This page is constantly updated as I learn or get new ideas about brokens.
Please use it as a guide, not a bible. I am learning too.
This page will take awhile to load due to the amount of pictures on it so please bear with us...it is worth the time.
The broken coat actually follows a very predictable pattern that can be controled somewhat easily if you know what to look for. On this page I will be explaining and naming the different patterns to give you a better understanding about how broken patterns work.
There are two things that can complicate the patterns in brokens. The first is the fact that there are AT LEAST four separate gene pairs that control the color and the second is that there are possibly modifiers that can sway the coat color amount one way or the other into a different sized pattern. Being that there are so many genes and modifiers present knowing the complete genetics of an animal is impossible without complete testing. Testing like this can be difficult if you dont have cage space or are breeding for type or fur or something other than color so don't sweat it too much, just know that most often, animals will produce like babies so choose now for the pattern you want now and you will get it later too. The second thing is that you don't know what patterning genes a solid that you cross in carries until you breed.
This is a borderline cracked doe that carries no dominant spotting genes. Note how her lines where the white meets the color are quite even and somewhat straight. Compare her to the cracked broken below that has at least one spotting gene. The spots are also connected mainly to the body color.
This is a true cracked broken that carries a spotting gene. See how broken and ragged the edges are on this buck where color meets white? Also note how many spots dont connect to the main color when they are present.
Ok, about the spotting gene...as this one is one I have noticed and never seen written about. I can be honest here and tell you that I am not exactly sure how this gene works. I haven't watched them enough for dominance of one over the other. To define the spotting gene I would like for you to look at the first two animals below. Note how the first animal's color, where it meets the white is quite smooth and most of the spots are connected to the main body of color. Now notice the bunny below her and the bunny 5 spaces down. See how rough the outlines are on both of these animals? It is my opinion that the rougher outlined ones carry a gene that breaks up the color and makes the edges ragged. The last bunny is related to the first, third and fourth animals and the second to the last bunny is related to the 5th bunny. See how the patterns carry? Now look at the broken black. He's kind of hard to tell by looking at his body but look at how smooth the color is on his face. Which category would you put him in? My suggestion would be the smooth category...then wait to see what he looks like as he grows and gets his senior coat.
Smooth Closed Blanket pattern-note how the white on the shoulderblades is inclosed by color.
Smooth Closed Blanket
Spotted blanket and his sons who are both looking to be smooth but look at the sizes of the blankets. Smooth may be dominant over the spotted but I am not sure. Both of these babies are out of smooth does.
Both kids are almost closed blankets...their moms were open blankets if I remember right.
Open smooth blanket-note the full dorsal color on the back. I would call this a open smooth lineback blanket. Kinda getting technical...but at least it is clear that way.
Open spotted, open lineback (the line over the spine is no longer in one peice so it is open as well).
This pattern is very open in color. She comes out of a open smooth lineback and a solid. The solid also carries lineback or open lineback patterning and when you cross these together, the lineback is broken even further.
True Charlie- a true charlie carries two broken genes and two patterning genes and can either be a smooth or spotted broken. A true charlie can never produce a completely solid animal but crossed on a solid that carries no patterning genes it can produce cracked or booted brokens. True charlies will often have only one or two spots on the spine and eye circles. There will be very little color on the ears and no nose markings.
Borderline Charlie-this animal can be either a smooth or a spotted broken but it often has strong remnants of where the line on the lineback is and isn't a true charlie in most cases. Often there will be 3-5 spots down the back. The animal carries two patterning genes but only one dominant broken gene so it is capable of producing solids in it's crosses on solids (and sometimes on brokens too) if modifiers sway this animal to the darker side it can be an animal with a fairly large blanket and no nose markings.
The lthird bunny up from the bottom is related to the first, third and fourth animals and the 4th bunny up from the bottom is related to the 5th bunny from the top. See how the patterns carry?
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There are also one or two genes that control the amount of color on the nose. When every single broken pattern is present in an animal the animal will look like the Hotot or Dwarf Hotot breeds.
Lastly, there is either a gene or modifiers that control the actual outline of the color. This is most often seen in broken blacks. The color when the bunny is young, will have a halo effect of stray whites inside of the color. This often sheds out as the bunny goes through a couple of moults. This can also be seen in paint horses although with paints it often remains even after the horse is an adult. I haven't studied this gene or modifier well enough to know exactly how it works, but I will be watching for them in litters to see how they work.
