Rabbit Color Genetics Calculator – Predict Kit Colors

The five major loci are: A (Agouti) – controls banding pattern on hair shafts; B (Black/Brown) – determines base pigment color; C (Color) – controls pigment intensity and albinism; D (Dilution) – dilutes dense color to softer shades; E (Extension) – controls how far dark pigment extends along the hair shaft. Together they produce the vast majority of rabbit coat colors.

REW stands for Ruby-eyed White. It occurs when a rabbit has two copies of the recessive c allele (cc) at the C locus. This effectively "masks" all other color genes — the rabbit appears pure white with pink/ruby eyes regardless of what other color genes it carries. A REW rabbit can secretly carry any combination of A, B, D, and E alleles and pass them to offspring.

This happens when both parents are carriers of recessive alleles. A black rabbit with genotype aa Bb C_ Dd E_ carries the recessive b (chocolate) and d (dilute/blue) alleles. If both parents carry these, approximately 25% of kits may be chocolate (bb), 25% blue (dd), and about 6% lilac (bb dd). This is why understanding carrier status is essential for predicting litter colors.

Both are temperature-sensitive color patterns controlled by the C locus, but they use different alleles. Himalayan (chch or chc) produces a white body with colored "points" (ears, nose, feet, tail) — the point color depends on B and D alleles. Siamese Sable (cchl_) creates a rich sepia-toned body with darker points. The cchl allele is dominant over ch but recessive to full color C.

This calculator gives probability estimates based on Mendelian genetics. While it accurately predicts the likelihood of each color, the actual distribution in a litter may vary due to random chance — just like flipping a coin doesn't always give exactly 50% heads. For the most accurate predictions, you need to know the full genotype of both parents (including recessive carriers), which often requires pedigree analysis or test breeding.

BEW is controlled by the V (Vienna) locus, which is separate from the 5 loci in this calculator. The recessive v allele, when homozygous (vv), produces a pure white rabbit with striking blue eyes. A single copy (Vv) often creates Dutch-like white markings or a white blaze. Since the V locus acts independently, BEW results are not included in this calculator's predictions.

Each pair of letters represents one locus. Uppercase = dominant allele, lowercase = recessive. For example, Aa means one dominant A (agouti) and one recessive a (self). BB means two dominant B alleles (homozygous black). A dash like A_ means the second allele is unknown or irrelevant to the phenotype because the dominant allele masks it. This calculator lets you specify both alleles precisely for accurate prediction.