Blue-eyed Whites

The Myth...The Mystery The Mismarks ASK MANY FOLKS WHY THEY’RE NOT BREEDING BEWS AND YOU’LL OFTEN HEAR: “I THINK THEY’RE BEAUTIFUL, AND I WOULD BREED THEM BUT”..... THIS STATEMENT IS USUALLY FOLLOWED BY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING “THEY’RE VICIOUS”. “THEY’RE HARD TO BREED”. “THEY’RE MORE PRONE TO SEIZURES”. “THEY TAKE TOO MUCH CAGE SPACE”, AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE “THEY’LL NEVER BEAT THE REWS ON THE TABLE ANYWAY”. BEWS , MORE SO THAN MOST OTHER VARIETIES , SEEM TO HAVE A STIGMA ATTACHED TO THEM THAT HAS ENDURED DESPITE OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY. HOWEVER; THEY ALSO HAVE A MOST DEVOTED FAN BASE DETERMINED TO DISPEL THESE MYTHS AND TAKE THE MYSTERY OUT OF CREATING THIS MOST BEAUTIFUL OF VARIETIES. Wight’s Heartbreaker Youth BjrOV ‘05 ARBA Convention Katherine Moore Treasure Trove Rabbitry Leapwood, TN treasure_trove_rabbitry@yahoo.com H ello, my name is Katherine Moore & I am a youth breeder from Tennessee. I am also the District 6 youth Representative, so please feel free to contact me. Sandra asked me to write an article on BEW's, so here it is. I have been raising & showing Netherland Dwarfs for 3 years. I have been doing very well at showing. They are one of my favorite colors in most all the breeds. Lately I have been showing a BEW doe, Hoc, and a BEW buck, Titan, & they have won several BOB & BOS. They have even won the coveted RIS & BIS! I was really excited since it is rare for that color to win anything of merit. We also have BEW American Fuzzy Lops and Lionheads in our herds that are gorgeous. BEW to me, are a very easy, beautiful color to breed. I think that BEW's are a challenging color to work with in regards to type. As long as you have two BEW's or a nice colored rabbit to make sports with, you can breed them. You need to concentrate on bone, substance, ears, & body in order to do really well showing them. I have not seen many people showing BEW's. I sometimes think people are intimidated by the color or their reputation. They are not as popular as Siamese sables, REWs, & Otters. These colors are known for placing well at shows. But, one can use these typey colored rabbits to improve your line of BEWs. A bit of knowledge in genetics is helpful when breeding BEWs. Luckily, my mom is a genetics nut so she taught me a lot about genetics. Please do not let intimidation stop you. There are several good mentors out there that just love to help folks get started in the right direction. I have been blessed, as I have had success with mine from the beginning. I have been concentrating on showing, so I haven't had many litters yet. The limited litters I have had, the babies have been very good. I can tell others that BEWs are a fun color to raise. If one starts with good sound stock and builds from there, nice wins and grand championships are possible. I'm very proud of my accomplishments in Dwarfs since I started the breed. I think more people should get into BEWs. Well I guess that is all I have to say for now. If anyone has any question or comments please contact me by emailing me. Hope everyone had fun at Convention. I look forward to seeing more quality BEWs at the show tables. Pictured left is Reese’s Mini Me, Youth BOV BEW ‘05 ARBA Convention- The BEW Dwarf originated from a dutch patterned rabbit. This is why one gets dutch marked babies when breeding a BEW Dwarf to a solid or another dutch mark Dwarf. While these Dwarfs can resemble Dutch rabbits, they no longer bear any relation to the original breed. Ice Blue giving a raspberry. BEW Sr. Buck, Photo courtesy Jan Savage Winter 2005 19 Rude Browne Old Bridge, NJ rulinrabbits@peoplepc.com he featured variety this month is the Blue Eyed White. The Blue Eyed was popular with the early importers of our breed back in the early seventies. Among those early breeder/importers were: Herb Dyke, Art Ammon, Betty and Collier Landress, Herman Hack, Ralph DeVito and Doris Leibel, to name just a few. that is needed for the correct development of Melanocyte from stem cells. What about a RE? A normal RE has Melanocyte just like a normal colored rabbit, but the RE has a mutant version of the C-gene. The REW’s are genetically cc. The C-gene codes for an enzyme called Tyrosinase. Active Tyrosinase must be present in the Melanocyte in order to produce pigment. If there is no Tyrosinase, there will be no color production. So to summarize the difference between a