Dwarf Gene DW - dw
There is no doubt that Lops are challenging to breed. Among the challenges–slow maturation, a wide variety of quality in resulting kits, multiple characteristics to manipulate–is the dwarf gene. The following information on the dwarf gene applies to other types of dwarf rabbits as well as mini Lops, but it is important that the mini Lop breeder thoroughly understands the dwarf gene.
The breeds that carry the dwarf gene are the Mini Lop, Netherland Dwarf, Mini Rex, Mini Satin, Dwarf Hotot.
With regard to the dwarf gene, Mini lops come in three types: true dwarfs, false dwarfs, and peanuts. Peanuts do not grow and always die, usually within a few days, but occasionally last a week or two. False dwarfs are also called “normals” and can make good brood animals. Show rabbits are typically true dwarfs.
Dw, False dwarf (Normal)
dw, Ture dwarf
dw,dw Peanut
False dwarfs are more likely to be long, have longer ears and back feet, and often exceed 3.8 pounds in adulthood. These are tendencies and not absolute proof of being a false dwarf.
The rabbits that most often do well on the show table are true dwarfs. Yet normal tend to do well as youngsters but not as adults, Dwarf tend to be truer to type–shorter, with shorter ears and back feet, more balanced, and more likely to fall within the allowable show weight under 3.8 pounds.
Bofur the rabbit on the left is a true dwarf DWdw, as an adult he weights 3.4 lbs , shorth ears very stocky and blanced, a proven show rabbit. Image below of bofur as a youngter.
Clover (Bofur Daughter) the rabbit on the left is a false dwarf (Normal) DWDW, as a young adult 6 months old she weights 3.10 lbs , long ears and long hind legs and body. Below is an image of clover at 4 weeks old
By looking at the images above you can see it is difficult to know if you have a true dwarf or a normal when they are young, the only true way to tell is through breeding, as some time true dwarf can look like normals and the same with normal looking like dwarfs.
This is done by placing a true dwarf to a ture dwarf If you breed two true dwarfs together, on the average, one of four would be peanuts, two of four (or 1/2) would be true dwarfs, and one of four would be false dwarfs. Since the peanuts will certainly die, two out of three of the surviving kits would be true dwarfs and one out of three would be false dwarfs. Remember, these numbers are averages. Your actual results will vary.
You will recognize peanuts in your litter by several characteristics. First, at birth peanuts weigh about 3/4 of an ounce, whereas other kits weigh about 1 1/2 ounces or more (the two newborn bunnies to the far left in the picture are peanuts). Peanuts may have bulging skulls with ears that are set further back. Also, their hips are often underdeveloped and their back legs may cross. Since the peanuts will die anyway (they lack growth tissue so they never develop), some breeders remove them from the kindling box as birth. Others allow them to remain with the litter until they die a natural death. But either way, peanuts are ultimately a non-issue on your quest for ideal true dwarf Mini lops.
If you breed a false dwarf with a true dwarf (and it doesn’t matter whether the doe or the buck is the false dwarf), you have the following results on the average: two of four (or 1/2) will be true dwarfs and two of four (or 1/2) will be false dwarfs. Notice there are no peanuts in these litters. The only way to produce peanuts is by breeding two true dwarfs.
You may wonder why you have seen false dwarfs on the show table and whether they ever win. I do show my false dwarfs when they are young, Clover above did well as an U5 Sometimes, especially in the junior classes, a false dwarf will win the class. It is unlikely, however, that the false dwarf Mini Lop will have a long or very successful show career since false dwarfs generally weigh above four pounds in mature adulthood.
Once your rabbit exceeds 3.8 pounds, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to return him or her and maintain the rabbit’s health.
Even though the false dwarf is unlikely to Grand, you may want the registration to show up on its offsprings’ pedigrees, possibly earning that son, daughter or “grand-bunny” If you have a false dwarf Holland Lop who is a grand champion, please let me know.
As you decide which to keep, which to sell as show or breeding stock and which to sell as pets, remember that false dwarf bucks can be a valuable part of your own breeding plan. If, except for the extra length and size, a buck has numerous good qualities to pass on to his young, keep him or sell him as a brood buck. There is certainly no reason to automatically pet out a false dwarf buck. Also, buying a false dwarf buck may be a reasonably priced way to get a great set of genes into your breeding program.
To sum up, when you breed two true dwarfs, your litter will contain true dwarfs, false dwarfs, and peanuts. If you breed a true dwarf to a false dwarf, you should expect about half to be true dwarfs and about half to be false dwarfs. If you breed two false dwarfs, you will get only false dwarfs. Peanuts always die and can only result from the breeding of two true dwarfs.
True dwarfs.
Buck under 3lbs
Buck under 3.4 lbs
Doe under 3lbs
False dwarfs.
Buck over 4lbs
Doe over 4lbs
Doe over 4lbs