Survey Submitted by Paul Jurgelonis

Over 15 years

Until any proposed new variety achieves consistent Dutch type, they are not really Dutch. They are Dutch-marked something else.  Crossing a Dutch to a Californian will give commercial type with Dutch-like markings.  The odd non-standard colors produced by crossing the varieties we have are just evidence of a cross not to make again.  The Lilacs, chocolate torts, blue and lilac torts, blue steels, blue grays that might result from these mistakes would prove to be of no value to the standard accepted colors.  They could actually hurt the colors we have, especially in color depth and eye color. 

Looking at carefully bred Dutch litters from accurately pedigreed parents should not be a big surprise on kindling day.  It shouldn't be Forest Gump saying, "life is like a litter of Dutch kits on kindling day; you never know what you're going to get!"  If you have a sound breeding program and a specific aim toward producing quality Dutch of a specific variety and come up with a rainbow litter, you could get very discouraged and just might be ready to jump ship.  Mixing color willy nilly will not help the serious Dutch breeder and will hurt the breed and the club.

The Chinchilla Dutch are distinctly different from both the Grays and the Steels as written in our current standard.  If the origin was the Standard Chinchilla, the biggest problem would come with eye color.  Most chinchilla rabbits have Marbled eyes.  Many people who cross chins or chin varieties to other colors introduce marbled eyes into the other varieties produced.  Satin breeders who crossed Chins into other varieties produced specimen that were quite nice only to have them disqualified for marbled eyes.  Some standard acceptable eye colors were carriers for eye marbling and produced marbled eyes in the next generation.  Some varieties just cannot be crossed.  If the cross is made to improve the Chin Dutch type, any other varieties produced might have to be destroyed.  Bad colored chins, chins that don't show ring color might be passed off as Steels.  These would definitely not meet the current Steel description.  Do we have yet another variety created to make the culls "acceptable"?  The mess generated from crossing Chins to Grays and Steels could do nothing to complement these accepted colors.  Since both gray and Steels have done so well in National shows, why do anything that could destroy them?

There are no colors that would enhance the Red Dutch or would be enhanced by adding the reds.  Reds are genetically dilute agoutis.  With what else but Reds could they be bred without destroying both?

A better picture of the popularity of Steels would be ascertained by the numbers at National shows and Conventions.  Competition is keen at these shows, and many Steels have won or are certainly contenders at these shows.  Why not encourage the breeding of the varieties we have at the local level?  Why add more odd-colored, Dutch-marked rabbits that will weaken what we already have?

People who are really interested in Dutch have Dutch now.  Adding new Dutch-marked colors that are too-challenging even for the experienced Dutch breeder to puzzle could add flash in the pan interest for the breed, but these new comers will be quick to give up when these oddities prove too challenging. Let's attract new breeders by producing better standard colored Dutch that are contenders for and winners of Best in Show.