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Tri-Colours, Harlequins and Oranges
There are 2 types of rabbit colours; broken and solid. Broken means white and another colour, solid means no white, all colour (unless your rabbit is completely white).
Tri-coloured rabbit, for example, are bascially a broken oranges with black spots. As a variation it can be white, fawn and blue, or white, cream and lilac. If you breed a broken coloured rabbit with a another broken coloured rabbit you increase your chances of less colour on your rabbit and more white producing what is called a charlie (less than 10% colour and not showable at rabbit shows). Charlies do have a place in breeding programs, breeding them to solids produces nice brokens, or they make nice pets. However, if you want to avoid breeding charlies breed brokens to solids.
The solid colour that has the same gene code as a tri-colour is a harlequin. A solid orange rabbit with black tiger stripes. You can also get harlequins in diluted colours the same as the tri-colours. Harlequin rabbits are also very rare, but if there are none close to you do not dispair for there is a third option that I have been quite successful with.
Sharing a similiar gene is the orange family, which makes sense since orange is the base colour for both tri-colours and harlequins. If you breed a tri-colour to a solid orange you will likely get some tr-colours, harlies and oranges (and whatever else is in the parents' backgroud). Likewise, a harlie and a broken orange could produce these same results. Remember, a harlequin is a solid so breeding it to a solid orange can only produce harlies, oranges and whatevery else the mother throws, you will not get a tri-colour. In the same line of logic a tri-colour and a broken orange maynot produce harlies (although I had one that did) and may give you charlies.
We started out with a beautiful tri-colour doe and solid fawn buck. And 2 generations later we have yet to breed a tri and harlie although we have both, because I wanted to broaded our gene pool before we began doing that. I am happy to report the litter after next will be our fist paring. We will let you know how it goes...
Rabbits like most living creatures have complicated genes and I am not going to get into all of that, but it is sufficient to say that certain genes combined will give you predictable results. I hope this has helped any of you out there considering breeding tri-colours. I have some harlies for sale on my sale page and like I said there are quite a few broken oranges out their if you are interested. If you get in contact with me I can even tell you where.
PS Breeding oranges into your lines also helps with type as tri-colours are notorious for not having great type. It is also a way to make the orange in your rabbits brighter and is called breeding in rufus factor. I am also have success with this.
Creator's Kandi - Tri-coloured Doe
In breeding tri-colours it is best to keep torts out of your lines. Tri-colours with dark ears and noses are torted and unshowable.
I trust somebody found this information useful.
There are 2 types of rabbit colours; broken and solid. Broken means white and another colour, solid means no white, all colour (unless your rabbit is completely white).
Tri-coloured rabbit, for example, are bascially a broken oranges with black spots. As a variation it can be white, fawn and blue, or white, cream and lilac. If you breed a broken coloured rabbit with a another broken coloured rabbit you increase your chances of less colour on your rabbit and more white producing what is called a charlie (less than 10% colour and not showable at rabbit shows). Charlies do have a place in breeding programs, breeding them to solids produces nice brokens, or they make nice pets. However, if you want to avoid breeding charlies breed brokens to solids.
The solid colour that has the same gene code as a tri-colour is a harlequin. A solid orange rabbit with black tiger stripes. You can also get harlequins in diluted colours the same as the tri-colours. Harlequin rabbits are also very rare, but if there are none close to you do not dispair for there is a third option that I have been quite successful with.
Sharing a similiar gene is the orange family, which makes sense since orange is the base colour for both tri-colours and harlequins. If you breed a tri-colour to a solid orange you will likely get some tr-colours, harlies and oranges (and whatever else is in the parents' backgroud). Likewise, a harlie and a broken orange could produce these same results. Remember, a harlequin is a solid so breeding it to a solid orange can only produce harlies, oranges and whatevery else the mother throws, you will not get a tri-colour. In the same line of logic a tri-colour and a broken orange maynot produce harlies (although I had one that did) and may give you charlies.
We started out with a beautiful tri-colour doe and solid fawn buck. And 2 generations later we have yet to breed a tri and harlie although we have both, because I wanted to broaded our gene pool before we began doing that. I am happy to report the litter after next will be our fist paring. We will let you know how it goes...
Rabbits like most living creatures have complicated genes and I am not going to get into all of that, but it is sufficient to say that certain genes combined will give you predictable results. I hope this has helped any of you out there considering breeding tri-colours. I have some harlies for sale on my sale page and like I said there are quite a few broken oranges out their if you are interested. If you get in contact with me I can even tell you where.
PS Breeding oranges into your lines also helps with type as tri-colours are notorious for not having great type. It is also a way to make the orange in your rabbits brighter and is called breeding in rufus factor. I am also have success with this.
Creator's Kandi - Tri-coloured Doe
In breeding tri-colours it is best to keep torts out of your lines. Tri-colours with dark ears and noses are torted and unshowable.
I trust somebody found this information useful.
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