and keep an eye on the color of the offspring. I don’t believe it will cause issues down the line IF you cull accordingly.
We had a few Blilacs when we first started. I forget what cross led to them. Most likely Blue X Blue or even black. Back then, we had no experience with color genetics. We assumed they were blue because they were very dark for lilacs and we had NEVER gotten lilacs out of the rabbits we had. As they got older (and were subsequently returned to us), we realized they had the distinct pinkish tint of lilacs but were definitely more blue colored. We asked around and were told this happens when you breed dilutes together, usually blue to lilac. Since then, we have come to realize it’s more than likely a throwback color. We cull them and only keep the most correct colored dilutes.
Some breeders say to breed Blues to Blues and Lilacs to Lilacs to maintain the correct color. I don’t necessarily agree with that. However, I also take into account that we may be working with different lines. In either case, it’s definitely something to keep in mind regardless of what you decide. I have gotten correctly colored offspring out of lilac x chocolate crosses. I cull my blues hard for color to make sure I’m not passing on modifiers I, myself, don’t want.
The other issue with breeding dilutes together is toenail color. Himalayans are considered solid colored rabbits. Therefore, they need to have dark or colored toenails. Lightening of the toenails can result from these repeated breedings if you don’t add in a dense colored rabbit (ie black or chocolate) in every now and again to both maintain dark toenail color and too much lightening of the blue color.