Rabbit Color Calculator

Pick each parent's genotype at the five main coat-color loci (A, B, C, D, E) and get the probability of every possible offspring color.

Quick Facts

Method
Mendelian Punnett cross across the A, B, C, D and E color loci
Each locus is crossed independently, then combined by multiplying probabilities, and read out through the standard rabbit dominance hierarchy.

Predicted Litter Colors

Calculated
Most likely color
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Highest-probability phenotype
Distinct colors possible
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Number of phenotypes with non-zero odds

Ready

Set each parent's genotype and calculate the cross.

How the Rabbit Color Calculator works

Rabbit coat color is controlled mainly by five gene loci that geneticists label A, B, C, D and E. Every rabbit carries two alleles at each locus — one inherited from the sire (father) and one from the dam (mother). This calculator takes the genotype you select for each parent, performs a Mendelian cross at every locus, and combines the results to predict the probability of each coat color among the offspring.

At a single locus the math is a simple Punnett square: each parent passes one of its two alleles with probability 1/2, so the four allele pairings each carry probability 1/4. The visible trait is decided by dominance — the higher-ranked allele in a pair is the one you see. Because the five loci sit on different genes and assort independently, the probability of a complete color is the product of the individual per-locus probabilities.

The five color loci and their dominance order

  • A — Agouti: A (agouti, banded hairs) > at (tan/otter pattern) > a (self, solid color). Agouti gives the wild "chestnut" look; aa makes the color solid.
  • B — Black/Chocolate: B (black) > b (chocolate/brown). A single B is enough to make black pigment; bb turns black into chocolate.
  • C — Color/Shaded/Albino: C (full color) > cchd (chinchilla) > ch (himalayan/pointed) > c (albino). This series controls how much pigment is deposited; cc is a ruby-eyed white that hides all other color.
  • D — Density: D (dense) > d (dilute). Dilute lightens the pigment: black becomes blue, chocolate becomes lilac.
  • E — Extension: E (full extension) > e (non-extension). ee switches the coat to the red/yellow pigment series, giving reds, oranges and creams.

From genotype to a color name

Once each locus is resolved to its dominant token, the combination maps to a named breed color. For example, A_ B_ C_ D_ E_ is chestnut agouti (the wild color); making it self (aa) gives solid black; adding dilute (dd) gives blue; adding chocolate (bb) gives chocolate; both dilute and chocolate give lilac. Switching on non-extension (ee) over a black base produces red or, when diluted, cream. The calculator applies these standard interactions so the output uses the color names breeders actually use.

Why hidden carriers matter

Because B, C, D and E dominance can mask a recessive allele, two identical-looking rabbits can produce surprising kits. A black rabbit that is Bb Dd looks exactly like a BB DD black, but paired with another Bb Dd black it can throw blue (dd), chocolate (bb) and even lilac (bb dd) offspring. Selecting the true genotype — not just the visible color — is what makes the prediction accurate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know the exact genotype, or just the parents' colors?
You need the genotype to be precise. Two rabbits of the same visible color can carry different hidden recessives, and those recessives change what colors are possible in the litter. If you only know the visible color, choose the homozygous-dominant option for a lower bound on variety, or a carrier option if the rabbit has a known recessive in its pedigree.
Why does black x black sometimes give blue, chocolate, or lilac?
Black is dominant at both the B and D loci, so a black rabbit can secretly carry chocolate (b) and/or dilute (d). If both parents are Bb, one kit in four is expected to be bb (chocolate). If both are also Dd, the two 1/4 chances multiply, so 1/16 of kits are expected to be bb dd — lilac. That is exactly the kind of combination this calculator works out for you.
Are the percentages what I will actually get in one litter?
No — they are long-run expectations. Inheritance is random, and a rabbit litter is only a handful of kits, so a single litter is a small sample. A 25% color might show up in two of eight kits, or zero, or four. The percentages describe the average over many litters, not a guarantee for any one of them.

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