Color Predictions

Most of us are familiar with Punnett squares from school. I stink at the more complicated ones so I stick with the simple 2x2 square for predicting what colors are possible from a breeding. Note that the statistics are PER KIT and NOT per litter.

I was always a math person and hated calculators, so I use a slightly more complicated method of quick mental math of sorts to figure out what colors are possible from what crosses.

All my animals, for the most part, are _b_d, chocolate/brown and dilute carriers. I never assume a rabbit is one hundred percent dominant in either color gene. Instead of Punnett squares, I use the following:

• BBDD = Can only give Black, no recessives
• BbDD = Black chocolate carrier, Dense only
• BbDd = Black chocolate and dilute carrier
• bbDD = Chocolate, Dense only
• bbDd = Chocolate, dilute carrier.
• BBdd = Blue, no chocolate
• Bbdd = Blue chocolate carrier
• bbdd = Lilac, only has recessive genes.

I always assume a black Himalayan is B_D_ until I breed it. Breeding to a Lilac is a fast way to bring out any recessives in the Black. So if I end up with any blues, chocolates and lilacs, then I know my black Himalayan is BbDd. Even if I only got blues out of the cross, I would still write B_Dd, since recessives can hide for generations. Remember: you need two recessive genes to express the recessive colors.

Black x Black, Blue, Chocolate or Lilac = Possibility of all four accepted varieties
Blue X Chocolate = Possibility of all four accepted varieties (remember, Blue is just a dilute Black)
Blue x Lilac = Blues and Lilacs
Chocolate X Lilac = Chocolates and Lilacs
Lilac X Lilac = Lilacs

There is a separate post regarding breeding Blues to Lilacs that I would highly recommend reading. :)