Did I get screwed?

[Willowynd]

OK, the $5 cal bunnies I bought, I am now wondering if they are himilayans. They are fat and sassy at around 4 months, but they seem to have stopped getting bigger...just wider. In fact they seem to have grown into thier skin and are no where near Cal size yet. They have grown so well into thier skin that I cannot pick the does up by the skin over thier neck/shoulders....there is not enough to grab, the male is not far off. I have no use for himis as I wanted them for meat rabbits...and made that clear. These are the ones I drove to MI for. Now all I have raised in the past were frenchies and standard rex, but I don;t ever remember them growing into thier skin like that at this age.... they had enough skin to pick them up always. Is this something cals do or did I get screwed?

[Pat Lamar]

It sounds to me like you bought show rabbits. Show exhibitors rarely ever "scruff" their rabbits, since it makes them loose and flabby over the shoulders and they're faulted for it on the show table. I suggest that you try weighing them... looks can be very misleading. They may look small, but they can be very solid and weigh a lot.

Pat Lamar

[dlwelch]

They have grown so well into thier skin that I cannot pick the does up by the skin over thier neck/shoulders

Good quality Californians (and NZ) should have tight skin.
That's a characteristic I select for when selecting replacements
at 5 to 6 pounds.

[Willowynd]

Thanks...I will weigh them and see....will a baby scale work? They are too big for my digital kitchen scale I use to weigh newborn pups.

[SquashNut]

rabbits go through growing spurts and stages. Just like human children do.

[RRT Harlies]

Himalayans only weight about 3-4lbs and are long and skinny, and also kind of floppy when you pick them up for lack of a better description.

A 4mo old Cal should probably weigh around 6-7 lbs, give or take a pound. They should also be very meaty and firm. Also, keep in mind that sometimes over the summer, rabbits don't grow as quickly due to the heat if they're not eating and just laying around keeping cool.

[Pony]

I've noticed that my does don't reach full weight until around 6 months or so. I don't think I'd be too concerned at this point.

Give it time.

[Willowynd]

OK they range between 4.5 for the buck and 7 for the largest doe. They did not look that big to me.

[dlwelch]

Originally Posted by Willowynd

OK, the $5 cal bunnies I bought, I am now wondering if they are himilayans. They are fat and sassy at around 4 months,

AND

OK they range between 4.5 for the buck and 7 for the largest doe

You have a 4 month Californian buck that is only 4.5 pounds?
Something is wrong! 4.5 pounds is the weight for 8 week
Californian fryers.

In my opinon,
Linda Welch

[Willowynd]

Hmmm I just double checked dates and I am still close...they were born from "April 30 To May 4th". I did not get pedigrees with them, just wanted them for meat. Is it better to sell them off as pets and pick up some other cals? I found a breeder up the road from me...got his card yesterday.

As a side note, I just double checked his weight...yes a shade over 4.5 lbs. But also weighted my FL doe born about a week later, and she is 5 lbs.

[dlwelch]

If you bought them for meat, you might be better off to use
the buck for that purpose and purchase one with a weight more
in line with his age.
I want my Cal bucks to weigh at least 7 pounds at 4 months.
Usually they weigh more.

Good luck with your rabbits.

Linda Welch

[Willowynd]

I did buy them for meat. So would you keep the does or not? They are a little over 6 and 7 lbs. I am thinking I should just sell all 3 and get a trio or quad of seniors. I found a Cal breeder down the road from me, but need to take to him more as I believe he just has show cals...I looked at the results of the 2006 cal specialty and he did not show in meat pen or fryers but placed 1st and second in about every other class taking best display with over twice what anyone else did. So maybe not the one for me?

[Beaniemom]

Well, how many does do you have? You could get a new buck from the show breeder down the road and cull the small one you have now. Then just breed and save the largest does from your pairings. You may want to PU a doe too.