BEW and a RE is that a BEW cannot produce pigments because it lacks pigment-producing cells (Melanocyte). A RE is a rabbit that cannot produce pigments because it lacks the enzyme Tyrosinase. What about the blue eyes of the BEW? The backside (inside) of the iris is called the Iris Pigment Epithelium or just IPE for short. The IPE is a very thin layer made up by two layers of cubes shaped IPE-cells. These cells produces pigment in very much the same way as normal Melanocyte. In fact they produce enough pigment to make the IPE completely black and light tight. The outside of the iris is called Stroma and has different types of cells including Melanocyte that produce brown pigment. In a BEW the Melanocyte in the Stroma are absent, but the pigment in IPE is produced as in a normal rabbit. The result is a blue eye. There are no blue pigments in the eye of a BEW; the color is an optical effect (comparable to the blue sky – the sky has no blue pigments either). In a RE there is no color production (due to the complete lack of active Tyrosinase) and neither the Melanocyte in the Stroma nor the IPE cells produce any pigments. The iris becomes transparent and the eyeball is flooded with light. The red color that we see is caused by the red pigment Hemoglobin in the blood vessels in the retina of the eye. T Herman Hack was able to pick up a BOB at the 1971 Convention in New Mexico with his Sr. Buck. The Blue Eyed began to lose favor when word got around that they were biters, poor producers and were not able to consistently produce the right type of fur. Today’s Blue Eyed is far removed from those early imports, and rarely suffers from any of the above-mentioned problems. If you are interested in this beautiful color, but are afraid to buy because of the rumors you have heard, I say, go for it. As with starting any color, try to purchase the best quality you can find. Blue Eyed Whites can be bred with almost any other color. I would use Red Eyed Whites for type improvement, as they are the biggest competitors in the self-group. Reese’s Austen Powers BEW sr. buck. Solvi Lysfjord (pictured right) and Geir Nordvik, Norway slysfjord@yahoo.com A Vienna Carrier is a correctly colored variety (A REW for example) who carries the vienna gene in his background. Don’t let the correct color fool you, this rabbit probably has carries the genes to make BEWs and still should not be used in a solid color program CN’s Damian. This Vienna Marked doe is one of those invaluable additions to a BEW program. W hy do I find it interesting to breed BEW? I breed Dwarf Lops in this color and find it very interesting. The BEW genes differ from the other genes and I have still a lot to learn about how this gene works. In my opinion the gene is neither dominant nor recessive, because sometimes it lies hidden but sometimes not. I'll try to explain this further. When you breed a BEW to a BEW statistically you'll get 100% chance of BEW. But there are some exceptions: For instance when Himmie or RE lies hidden you could get phenotype RE. If sable lies behind the BEW you can get BEW's with a ruby cast pupil, and these offsprings are not sowable. So be aware of what color you breed in to a BEW. Chocolate or sable will give a ruby cast pupil, so my advice is to avoid these genes. Otherwise you can breed what color you like to enhance the type and fur. Be aware that a Broken rabbit can be hard to tell if it’s a vienna marked VCR or simply a broken. When you breed a colored rabbit VT to a BEW vt, you'll get all Vt. Most of these offsprings will have white markings and/ or brindle or blue eyes because of v. I call them vienna marked rabbits (VRM). But in some cases the v can be totally hidden, and the rabbit is sowable. I call them vienna carriers (VCR). If you breed a VRM or a VCR back to BEW you will stat. get 50% BEW and 50% VCR/VRM. So it takes just 2 generation before you have bred a pure BEW again. If you breed a VRM/VCR to a VRM/VCR you'll get stat. 25% BEW, 25% colored VT without BEW gene and 50% VRM/VCR. If you breed a VRM/VCR to a colored VT without BEW gene you'll get 50% VRM/VCR and 50% colored without the BEW gene. Because the BEW gene will “destroy” colored rabbits with white markings, it's best to breed BEW to BEW. If you outcrops to other colors, always breed these VRM/VCR back to BEW. Never use a VRM/VCR to other colors than BEW. Difference between BEW and RE The cells that produce pigment in the fur are called Melanocyte. In normal rabbits