Let’s talk about malocclusions, because this is one of the clearest, non-negotiable reasons a rabbit is culled out of a breeding program. A rabbit with a bad bite isn’t “unlucky” or “cosmetic”—it’s carrying a structural defect that affects eating, growth, pain levels, and long-term welfare. And yes, it is heritable. Leaving that in your herd is how you destroy a line in three generations flat. The rabbit in this video wasn't being culled “because I don’t like them.” She was removed because they cannot be used ethically in a breeding program. And instead of being wasted, they’re serving a purpose: going to someone who relies on rabbit meat as one of the only proteins her body can tolerate. If you’ve dealt with malocclusions, drop your experience below: Did it pop up suddenly? Mechanical cause... Did you trace it to a line? Multiple rabbit showed the issue.... How did you adjust your breeding strategy? This is the kind of conversation that actually improves herds.

I’m posting a video today of a little surprise guest star in my barn: a full-on rex-furred rabbit… that absolutely should not exist. Let’s talk recessive genetics, because this is chef’s kiss perfect. This fluff gremlin didn’t come from “mystery genetics” This came from good old-fashioned recessive alleles patiently minding their own business for generations until the right combo aligned like a cosmic joke. Here’s what I’ve traced so far: • One ancestor from a broken program — which tracks, because the original broken NZ development involved rex does bred to NZ bucks. • One ancestor from an old white line — which I strongly suspect has both rex and angora buried deep in the genome from many, many generations ago. • Both lines are from big-name, nationally competitive New Zealand rabbitries where 98% of offspring never display rex. Why? Because R (normal coat) dominates and masks r (rex) almost perfectly unless two carriers collide. And collide they did. In my barn. On my watch. With zero warning like, “hey, heads up, we’re carrying secret velvet.” This is the fun part of genetics: People love to say “My line doesn’t have that gene.” Meanwhile the recessive allele is sitting in the pedigree like: “Try me. I dare you.” So let’s make this educational: Have you ever had a recessive gene pop up out of NO WHERE and send you down a pedigree rabbit hole? Rex? Shaded? Long fur? Red eye White? Lionhead mane? Share your chaos creatures. I’ll drop the video below — let’s dissect this little velvet anomaly together.