Orange Genetics

[rowegirl]

I am a newbie at rabbit genetics and am working on buying pedigreed netherland dwarfs. I have found some orange NDs but was wondering if that is a more complicated color to work with than say something like selfs or brokens?

 

[DutchBunny03]

Any color has its challenges. Generally, the more complex the markings, the harder it is. Thats why English Spots and Rhilanders seem to drive their owners to near insanity. Selfs are not quite as hard, but there you have to worry about uneven coloring, faded coloring. etc. There isnt really an "easy" color or pattern to work with. But as far as i can tell, orange is not extremely difficult to work with.

 

[rowegirl]

Thanks @DutchBunny03! I have been reading up on it and it sounds like it is challenging but not something too hard to work with.

 

[promiseacres]

My advice is to research and attempt to focus on a particular color group at first. Reds are a bit more complex but definitely doable as a newbie.
Of course you can always get suprises. I have gotten both creams breeding selfs and agoutis and agoutis and steels when breeding selfs.... of course my velveteen lops haven't been around nearly as long as the Netherland dwarfs.

 

[rowegirl]

My advice is to research and attempt to focus on a particular color group at first. Reds are a bit more complex but definitely doable as a newbie.
Of course you can always get suprises. I have gotten both creams breeding selfs and agoutis and agoutis and steels when breeding selfs.... of course my velveteen lops haven't been around nearly as long as the Netherland dwarfs.

From what I've been reading on all the colors it looks like I'm going to just have to jump in and be a little hands on about it and not be so nervous. Of course I'm going to keep on reading and learning as much as I can.

 

[samssimonsays]

With Netherlands, be careful not to cross certain colors. That is the biggest concern. Smokes and frosts are the ones that can make very undesirable colors and can really mess up a breeding program if an animal carries those colors as well.

 

[rowegirl]

I'm going to start with solids, brokens and otters. I'm going to wait a bit before I go into shaded.

 

[samssimonsays]

Good idea! A friend of mine raised them and she got a REW that had a shaded back ground and she didn't know it. It really set her back in her program.