Netherland Dwarf Rabbits at Spring Creek Gems

Kit Color

6.7.09

Home | Bucks | Does | Nestbox | ForSale | Barn | Articles | Shows | Blog | Random Shots | Links | E-M@IL

Back to Articles | Color Breeding | Recognized Varieties | Unrecognized Varieties

"What color is this kit?" Ah...the nestbox guessing game. A kit's color can change a lot from birth to weaning. This page will deal with some of the colors that are harder to identify, or easily confused with another.

"What color are the parents? What's in their background? Those are the first questions that need answering. It's very important to know what the parents are carrying before you can be sure what color the kits are. Positive identificaton of offsprings' color also proves what the parents are or are not carrying. In the case of hidden recessive genes, they may not show up in every litter from a particular pair, or appear on either pedigree. If this pair is repeatedly mated, the recessives will likely show up eventually, especially in larger litters. An example of a surprising but very possible result - 2 Blacks can produce REW if both parents carry REW.

Refer to Color Breeding for more about the varieties.

This page will be a work in progress as I collect the various photos.

Genetic terms to understand:

Dominant: Only one (1) needed to produce it. One (1) parent must display it....meaning it must be it. Ex: If neither parent is Broken, there will be no Broken offspring. Black, Broken, Agouti, Tan Pattern. *Note: Self (solid) Black is recessive, but the black color itself is dominant.

Semi-Dominant: Only one (1) needed to produce it, and it can be hidden. Shaded (Siamese Sable, Siamese Smoke Pearl), Sable & Smoke Pearl Marten (in conjunction with dominant Tan Pattern), BEW.

Recessive: Two (2) needed to produce it. Both parents must carry it, and it can be hidden. Self, REW, BEW, Chocolate, Himalayan, Dilute, Non-Extension.

Dilute: Recessive. Blue (dilute of Black), Lilac (dilute of Chocolate), Siamese Smoke Pearl (dilute of Siamese Sable), Smoke Pearl Marten (dilute of Sable Marten), Fawn (dilute of Orange).

Non-Extension (ee): Recessive. Sable Point (non-extension of shaded), Tort (non-extension of self), Orange / Fawn (non-extension of Chestnut), unshowable Fox / Tort Otter (non-extension of tan pattern) and Ermine (non-extension of Chinchilla).

Vienna: Recessive, Semi-Dominant. Blue-Eyed White (BEW), unshowable Vienna-Marked (VM). The Vienna gene is a special case as it doesn't really follow the other rules. If both parents are BEW or carry Vienna, BEWs will result. If one parent is BEW or carries it, the kits may be the unshowable Vienna-Marked that display some of the BEW characteristics - blue or partially blue eyes, white markings in conjunction with whatever else the BEW carries. BEW can carry any other dominant and/or recessive genes. Any other variety can carry hidden Vienna.

Shades Of Brown

Left to right: Seal, Siamese Sable, Chocolate ~ 2 weeks old
Note the lighter ticking on the Siamese Sable in the middle. This is a shaded marker. It disappears as the kit develops its jr coat and shading. The Seal is also shaded, but because it's so dark, this isn't as evident. A ruby glow in the eye is another shaded marker. Chocolate is recessive and can only come out of 2 chocolate carriers. Chocolate will also have a ruby glow.

Chocolate
Note they are a deeper richer brown than the Siamese Sables below.

Siamese Sable
This litter was out of Black Himi x Sable Point. The Himi doesn't carry non-extension so these can only be Siamese Sables. Note the lighter kit could be Siamese Smoke Pearl, but the Sable Pt doesn't carry dilute. The pink kit is a Himi.

Sable Point
Left litter was out of Sable Pt x Sable Pt. The white kit is a Himi because both parents carried it. The right is also out of Sable Pt x Sable Pt and shows the variations of color that can occur in Sable Pt litters. The kit on the far left is very clean and light. The far right is very smutty and has an almost tort orange tinge. The middle kit is also smutty but grayish.

Left to right: Broken Black (spot), Broken Tort (2 blankets), Broken Tort (2 spots) ~ 3 days old
This litter was out of Broken Black x Sable Pt. The Broken Black sire carries the recessive non-extension, and Sable Pt is non-extension. Note the orange color on the Torts. These kits are pink at birth, and the orange begins to show within a few hours. The blankets appeared to be solid until the 3rd day when the white markings became evident. Also note the darker Tort shading on eyes and ears. If these were solids, the lower body, legs, and tail would also be darker. This can be seen on the heavily-patterned blankets.

left: Black Tort; center: Blue Tort; right: Chocolate Tort
Only Black Tort is showable. Note the faded appearance of the Blue Tort, and the bright orange of the Choc Tort.

