Breeding Blue Eyed Whites

[cattlequeen]

I am getting a BEW Netherland Dwarf next week and I am wondering what are the 'breeding' rules for breeding them. What colors can you breed to BEWs? This may be a dumb question, but people have told me you can only breed it with other BEW's and Otters. Is that true?

 

[Bunnylady]

I can't imagine where that business about Otters comes from. BEW is the Vienna gene; it has no relationship with Otter (which happens on the A locus, along with Self and Agouti).

[some really basic genetics here, just to make sure we are on the same page]

There is one particular location where this gene occurs, called a locus. At the V locus, there are two possible genes, the V gene (which causes the Blue-eyed White) and the v, which calls for normal coloration. Every rabbit has two genes at this locus, one that came from its mother, one from its father. Most rabbits inherit a v gene from both of their parents ( along with all the other genes they have), they are not Blue-eyed Whites.

A rabbit that inherits the V gene from both parents is a genetic BEW (VV). It will have white fur and cornflower blue eyes. A rabbit that inherits the non-blue-eyed white gene from both parents (vv) has no BEW characteristics. The problem is the animals that inherit a V from one parent, and a v from the other. These animals are usually colored rabbits with areas of white on them that look a lot like the markings on a Dutch rabbit. They usually have white on the feet, white on the face, and a band of white on the shoulders, but the white frequently isn't as symmetric as it appears on the Dutch. These animals are called Vienna-marked, and they may have blue eyes, brown eyes, or one of each. Sometimes, they may have just a tiny bit of white on the face or feet, or just a couple of white claws. Occasionally, you'll get an animal that you know has a V gene (because a parent was a BEW, and had to give it a V gene), that has no white on it at all. Those are referred to as VC - Vienna Carriers.

In the Dwarf, BEW is showable. A Vienna Carrier that shows absolutely no white hairs or claws is also showable. If there is even a small snip of white on the nose, or a single white claw, that animal is DQ'd. That's the nuisance of the BEW - you will end up with a lot of VM's and VC's that aren't showable. And if you breed two VM's together, how do you know which solid colored offspring are vv's, and not VC's?

Here's another one of those "what the ???" things that can happen with BEW. If your animals are carrying REW, you can get a REW baby that has VV, but of course it won't be expressed. Or how's this - an animal with Himi genes that is VV. VV takes all the color out of the coat, so you don't see the darker points. Since Himi's have red eyes, you don't see the blue eyes of the BEW. This animal would look like a REW, but would genetically be something else entirely (this is where pedigrees can be real handy!)

 

[therealsilkiechick]

bew to bew is best but i don't get the otter part either. if you have 1 bew and can't get another breed it to a normal. first litter(generation) will be all normal looking but be bew carriers breed an off spring from that litter back to the bew parent to make a bew. then use that bew to breed to the origional bew to give you the pair of bew to breed bew to bew.

 

[cattlequeen]

Bunnylady, thanks for the reply. It makes sense now. Thank you!

therealsilkiechick, thanks!