The genetics

Genotype A_ B_ C_ D_ E_. This is the original, unmodified rabbit colour, and every other colour in the breed is a modification of it. Each hair shaft is banded: slate at the base, orange in the middle, black at the tip.

What a good one looks like

Blow into the coat against the grain. You should see three distinct bands on the hair shaft. The ring pattern is the whole point of an agouti and a rabbit without clear banding is not a good one.

What to check for

Weak or absent ring pattern. A muddy overall colour where the ticking and the orange band have merged into a general brown.

Is chestnut agouti actually rare?

Common, and frequently overlooked. Buyers pass over chestnut agouti because it reads as ordinary in a photograph, and then meet one in person and change their minds. It is one of the most underrated colours in the breed.

Common questions

What is the ring pattern on a chestnut agouti?

Blow into the coat against the grain and you should see distinct bands on each hair shaft: slate at the base, orange in the middle, black at the tip. That banding is the whole point of an agouti, and a rabbit without clear rings is not a good one.

Why is chestnut agouti overlooked?

Because it photographs as ordinary brown. Buyers pass it over online and then meet one in person and change their minds. It is one of the most underrated colours in the breed and it is priced accordingly, which is to say cheaply.

What it costs

Every Holland Lop here is $300 to $400 regardless of colour. Full pricing here.