there are Melanocyte all over the body giving the fur the coloring. A marked rabbit (Dutch, English, Dalmatian) have some spots with color producing Melanocyte, whereas other areas of the skin have no Melanocyte producing white fur. But in a BEW the Melanocyte are totally missing – the fur becomes white all over the body. In a BEW the “white spot” covers the whole rabbit. The Vgene does not take any part in the melanin-synthesis like the ABCDG genes does, it is a gene Terri Gegenfurtner Camp Douglas, WI 4gegfam@mwt.net reeding for Bew's is really a simple matter of understanding the vienna gene. I've had the gene here for about a year and a half. I started with two vienna marked does and a BEW buck from Jim Schroeder. I like to refer to them as "vienna marked" instead of mismarks or sports. B This says more accurately what they are. With this first trio I only produced one BEW doe from about two breedings with each doe. I did not keep any of the vienna marked kits from these breedings as I always want to move forward at each breeding. I already had two vienna marked and the next step is the correct BEW. Though this one and only BEW produced from this trio was 2nd place Jr. BEW doe at ARBA Convention 2005. I also do not like to keep any REWs from this type of breedings. You don't know if you have a vienna marked or a BEW. I don't really want to find out three generations later, so I just eliminated any REW's. Again, each breeding should be a step forward. And I want to know what I have. Keeping REW's from this breeding doesn't allow me that information. Again, my goal here is BEW's. Not, maybe its a BEW or maybe not. In most cases when you use a BEW with any other color variety, you will get the vienna marked. As the BEW will pass one "v" to each baby giving them that great patchwork of color. Now all of my vienna marked have been very easy to tell, I have been told that there have been instances of kits from a BEW to full color which do not show the color patches, but may only have marbling of the eye. I used the two vienna marked does, but I also bred the BEW buck to two of my best typed self black does. Out of these two black does I kept the best vienna marked trio. My goal here was to raise the head placement. When I breed these I will only keep the BEW's and not the vienna. In my opinion BEW to BEW generation after generation is not needed to produce good BEW's. Bringing in another animal that has whatever body part you need will not put you back. Don't be afraid of using non vienna carriers. It will take another generation of course to get the BEW coloring. It may not get you as many BEW's per breeding, as BEW to BEW. If you only get one really good one that is better than ten so-so BEW's. Best of luck. A Vienna Mark is similar to a Vienna Carrier genetically, but displays the obvious dutch-marked pattern. Also known as sports, mismarks, dutch marked, and parti-colored. This lovely young Vienna Marked buck carries the type to create generations of winning BEWs. 20 Dwarf Digest Winter 2005 Z-Ranch’s Daisy, bred by Summer Zimmerman. 21 Summer Zimmerman Z-Ranch’s Bunnies Saginaw, Michigan across all mammalian species. The genes that restrict the melanin production seem to be closely linked to the genes that affect hearing. The vienna gene, when single, restricts a certain amount of melanin production in the rabbit's body and (in some cases) the eyes. It does not restrict all melanin production, and the melanin that is present in the rabbit is determined by both heredity and certain environmental factors. Doubled, the vienna gene restricts all melanin production from melanocytes that originate in the neural crest. Melanin production from melanocytes that originate other than in the neural crest are not restricted, which allows the blue eyes. The REW gene, when doubled, restricts melanin production in general (eminating from both the neural crest and the neuroectoderm of the primitive forebrain), across the entire body of the rabbit, and in both the stroma and epithelium layers of the eye. This produces a white rabbit with ruby eyes. The REW gene also restricts a certain amount of melanin production when coupled with most of the genes on the C series. Unlike the vienna gene, it does not restrict the melanin production totally in certain areas of the body, but acts as a sort of "blanket" that leaches a certain amount of the melanin across the entire body in general. This is how we get correctly colored Siamese Sables, for instance, and why Himilayans and chinchilla rabbits who carry REW tend to be washed out. There is a misconception that BEW rabbits are "whiter" than REW rabbits. This is a false myth. The melanin restriction is more complete in the REW rabbit, as every source of melanin is restricted. The REW rabbit, however, is also not "whiter" than the BEW rabbit, as the only source of melanin productin in the BEW rabbit is in the neuroectoderm of the primitive forebrain, which affects ONLY the epithelium layer of the eye. Proof of this can be found in a REW rabbit which carries one vienna gene. This rabbit does not present a "marbled" affect of white on white, despite the fact that the vienna gene would create white patches on the rabbit, if it had been colored. Melanin restriction occurs with conception. At no time does an albino rabbit carry any form of color, and therefore it cannot be said that a REW which carries BEW is a "BEW" rabbit, any more than it can be said a REW rabbit who carries AA-BB-cc-DD- EE-VV is a "chestnut" rabbit. As with all of our varieties, the rabbit is classified by its phenotype, rather than by genotype, so a REW is a REW, despite what other genes it might carry. Record-keeping is, however, important, as it can be detrimental to many programs to insert REWs carrying the vienna gene (single or double). “Allison” a lovely BEW doe bred by Terri Gegenfurtner, H i my name is Summer Zimmerman I am 8-yrs-old and live in Saginaw, Michigan.I have been raising BEWs for 3 years. I got my 1st BEW doe 3 yrs ago (bevs 537) we called her Blue. We then purchased a BEW buck but he died a week after we brought him home. Well then I had a BEW doe but no buck. After a long wait we decided to breed Blue to a Blue Otter just to get something! So after one year from getting a BEW doe, Blue gave us one Sport buck. We named him Squeak. We then purchased a few BEW does from Chuck Pelham, and received a great buck from Allie Dean we called Dean’s Casper. Now we were off! Casper did very well on the show table even winning one Best of Breed! My only BOB I have won! That’s what happens when you choose a hard color. We now have about 15 brood does, 5 BEW bucks, and 2 Sports. Yes, one is Squeak! I won BOV BEW and BOSG at the Montpelier, Ohio ANDRC Nationals. The doe’s name is Rose she is Squeaks’ daughter. I was very excited since this was my 1st national show. BEWs are a hard color to breed and to win with. I am working very hard to have one of my BEWs win Best of Breed again. I hope to see more people breeding and showing BEWs. I love them 8-week old VM buck. Jennifer Poeschl Ripon, California n Dwarfs, there are two distinct and seperate types of albinism. The first is the Ruby- Eyed White gene, found on the C series, which causes complete melanin restriction in fur, eyes, nails, and every other part of the body. This form of albinism can also restrict color to a greater or lesser extent across the body when it is found in a single allele on the C series. Blue-Eyed White is a form of incomplete albinism cause by the restriction of melanin across the majority of the body. It’s possible to get a REW out of a BEW to BEW Breeding I Try to keep the shaded varieties out of your BEWs. They tend to create a purple cast or ruby glow in the eye. Melanin is formed in the melanosome organelle of the melanocyte. Melanocytes are found in the skin, hair follicles, and pigmented tissues of the eye. The melanin pathway consists of a series of reactions that converts tyrosine into 2 types of melanin, black-brown eumelanin and red-blond pheomelanin. Genetic mutations affecting proteins/enzymes along this pathway inevitably result in reduced melanin production. The neuroectoderm of the primitive forebrain is the origin of melanocytes in the retinal pigment epithelium, iris epithelium (anterior and posterior), and ciliary epithelium (outer pigmented and inner nonpigmented). The neural crest is the origin of melanocytes in the iris stroma, ciliary stroma, and choroid. Melanoblasts from the neural crest migrate to the skin, inner ear, and uveal tract. The epithelium does have melanocytes present. The origin of these melanocytes is different from the origin of the melanocytes of the stroma. In the case of the BEW, the blue pigment is derived from the melanin formed by the melanocytes in the epithelium. The REW eye contains no pigment at all, which is the cause of the ruby eye. The blue of the BEWs eyes is caused by the pigment being restricted in the stoma, with only the pigment in the epithelium remaining. In the case of the vienna marked rabbits (those carrying only one v gene), the pigment across the entire body is not restricted, but only in certain portions. It's likely the melanin in the eyes is less likely to be restricted in the partial marked rabbits, so you typically only get the marbling or blue eyes when sufficient restriction across the rest of the rabbit occurs.Deafness is a common side affect in blue-eyed albinos Heather Dixon (with BEW sr. buck Heather’s Echo) Plymouth MI n my "Eye's" there is no Dwarf variety, more beautiful than a BEW!!!I had to laugh when Sandra asked me to write an article for the Winter Digest on the BEW’s I don’t do anything special, I don’t have any special secret’s other than patience, keeping clean cages so my animals are clean, and I work with them to pose on their own. Dean’s Casper. Youth BOV & BOSG winner at the ‘05 ANDRC Nationals in Montpelier, Ohio. owned by Summer Zimmerman. I I have been raising and showing BEW for the last 16 of the 22 years I have been in this wonderful hobby. I had to share a 10’X10’ shed which housed about 35 holes with my mom. My mom was very helpful in my breeding by giving up a lot of her cages so I could keep some of the younger stock. Not that she really wanted to, but she did… I didn’t have room to keep Sports or the bigger brood type animals, all rabbits had to be showable and also had to be able to reproduce or they would have to removed from the herd, I very rarely use a Sport unless it is an exceptional animal, and never any Sport that was or carried the Chocolate or Shaded gene, as that can cause a ruby cast in the eye. 22 Dwarf Digest Winter 2005 Wight’s Beanie Baby, sr. VM buck. 23 I started with a pair, Heather’s Echo and Bonsai Blu I’s. These two animal’s help me to achieve a few of my goals in Breeding BEW’s. One of which was having my rabbits compete at the national level and “hold their own”. It was an honor to have a rabbit I bred, chosen as BOSG at the 1998 ANDRC National in Osage Beach, Missouri. Heather’s Shez Perfected, is the grandmother of my latest pride and joy: Heather’s Heir to Perfection (pictured left). “TP” as his friends call him, was chosen Best Jr BEW and BOSV at the 2004 ARBA National in Providence, Rhode Island, and then this year in Indy was chosen BOV! What a thrill! To have a line that can contiue its quality. Most BEW breeders I know don’t like to contuniely breed BEW to BEW as sometimes the Vienna gene can cause seizure. I have been very lucky to have only had one animal have seizures. I am now adding some Sports into my herd, as I have moved recently, and few more cages to work with and I have some very nice Sports. I need to say a few HUGE Thank You to my mom Shannon Dixon for everything - too much to list. Without her I would most certainly not be where I am today in my breeding. Congratulation mom on your wins at convention this year!!!! And to Jerome Brown for Everything. You never know how much I appreciate it! Sandra Wight Beach Bunnies Midway City, California y earliest experiences with BEW was sort of a worship from afar relationship. I was about 9 years old attending shows. Once in a (very great) while a BEW would show up on the table. I could barely see over top of the coops, so I would have to jump, catch a glimpse, then jump again. Then the poor owner of the bunny would have to endure me following him or her around begging to buy the bunny. That was how I got my blue eyed white cat, so I figured it would work in this instance too - sort of an erosion effect on their nerves. Unfortunately those BEW owners proved to be very resilient. important that he knows what an impact he’s made on our herd and in our lives. Tim Reese became a friend almost from day one and has been there to patiently answer our (sometimes stupid) questions, guide us in the right direction, and then applaud our efforts. To this day his rabbits are the ones Brandon and I still fight over. We are lucky to have a mentor such as him. Back to the BEWs. If you’re starting out and only have one BEW, no biggie, find the typiest Dwarf you can get and use it. (Those Otters are looking really good these days.) Avoid Shaded or Chocolate since it tends to give a violet cast to the eye. Take those mismark babies back to the BEW parent and voila. Probability dictates that you will have some BEW in your nestboxes. As your line grows, get picky. Keep only the best type and move the rest out of the barn. Whether they’re BEW, VM, or VC, if it has type, keep it and use it. You’ve already got the BEW/Vienna gene in your herd so it’s not going anywhere and it’s alot harder to lock in good type when you might be moving the best bunnies out of your barn solely on the basis of color. Look at your BEW line as a one way street. You can introduce almost any variety into your line, but BEW or Sport can NEVER go back into another variety. Even if that rabbit is a showable color and lacks that telltale blaze, you have to assume that it’s carrying that vienna gene. Nothing makes enemies quicker than selling a rabbit who is hiding a vienna gene to a person who intends to breed it to their solid colored rabbits. Make sure the person buying those Vienna Marks or Vienna Carriers understands completely what will happen if they take that rabbit into a solid program. Despite your best intentions, it will happen, so you need to be as clear as possible before the transaction happens. Some folks will even stamp in large letters on a pedigree “BEW carrier - do not breed to colored rabbits”. Most importantly, enjoy your BEWs. They are virtually brimming with personality and can be quite clownish in their character. As far as the “vicious” myth. Nonsense. Probably started by someone who was “green eyed” of the blue eyes. Come to think of it, some folks say the same thing about Netherland Dwarfs... Be your own judge and try this gorgeous variety for yourself. Like the rest of us you’ll be hooked! Happy breeding. Heather’s Heir to Perfection, nicknamed TP was the 2004 National Best Jr. BEW & BOSV. He was also BOV at the 2005 ARBA Convention. M Wight’s Foxy, BEW jr. doe, won youth BOSV at the 2005 ARBA Convention. Blue Eyed White National and Convention wins Best of Breed 1971 Herman Hack, Sr. Buck 1992 Marylouise Cowan, Sr. Buck 1995 Christina Caporale (youth) Sr. Doe Best Opposite of Breed 1987 Shannon Byron, Sr. Doe BOS Gary Brachman, Sr. Doe Best Jr of Breed 2001 Everett Hopper, Jr. Doe Flash forward to my older years (we’ll keep those details vague). My son and I were attending a county fair and happened upon a BEW Netherland Dwarf. Happily that wonderful owner was not immune to the begging that insued, and we came home with our very first BEW Dwarf and a whole lot to learn. I’ll leave the details of that rabbit and that line to my son Brandon, since it is his story to tell and go on to the responsible mommy stuff. How to get an established BEW line of our own. There were virtually no BEWs in our area, and the information out there was even harder to find. We had lots of very kind folks give us well-meaning advice. For example when breeding a REW to a BEW we were told the babies would have one of each color eye! In their defense, no one in our area really worked BEWs seriously so how would any of us know? There just wasn’t enough BEWs or info. around. Many phone calls and much begging later (because old habits die hard), Brandon and I each have our own working line of BEWs. Brandon’s what I call a purist, he breeds mostly BEW to BEW. Me, I go for the Sports. Heck, I’ll even breed Sport to Sport. If it’s typey, I’d be a fool not to keep it over the ugly (albiet BEW) littermate. My BEW ratio is lower, but my type is so locked in that we call it the cookie cutter line, so when I do get a BEW she’s really hot! If it sounds like I’m bragging, I’m not. I have been lucky enough to stand on the shoulders of giants who had solid and established lines. They helped me tremendously. Any successes I have are the result of closing my mouth, opening my ears, listening to what they had to say then doing it. Julie Booth, Everett Hopper, Kelly & Mary McGillicuddy, Chuck Pelham, Jason Coin, Kenny Nelson, and Martin Neuberger thank you. I saved one name for last since it’s Brandon Wight Beach Bunnies Midway City, California got my first BEW from Julie Booth. The name on the pedigree said Eskimo, but we called him Mo for short. I refer to all of my Dwarfs that come out of this line “the Mo line” It is very special to me because Mo was our first and best rabbit we’ve ever had. His personality was the best too. I would set up jumps three feet high and he would sail over them. He would jump anything. The BEW carries two v genes (vv) a Vienna Carrier or Vienna Marked carries only one (Vv). I CN’s Pacman, Vienna Mark Sr. Buck combines that great Coin/Nelson type in a BEW package. I wanted to get more of the Mo line so I contacted the person who bred him and she had both parents for sale which I got. I also contacted Kelly and Mary McGillicuddy who are responsible for the line’s origination and they were kind enough to let us have several of the rabbits that has made my line what is today. I added Tim Reese’s Austin Powers and the combination was fantastic. They sparked a whole generation of really nice bunnies. We got Einstein from this cross. He’s the rabbit we use in our ads. He’s on the beach and drinking the slushie. Einie gave us Ihop who was my first Best in Show winner. She also won Best in Group at the Rhode Island ARBA Convention. That was very exciting. I bred Ihop back to Einie and got Heartbreaker, who is a clone of Einie. He won BjrOV at the Indianapolis Convention. He’s also won two BOB. So far I’m still building on my program and loving the results. I’m hoping for many more years of enjoyable BEW breeding. I want to thank Kelly and Mary McGillicuddy and Tim Reese for helping me get such a great start. Wight’s Vanessa, Foxy’s littermate,,jr. doe. 24 Dwarf Digest Winter 2005 25 PA’s Court Clown, multiple Best of Breed and Best In Show winner. Photo courtesy, Everett Hopper Tim Reese Brentwood, California he Blue-Eyed White is quite a beautiful Dwarf with its intense eye color. Building a vigorous herd can be a challenge, even to an experienced breeder, however. BEWs are not available in large numbers and many have poor type. Some of the more common problems are long bodies, poor headset and low shoulders, long and thin ear quality, and fine bone, even though they may be large in size. T To get good type in a herd there are numerous varieties that can be used to improve type. Use the best-typed animals that are available, no matter what their color is. When crossing BEWs to colored rabbits many variations in color and random Dutch pattern will occur. Some will have brown or gray eyes and some will have blue and brown/gray mixed color, or all blue eyes. I would suggest that you don‚t use dilute (gray) eye colored animals so as to keep the best eye color in the BEWs. When you are working with later generations of BEWs and Dutch-marks to improve type, the Dutch-marks with blue eyes will throw a larger percentage of BEW when bred to a BEW. When breeding for type improvement in BEWs, and you only have a buck to start with, try breeding him to a number of does of any variety. Take the offspring to each other, rather than back to the BEW buck. If the offspring have blue eyes, there is a good change of getting BEW in this 2nd-generation cross. Continuing to breed a BEW out to a non-BEW and bringing the resulting offspring into the BEW program every 4-5 generations is a way of adding vigor to the BEW program ˆ and improving the type. Good luck in your breeding program. Everett Hopper Pond Acres Rabbitry Ephrata, PA ver the past 7 years I have bred, raised, and shown BEWs. Some times more aggressively than others. As of late I have really not done a whole lot with the the BEW's. I currently have 3 BEW's and a two mismarks and am just keeping the line in tact for now. O Shamrock’s Chase, This incredible BEW buck has 48 legs, 3 Best in Shows, 6 Reserve in Shows, and 25 Best of Breed wins for his owner Kelly McGillicuddy. Photo courtesy Mary McGillicuddy. My past experience in breeding the BEW is that it is truly a two step process to get a really good BEW Dwarf to show. What I mean is that I always preferred to breed my best non BEW's to my BEW's and make mismarks. Then take the mismarks back to the BEW's. That’s where the best BEWs come from. What I am doing when I breed the other colored Dwarfs in to the BEW is trying to steal the type from the good typed, other colored Dwarf and put it on the BEW . The biggest problem with breeding BEW to BEW generation after generation is that they appear to start losing the depth of chest and high head mounts and also continue to get longer and longer in body type . This is why I like to continually breed other colored Dwarfs into the BEW's. Over the years I have been fairly lucky in getting good BEW's. Some of the good one were Court Clown, who was Best Jr BEW buck at the1999 ANDRC Nationals and also had 3 Best In Shows. Utopia was Best BEW at the 1998 ARBA Convention and Cupid was Best BEW and Best Junior of Breed at the 2001 Convention. Thanks for letting my write a few words about the BEW Netherland Dwarf. When you get a good one the work is worth it. 26 Dwarf Digest