I know lots of show breeders who raise commercial breeds sell alot of stock to meat breeders, I do anyways!

You could also have slow maturing lines, although that buck should weigh more than that at 12 weeks. What are you feeding them BTW? Though it sounds like they're plenty wide!

[dlwelch]

I did buy them for meat.

I wonder if the breeder misunderstood your purpose in buying
the rabbits. When someone wants rabbits (from me) for meat,
that is exactly what they get. They don't get qood quality breeding
stock at a "meat" price. Even my "meat" rabbits are sold (live)for more
than $5 each!

So maybe not the one for me?

Because he's a show breeder? I wish all the rabbits
in my barn were show quality!

I am thinking I should just sell all 3 and get a trio or quad of seniors

I'm not a fan of purchasing older does. I've seen too many buyers
end up with culls on their last leg of production. There are
many honest breeders so this may not happen to you.

It's hard to tell someone what to do. If you can get a buck almost
ready to breed (or proven), you might keep the does and give them
a chance. The 7 pounds at 4 months is a good weight for my
Cals, especially in the summer (as someone had noted about
the slower growth in the heat).

Good luck!
Linda Welch

[Willowynd]

Ok thanks. I called him this morning and he was clear on what I was looking for. He said he has a few commercials and will be going through them thise week. I will keep the 2 does and get a buck and from him and maybe a doe as well. It will be nice to go out and see the parent stock.
The ones I picked up were from a 4H project. They have tats..one has a star...so assuming they were shown in 4H. Yes, I made it clear I wanted them for meat.
I am feeding pen pals proffessional...free fed. You remember when I posted asking about them because the one doe had scratched her eye? Well, her eye still stays moist..a touch damp around the eye sometimes,...but she is the largest one.

[Willowynd]

BTW does anyone have a chart about what they should weight at certain ages? I don;t mean to be anal about this, but I do not have the cage space to run on ones that do not grow well....so I need them to produce well and grow out effciently. Otherwise I would have chosen another breed. I have one more question...will I get faster grow outs if I cross with a NZW buck?

[SquashNut]

You'll get faster grow outs with a nzw buck if the does have good milk production. All the genetics in the world don't do any good with out good nutrition.
Unless you want to have a line of nzw and Cals, I would go with one or the other. I know you think you just want these for meat. But with feed prices the way they are you may find your self wanting to sell breeding stock and pure bred sell higher.
And if the breeder your going to see has pedigrees get them. The off spring from pedigreed stock can bring more also.

[dlwelch]

Yes, I made it clear I wanted them for meat.

It sounds like you were actually wanting "breeding stock".
But, no problem...........I tend to be confused a lot of the
time when it comes to terminology from different parts of
the country! If you came to me for a meat rabbit,
you would get one to butcher and not one that I think would
be worthy of using as a breeder.

BTW does anyone have a chart about what they should weight at certain ages?

Each rabbitry will have different results depending on a lot of
factors (feeding, temperature, genetics, selection/culling process).
Someone may have Cal fryers weighing 4.5 pounds at 8/9 weeks while
it takes others 10/12 weeks.

[SquashNut]

I have found breeders don't sell their best stock very often. I know I don't. So most likely what you'll get is their second best. Then you have to breed them and start picking better/faster growing rabbits to raise from their off spring.
Be sure to get the best buck you can.

[Beaniemom]

Well, as a benchmark you'd want 5 pounds by 12 weeks at the latest, I'm not familar with Cals, so I dunno if they get there faster.

You're probably fine with the feed, doesn't matter how much you feed them, if the genetics aren't there, they won't get there, well, they may, but they'll just be fat!

I'm just wondering if you got an entire litter there? (Did they come with pedegrees?) My impression of some 4H rabbit breeders (well, lots around here anyways) is they don't want to cull anything so they try to sell it all.

Keep an eye on the doe with the eye issue though, just in case it starts getting infected, you don't want her to pass Staph infections on to her offspring.