The REW gene

The REW gene is unique, in order for a rabbit to become a REW, it only needs to inherit 1 [c] gene from each parent. The [c] gene is recessive to the full color gene [C], the chin gene [c(chd)], the shaded gene [c(chl)] and the himi gene [c(h)]. A REW rabbit still has a full set of genes, they just aren't able to show themselves, it's as if a white sheet has been placed over the rabbit...a REW rabbit is "something else" underneath. A REW rabbit has the following genetic code

[?][?]-[?][?]-[c][c]

it doesn't matter what other genes the rabbit has, if it gets 2 [c] genes it is a REW no matter what it's from. Because of the 2 recessive genes, it can not carry a shaded, chin, himi or full color gene....a REW from a black rabbit is the same as a REW from a siamese sable, which is also the exact same rabbit as a REW from a black himi..look at the following "probable" genetic code for the REW rabbit out of any of the 3 colors above.

[a][a]-[B][?]-[c][c]

In each case the genetic code is identical...so it matters not where the REW came from in this case...it would be the exact same genetically. A REW from a pure line of REWs you could never be sure what is hiding under his white pelt...it could be a chestnut, it could be a lilac tort...there is no way of knowing unless you test breed. REWs are the most recessive "C" gene. So therefore breeding a REW to any other color....will cause the offspring to have one of the following genetic codes (in the "C" position).

[C][c]--This rabbit that you test bred would have to have been a full color rabbit.
[c(chd)][c]--the rabbit bred to the REW is either a chin, silver marten or CARRIES the chin gene...the rabbit could be a full colored rabbit carrying the chin gene.
[c(chl)][c]--this rabbit has inherited the shaded gene from the non-REW parent. But the non-REW parent could be a full color or chin carrying the shaded gene.
[c{h)][c]--This rabbits non-REW parent has the himi gene, this bunny would be a poor washed out type of himi as the REW gene is sometimes known as "incompletely dominant" which means that instead of one gene or the other gene being dominant the 2 genes "blend" into something inbetween both genes..in this case a frosty himi...with points being paler than you'd want. In each test breeding case, if you get a single REW bunny--then you know that the non-REW bunny carries the REW gene. Of course breeding a REW to another REW will only get you more REWs, as there is no other gene to pass on except the [c][c].

That covers testbreeding the [C] genes, the same thing applies to test breeding the [A], [B] and other genes, the bunny that you want to know the genes that it's carrying, you'd want to breed it to the most recessive gene in that category. To test breed the [A] series, you'd want to use a self rabbit [a][a]. To test breed the [B] series, you'd want something chocolate [b][b]...and so on...the most recessive rabbit possible would be a REW out of 2 lilac tort parents. The ONLY possible genetic code for a REW bunny out of 2 lilac parents would be:

[a][a]-[b][b]-[c][c]-[d][d]-[e][e]

there is no other possibility and this rabbit would test breed every single gene at the same time.