Why a REW is only a REW-

We always describe a REW rabbit as "throwing a blanket" over a colored animal. This isn't 100% accurate.

A question came up on a rabbit forum about how a Blue doe and a REW buck produced a Smoke Pearl. Mainly, the question was how the REW can be "black" underneath his REW, if what makes a black a black is the full color C.

The reason is very simple, but very difficult to explain.

The only difference between a Black and a Siamese Sable is what is carried on the "C". When you strip the shaded out (and a siamese sable is just a shaded black) and make it REW, it (for lack of a better word) defaults to black.

Or, to put it another way- the REW rabbit isn't *really* black. A REW is just a REW, even though we use the term "throwing a blanket over a rabbit" to describe it. My rule of thumb to figure out what a REW is, is to say "What happens if I give it a C." In this case, if we give your REW a "C" it becomes black.

If I give my REW herd buck a "C", he becomes a Chestnut that carries dilute and carries tort.

Why give it a "C"? Because that just allows the color to manifest. Black, to me, is the "base" color of everything. What is the difference between a black and a chestnut? Only what is carried on the "A" gene. It's the common denominator of all the colors. Tweak one thing and you get a different color.

This is why most folks tell you to breed a REW to a black rabbit to figure out what a REW is. You're just borrowing the "C" from the black animal to see what manifests.

I hope this makes sense!

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry