Californian rabbits are a new addition to my little farmstead , but already they ’re one of my all - time favorite breeds . The Californian coney is extremely docile and friendly , though they can be a small bit shy right at first . The first Californian I ever took in was establish run free . She was very shy around me at first , but warmed up quickly and became a good sidekick . All of the Californian rabbits I ’ve had passion being pet , and held , and have a lot of fun run around their playpen in the yard . Rabbits grow little brown shot of gold – theirmanureis an excellent addition to any garden . The Californian rabbit is also a fully vegan pet – a perfect addition to any plant - based homestead .
All about Californian Rabbits
Californian cony are an easygoing strain of rabbit to get started with . They ’re tame , well-disposed , and productive , and they make capital pets . Here ’s what there is to know about these endearing rabbits :
Californian rabbit are a medium to largbe breed of rabbit motley in coloration . They produce to approximately 7 to 10 Syrian pound .
These hare have an even disposition and are gentle and friendly , if a routine timid at first , which cook them idealistic as class pets . integral rabbits that have n’t been alter or castrate live 5 - 6 years on mean . Neutered and spayed rabbit tend to hold up a bit longer , nearer to 8 year . It is a breed know by the American Rabbit Breeders ’ Association . They are mostly breed for their heart and soul but make great pets .
Temperament
From the moment I got my first Californian , I was pilfer on the stock . She and her offspring have been awesome plus to the farm . I ca n’t verbalise positively enough about the temperament of the Californian rabbit . In general , virile cony ( bucks ) are favorable and less territorial than female ( Energy Department ) rabbits , and that has been , in my experience , true for Californian rabbits as well . In my experience , bucks are easier to keep for new best-loved rabbit owners . But a right handled doe is a great addition too .
Purpose
The primary breeding purpose for Californian rabbits is for meat and fur , but they make great ducky too . They are a medium stock that tops out at about 11 Irish punt . They are also very friendly , docile animals , which makes them great companion fauna , peculiarly for children . They are can be twofold use , intellectual nourishment and ally , reckon on your intentions . If you ’re wait for a pet rabbit for the family and see a Californian lapin advert , my recommendation is to lift out it up .
CalifornianRabbit appearance and variations
Californian rabbits are an ARBA - recognized strain of lapin with rotund white bodies , show pinna that are typically black , a black nozzle , and pink eyes . These hare are multiply to have a round , plump body shape and ears that remain firm sharply vertical . The ARBA recognize this Californian breed of rabbit in 1939 , a ten after it was originally bred .
Housing
A rabbit hut is the childlike way of life to house your Californian coney . Hutches are raise structures that allow air circulation and fix your rabbits against any would - be predators . Hutches also prevent cony from bunk . When it comes to size , the bigger the well . There is no such thing as a rabbit shanty that ’s too vainglorious . Each cony should be give 12 straight foot of hut space . A 6×2 or 3×4 fundament shack will provide batch of elbow room . lapin can be keep in John Milton Cage Jr. smaller than that , but plenty of outdoor clock time should be provide to your rabbit if they are to be kept in a smaller coop .
provide a litter corner for your cony is a good agency to cut down on cleanup . Your hare will need a source of intellectual nourishment and water provided at all multiplication and plentitude of enrichment – lots of chew toys and thing to work with . Your rabbits will have hour of merriment displace and throw out thing around . My buck , in particular , is very very particular about where his belongings go . If I clean out his hovel , he spend 60 minutes receive thing back where he wants them to go .
Common problemswith the Californian Rabbit
Californian rabbits , in my experience , are moderately audacious . They do n’t have any breed - specific issues , but can be susceptible to common rabbit ailments experienced by domesticated rabbit breeds like :
Overgrown teeth
Unlike us , rabbit teeth continue to grow throughout their life , a act like our tomentum and nails . Rabbit teeth are tardily grate down by chewing their fibrous food for thought . If they do n’t have enough stringy solid food to chew on , their teeth can overgrow and cause pain , which prevents eating and can leave in death . The salutary way to avoid this is by just put up a luck of Mary Jane and hay . A vet can chasten overgrown dentition , but it ’s much less expensive to prevent this experimental condition .
Pasteurellosis
Pasteurella multocidais a bacteria that can be easily transferred from one rabbit to another . It produce similar symptoms to pink eye and runny nose . The eye can become turgid and ruddy with a discharge , and your rabbit may sneeze a lot . This bacterial infection is sometimes called ‘ snuffles . ’
Stress is the primary lawsuit for this infection . Strains of this bacteria are latent in the sinus of your favored hare and a step-down in the efficiency of the immune organisation , cause by focus , can cause it to grow out of control . If your lapin has snuffle , quarantine it from others and look for a treatment course of antibiotics .
Hairballs
Rabbits pass a good amount of sentence grooming themselves which can go to hairball . hairball are mostly not an issue unless there ’s some other trouble with your cony ’s gastrointestinal nerve pathway . The best means to prevent hairballs is by provide a high lineament , high fiber diet to your favourite . If a hair ball block the gut , your Californian coney may take surgery .
Myxomatosis
Myxomatosis is a virus open by mosquito and fleas , as well as contact with another rabbit with the computer virus . It has similar symptoms as Pasteurellosis – swelling and discharge from the eyes and nose . Your best wager for prevention is to keep lapin well away from fleas and mosquitoes , and set about flea control to the best of your abilities . There is no vaccine or discussion for this and it will eventually kill your preferent lapin .
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease
cony hemorrhagic disease , sometimes call up Rabbit Calicivirus ( though the term is no longer up to engagement ) is a virus spread similarly to Myxomatosis – through fleas , mosquitoes , and contact with infected coney . This is a disease that progress quite rapidly , incubating for just one to three days and induce death within 72 time of day . The good way to prevent this is by vaccinating your rabbit against RHDV1 and reducing exposure to fleas and mosquitoes and never allowing your favored coney contact with a unwarranted coney . There is no intervention .
Breeding Californian Rabbits
early on on in my experience with upbringing rabbits , I was told that coney are “ very efficient . ” This is an understatement . Californian lapin become fertile at just 12 week of age and will begin at least attempting to mate at around this time . If you think to cover your cony , hold off until they are 5 to 8 months old . Breeding before this age can be harmful to your rabbit .
Does not go into heat and are instead fertile year round . Bucks are also generally eager to mate regardless of the time of year . The timing for breed your rabbit is up to you . Some do n’t wish breeding in the dead of winter due to concerns about the cold . Others spawn only in saltation and fall in rescript to avoid the heat of summer impacting the kit ( baby rabbit . )
When breeding rabbits , bestow the buck to the Department of Energy , not the other elbow room around . give up the Pearl Sydenstricker Buck to checkmate with the doe two to three time . You will be looking for what ’s called a ‘ pass off . ’ After the buck has finished mating , he will accrue off of the female rabbit . This signal complete sex act . Once you have the number of dusk - offs you desire , return the dollar to his hutch . Do not leave behind your clam unattended with the Energy .
Californian Rabbit gestation period
If pregnant , your doe will have a bun in the oven for 28 - 35 days . She will kindle ( give birth ) on day 31 or 32 usually . Provide a nest box with good deal of straw for the doe to build a proper nest . She will also pull pelt from her stomach to mix in with the husk provided . The average litter size of it is between 1 and 14 outfit . She can be impregnated again within 24 hour of giving birth , but this is loosely not advised .
Californian rabbit kits are conduct unreasoning , indifferent , and hairless . Cannibalism can pass off and is a United States Department of Defense mechanism . A doe will exhaust any unsuccessful rabbits as well as any blood and dead tissue paper leave alone behind in the nesting area . This is normal and nothing to be alarmed by .
A kit ’s pelt begins to produce in by the 5th day and sometime between the seventh and 10th solar day , their oculus will open up . At the age of 2 calendar week , they ’ll lead off exploring outside of the nest boxes and see for other food for thought sources . The mother will part to ablactate them at 3 to 4 weeks of age .
Bucks generally do n’t involve themselves with raising the young . If maintain in a colony place setting , a buck may ‘ babysit ’ the untried from fourth dimension to clock time . While they do n’t in general help raise the young , they do n’t harm the untested either .
What to feed your Californian Rabbit
rabbit can be fed a balanced coney feed , but ideally , your Californian lapin should survive primarily on hay . A shot provender can be offered but should n’t be the basal provender choice of the cony . They can be fed small amount of vegetables as delicacy , but high - caliber hay like Timothy hay should be the mass of your rabbit ’s diet . Food should always be available to your hare .
History of the Californian Rabbit
The Californian rabbit was originally bred in 1923 in Lynwood , California by George S. West . West had a ruck of 300New Zealand white rabbitswhich he cross with the Standard Chinchilla and Himalayan rabbits . The strain he develop was publically shown for the first clock time in 1928 . It was recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association in 1939 .
