Rabbit Color Calculator
Enter the genotype of your sire (buck) and dam (doe) across the five core color loci and this calculator predicts the probability of every possible offspring coat color. The genetics follow Mendelian inheritance: each parent passes one allele per locus to each kit, and the five loci assort independently. Dominant alleles determine the visible phenotype whenever they are present.
How rabbit coat color genetics work
Rabbit coat color is governed by five independent gene loci labeled A, B, C, D, and E. Each locus has a series of alleles arranged in a strict dominance hierarchy: the most dominant allele present determines the visible phenotype for that locus, even when paired with a recessive allele. The A locus controls hair-shaft banding pattern, producing agouti (ticked), tan pattern, or self (solid) coats. The B locus sets the base pigment type, either black eumelanin or the lighter chocolate eumelanin. The C locus modulates color expression across a wide range, from full saturated color down through chinchilla, sable and shaded tones, Himalayan pointed white, and finally ruby-eyed white where all pigment is suppressed. The D locus controls pigment density: a single dominant D allele gives full color, while two recessive d alleles dilute every color (black becomes blue, chocolate becomes lilac). The E locus governs pigment extension across the body, with the steel allele (Es) and harlequin allele (ej) producing distinctive patterns before the fully recessive e allele yields non-extension yellow and cream coats.
How to read and enter rabbit genotypes
A genotype is written as two letters separated by a slash, one from each parent, for example A/a means the rabbit carries one agouti allele and one self allele. Because the A allele is dominant over a, this rabbit shows an agouti coat but carries a hidden self gene it can pass to offspring. To use this calculator, select both alleles at each of the five loci for your sire (buck) and dam (doe). If you know only the rabbit's visible color but not its hidden recessive alleles, enter the combination that matches its phenotype as the dominant allele paired with the most likely recessive for your breed. The calculator then crosses all five loci simultaneously using Mendelian segregation: each parent passes exactly one allele per locus at random, and the five loci assort independently of one another. Multiplying the per-locus probabilities together gives the final probability of each color outcome.
Interpreting probability results
The probabilities shown are theoretical expectations from Mendelian inheritance. In a very large number of litters from the same cross, the proportions would approach these values. In a single litter of four to eight kits the actual counts can differ substantially from the predicted percentages just by chance. A 25% probability means roughly one kit in four over many litters, not exactly one kit per litter. When a cross produces many distinct possible colors at low individual probabilities, you may need several litters before you see every color the pairing can produce. The calculator shows the four most likely outcomes; crosses between heavily heterozygous parents can generate a dozen or more distinct phenotypes each at a small fraction of the total.
Common crosses and what to expect
Two self black rabbits (a/a, B/B, C/C, D/D, E/E) mated together produce only black offspring because there are no recessive alleles to express. Crossing two black rabbits that both carry the chocolate recessive (B/b) produces 25% chocolate offspring on average. A blue rabbit (a/a, B/B, d/d) crossed with a lilac (a/a, b/b, d/d) produces 50% blue and 50% lilac because all offspring carry one D allele (dense) from the blue parent and are therefore not diluted, then pick up either B or b from the lilac parent. Chinchilla rabbits (cch/cch) crossed with full-color (C/C) give all full-color kits that carry chinchilla, which can then surprise you in the next generation. The most unpredictable crosses involve parents that are heterozygous at three or more loci simultaneously.
The five rabbit color loci and their alleles
| Locus | Allele symbol | Name / Effect | Dominance rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | A | Agouti - banded ticked hairs | 1 (most dominant) |
| A | at | Tan pattern - tan underside, dark dorsal | 2 |
| A | a | Self / Solid - uniform color all over | 3 (recessive) |
| B | B | Black-based pigment (eumelanin) | 1 |
| B | b | Chocolate - reduced eumelanin | 2 (recessive) |
| C | C | Full color | 1 |
| C | cch | Chinchilla - yellow removed from pigment | 2 |
| C | ce | Sable / Shaded - sepia toning | 3 |
| C | ch | Pointed white / Himalayan pattern | 4 |
| C | c | Ruby-eyed white - no pigment expression | 5 (recessive) |
| D | D | Dense - full pigment intensity | 1 |
| D | d | Dilute - reduces pigment density | 2 (recessive) |
| E | E | Extension - normal pigment extension | 1 |
| E | Es | Steel - ticking extended over whole body | 2 |
| E | ej | Harlequin / Japanese - banded pigment | 3 |
| E | e | Non-extension - yellow/cream body color | 4 (recessive) |
Alleles are listed from most dominant (top) to least dominant (bottom) within each locus.
Frequently asked questions
What are the five main rabbit color loci?
The five loci are A (agouti pattern), B (pigment base type), C (color density or dilution), D (dilute), and E (extension). Each is on a separate chromosome, so they assort independently and you can multiply their individual probabilities to get the combined probability of any particular color combination.
My rabbit is an agouti color. How do I know if it carries self (a/a)?
You cannot tell by looking. An agouti rabbit showing ticked fur could be A/A (homozygous, never produces self offspring) or A/a (heterozygous, passes the self gene to 50% of offspring). To find out, you need either a genetic test or a test mating with a known self rabbit: if any kits are self-colored, the agouti parent carries the a allele.
Why does ruby-eyed white (REW) hide all other color genes?
The fully recessive c allele at the C locus blocks the enzyme tyrosinase, which is essential for producing any pigment. When a rabbit inherits two c alleles (c/c), no melanin is made regardless of what alleles it carries at A, B, D, or E, so the fur is white and the eyes appear red because unpigmented blood vessels are visible through the iris. REW rabbits can carry any combination of hidden color alleles and pass them to offspring.
What is the difference between blue and lilac?
Both blue and lilac are dilute colors produced by two copies of the recessive d allele. Blue is a dilute black: the rabbit is genetically black at the B locus (has at least one B allele) but diluted to a blue-grey. Lilac is a dilute chocolate: the rabbit is homozygous chocolate at the B locus (b/b) and also homozygous dilute (d/d), producing a pale pinkish-grey coat.
Does the calculator include Vienna (white-spotting) or broken pattern?
This calculator covers the five core color loci (A, B, C, D, E). Vienna (V locus) and Broken (En locus) are additional independent loci that control white-spotting patterns. They do not change the underlying base color but add white areas to the coat. To predict Vienna or broken outcomes, cross those loci separately using the same Mendelian principles: two heterozygous Broken parents (En/en) produce 25% solid, 50% broken-patterned, and 25% Charlie kits.
What does a steel rabbit look like, and how is it different from agouti?
Steel (Es allele at the E locus) causes the ticking pattern of agouti to extend and darken until the whole coat appears nearly solid with a subtle light ticking. On an agouti background (A at the A locus) the result is called steel agouti, with a very dark overall appearance. The key difference from a true self rabbit is that the steel rabbit still shows the banded hair shaft pattern on close inspection, while a self rabbit has uniform pigment from root to tip.
How reliable are these probability predictions?
The predictions are mathematically correct for classical Mendelian inheritance with independent assortment across the five loci. Real litter outcomes can deviate from these probabilities due to the small sample size of a single litter (typically 4 to 12 kits), any hidden modifier genes not modeled here, and natural biological variation. Over many litters from the same pairing the actual proportions will converge toward the predicted values.