HOTOT

 

Dwarf Hotot Markings

 

So that is how the eyeband color works, what about the pattern itself? This is where it starts to get a lot trickier. I often hear that the Dwarf Hotot pattern is caused by the Broken gene in combination with the Dutch gene. While this is true, it’s slightly more complex than

simply being a Broken Dutch, and understanding this bit of genetics will help maximize the number of properly banded baby Dwarf Hotots in your litters!

 

First let’s look at the Broken gene, technically called the English Spot gene, hence the codes of En for Broken and en for solid. If you are familiar with the Broken pattern you may recall the term Charlie which is used to describe a rabbit with very little, often less than 10%,

coloring on their Broken pattern. This lightly marked Broken is caused when the rabbit has two Broken genes. A properly marked Broken has one copy of each gene, and a solid of course has both recessives.

 

EnEn – Charlie, usually less than 10% color

Enen – Broken, usually between 30-70% color

enen – Solid, no white in the pattern

 

Well, that’s not so complicated, but now let’s study the Dutch gene. There are actually three different versions of it.

Du – normal, non-Dutch (aka no Dutch pattern)

dud – Dark Dutch, a more heavily marked Dutch pattern with more color in it

duw – White Dutch, a lighter marked Dutch pattern with more white in it 

 

The two Dutch variations, Dark Dutch and White Dutch, will mix much like the Broken and solid genes do.

 

The Dutch and Broken genes work together to create the Dwarf Hotot pattern. The Broken is needed to “clear off” the rest of the color on the body, ears, and head that the Dutch pattern leaves behind. However, both the Dutch and Broken patterns are additionally influenced by modifying genes. If you think about it, no two Brokens really ever look alike they may be more blanketed, more spotted, more or less color, etc. even though they are all genetically Enen. The Dutch pattern also has variances, not every Dutch rabbit born has the proper pattern to show.

 

These modifires really aren’t controllable, as they are likely caused by many genes interacting and as such are at this time impossible to characterize. But, putting the right Broken and Dutch gene combinations together, we can maximize the

chance for properly banded offspring in our Dwarf Hotot litters.