Anyone breed Cals?

Do you like them?

I have a Himalayan :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: rabbits which are very similar. I do love their soft fur when first born and their pink eyes. :rabbit-hop2: :lilbunny:

I once had a Cali buck for a few months to try and improve the shoulders in my AmChins

He was very high stung and would careen around his cage every time I fed him

I got 4 litters out of him and culled him and all his progeny as they all came down with nest box eye (which I'd never had in my rabbitry before, or since ) and were steel

Not super friendly, and not entirely evil, but they produce meat fairly well. Their meat production qualities are more similar to new Zealand whites than heritage breeds, but they are smaller and have a bit of a slower growth rate. They have a good meat-bone ratio, and a very nice pelt (they're descended from NZW, standard chins & Himalayans - standard chins & Himalayans were both fur breeds, and gave calis their nice coat). I hate their coloring though - it always look blotchy when compared to Himalayans (which is my favorite breed), and seems rusted out. While their coloring is traditionally black-based, they can also show with chocolate, blue or lilac base, as that's only a fault, which I don't personally agree with. Does, as they get older, get darker patches on their dewlap, which isn't a dq, but it detracts from the appearance of the animal imo. One thing you have to watch out for if you plan to show them is smut - cold temperature will give the rabbit darker colored patches (often over the pinbones) called smut which is a disqualification from shows. Additionally, if a doe pulls fur for nesting, that may grow back dark too (at least until the next molt) which will make her unshowable. They're the second most popular meat breed (behind new zealands) and have a good production rate, but I would not recommend them to a beginner wanting to show, due to the problems with smut. If you just want them for meat, they work out well.