# Chocolate Dutch Breeding



## Akkatia (Jul 10, 2006)

Okay, my 4-H show is TOMARRROW!!!! So excited! This is my fourth 4-H show, and I want to make some arrngments with some friends about breeding Hershey, old-time BOB, chocolate Dutch doe. I already know whatblack to choc brings, because I've been breeding black and chocolate Dutch for a few years now.What would happen if I bred a choc doe to a tortoise buck, what would it look like? Also, a blue buck? A gray buck? Thanks to everyone who helps!

--Kiya--


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## pamnock (Jul 10, 2006)

*Akkatia wrote: *


> Okay, my 4-H show is TOMARRROW!!!! So excited! This is my fourth 4-H show, and I want to make some arrngments with some friends about breeding Hershey, old-time BOB, chocolate Dutch doe. I already know whatblack to choc brings, because I've been breeding black and chocolate Dutch for a few years now.What would happen if I bred a choc doe to a tortoise buck, what would it look like? Also, a blue buck? A gray buck? Thanks to everyone who helps!
> 
> --Kiya--


 

A lot depends on what recessives the rabbits might be carrying. 

Chocolate to tort would most likely give you black. Other possible colors would be chocolate (if your tort carries chocolate), and you could also get tort if your chocolate carries the non-extension gene. I don't recommend the cross, because you are setting yourself up for producing chocolate torts -- a non-accepted variety. I don't advise crossing choc. to tort.

Chocolate to blue would most likely give you black. Depending on the recessives both are carrying, you could also get chocolate or blue. Unfortunately, you could also get lilac - an unaccepted color. I don't advise crossing chocolate x blue.

Gray to chocolate will most likely produce gray. Can also produce black as well as chocolate-grays (not accepted)if the gray carries the chocolate gene. Once again, not a cross I advise.

Dutch shouldn't have a rainbow of colors in their pedigree. Breeders are very anal about the color on the Dutch -- so do be careful about what you cross together.



Pam


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## Starlight Rabbitry (Jul 11, 2006)

Chocolate dutch breeders generally breed choc to choc. Sometimes they will through a black into the mix but the black will have no blue in the background. Generally, that black will be either all black or will have some chocolate mixed in its background. 

Sharon


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## Akkatia (Jul 11, 2006)

Okay, thanks. I started out my rabbitry with a choc doe and blk buck, and now I'm starting to think about torts. My friend Justin has a choc Dutch doe with tort background (and her fur looks kind of like a tortoise color sometimes) and I wanted to make plans to breed my choc Dutch buck with black background to it. I think it sounds like it might be a good combo. What do you think?

--Kiya--


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## pamnock (Jul 11, 2006)

The chocolate cross is fine (you'll get chocolates) as long as there aren't torts in your buck's background. Breeding two chocolates together that both carry the tort's non-extension gene will produce chocolate torts. 

If both carry the dilute gene, you could get lilac. 





Pam


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## Akkatia (Jul 12, 2006)

There's nothing but black and chocolate in my buck's background, and if I'm right, Justin's has tort, gray, black, and chocolate in his. I know you said that a Dutch can't have a rainbow of colors in the back ground, but I also recently bought a new Dutch with a G. G. dam, colored tort, and a G. G. sire with gray. You put them together and you get a G.sire coloredblack (that's what it says.) All of the rest of the are chocolate, and you finally get down the list all of the way to my bunny, who is chocolate. Would that be alright to breed with my buck, also?


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## Dribbles (Jul 24, 2006)

*pamnock wrote: *


> *Akkatia wrote: *





> Okay, my 4-H show is TOMARRROW!!!! So excited! This is my fourth 4-H show, and I want to make some arrngments with some friends about breeding Hershey, old-time BOB, chocolate Dutch doe. I already know whatblack to choc brings, because I've been breeding black and chocolate Dutch for a few years now.What would happen if I bred a choc doe to a tortoise buck, what would it look like? Also, a blue buck? A gray buck? Thanks to everyone who helps!
> 
> --Kiya--





> A lot depends on what recessives the rabbits might be carrying.
> 
> Chocolate to tort would most likely give you black. Other possible colors would be chocolate (if your tort carries chocolate), and you could also get tort if your chocolate carries the non-extension gene. I don't recommend the cross, because you are setting yourself up for producing chocolate torts -- a non-accepted variety. I don't advise crossing choc. to tort.
> 
> ...





> i have a question why doesnt Lilac get accepted i dont think thats right its cruel if i am getting the rightidea sorry if im thinking wrong


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## Starlight Rabbitry (Jul 24, 2006)

Dribbles - What is meant by unaccepted color is that in the US there are only 6 colors of Dutch that can be shown...Black, Blue, Chocolate, Gray, Steel, and Tortoise (Black). Lilac is therefore not showable. Breeders strive to get showable colors so if they know that certain colors will make unaccepted ones, they will not mix those. 

Hopefully this made sense. 

Sharon


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## Dribbles (Jul 24, 2006)

ok that does make sense now


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## Akkatia (Jul 25, 2006)

If lilac was showable, though, I'd probably be breeding them. The color is beautiful!


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