Himalayan
These are what we call "cold himis". Himalayan is temperature-sensitive and when Himi kits are chilled in the early days of life, they can display this smutty excess color. They can be mistaken for Siamese Sable, Sable Pt, or Smoke Pearl. This is when it's important to know what the parents are carrying. If both parents are Himis, that's all they can give. The other shaded varieties that carry Himi can produce cold himis as well. At 10 days, the eyelids are pink, where the other varieties will be darker and brown. At 12 days, the pink eyes are opening to prove they are Himis. As they grow, the color recedes to the points and this is seen in the 24 Day photo. Most breeders agree this makes for very nicely colored himis. There is some evidence that smutty Himi kits are a result of desirable color modifiers as much as temperature.

Cold Himi photos courtesy of FS Rabbitry. Thank you, Farrah!

Shades Of Gray (dilute, recessive)

Left to right: Blue, Siamese Smoke Pearl, Lilac Silver Marten ~ 5 weeks old
Blue is a clear uniform color. Smoke Pearl had the same ticking as the above Siamese Sable, but at this age has developed shading. Lilac has a slight chocolate cast, usually lighter than Blue, and as with Chocolate, is recessive. Smoke Pearl and Lilac will have the ruby glow in the eye.

Siamese Smoke Pearl in the middle, the other two are Blue.

Siamese Sable in the middle, the other two are Siamese Smoke Pearl.

Left: Blue; Right: Lilac

Back to Articles | Color Breeding | Recognized Varieties | Unrecognized Varieties

**Shades Of Brown**
Left to right: Seal, Siamese Sable, Chocolate ~ 2 weeks old Note the lighter ticking on the Siamese Sable in the middle. This is a shaded marker. It disappears as the kit develops its jr coat and shading. The Seal is also shaded, but because it's so dark, this isn't as evident. A ruby glow in the eye is another shaded marker. Chocolate is recessive and can only come out of 2 chocolate carriers. Chocolate will also have a ruby glow. Chocolate Note they are a deeper richer brown than the Siamese Sables below. Siamese Sable This litter was out of Black Himi x Sable Point. The Himi doesn't carry non-extension so these can only be Siamese Sables. Note the lighter kit could be Siamese Smoke Pearl, but the Sable Pt doesn't carry dilute. The pink kit is a Himi. Sable Point Left litter was out of Sable Pt x Sable Pt. The white kit is a Himi because both parents carried it. The right is also out of Sable Pt x Sable Pt and shows the variations of color that can occur in Sable Pt litters. The kit on the far left is very clean and light. The far right is very smutty and has an almost tort orange tinge. The middle kit is also smutty but grayish. Left to right: Broken Black (spot), Broken Tort (2 blankets), Broken Tort (2 spots) ~ 3 days old This litter was out of Broken Black x Sable Pt. The Broken Black sire carries the recessive non-extension, and Sable Pt is non-extension. Note the orange color on the Torts. These kits are pink at birth, and the orange begins to show within a few hours. The blankets appeared to be solid until the 3rd day when the white markings became evident. Also note the darker Tort shading on eyes and ears. If these were solids, the lower body, legs, and tail would also be darker. This can be seen on the heavily-patterned blankets. left: Black Tort; center: Blue Tort; right: Chocolate Tort Only Black Tort is showable. Note the faded appearance of the Blue Tort, and the bright orange of the Choc Tort. Himalayan These are what we call "cold himis". Himalayan is temperature-sensitive and when Himi kits are chilled in the early days of life, they can display this smutty excess color. They can be mistaken for Siamese Sable, Sable Pt, or Smoke Pearl. This is when it's important to know what the parents are carrying. If both parents are Himis, that's all they can give. The other shaded varieties that carry Himi can produce cold himis as well. At 10 days, the eyelids are pink, where the other varieties will be darker and brown. At 12 days, the pink eyes are opening to prove they are Himis. As they grow, the color recedes to the points and this is seen in the 24 Day photo. Most breeders agree this makes for very nicely colored himis. There is some evidence that smutty Himi kits are a result of desirable color modifiers as much as temperature. Cold Himi photos courtesy of FS Rabbitry. Thank you, Farrah!

**Shades Of Gray (*dilute, recessive*)**
Left to right: Blue, Siamese Smoke Pearl, Lilac Silver Marten ~ 5 weeks old Blue is a clear uniform color. Smoke Pearl had the same ticking as the above Siamese Sable, but at this age has developed shading. Lilac has a slight chocolate cast, usually lighter than Blue, and as with Chocolate, is recessive. Smoke Pearl and Lilac will have the ruby glow in the eye. Siamese Smoke Pearl in the middle, the other two are Blue. Siamese Sable in the middle, the other two are Siamese Smoke Pearl. Left: Blue; Right: Lilac