Question on Californian coloring

[Nachoqtpie]

Will their ears/feet darken as they age, or is the color they have when they're young be the color they are when they're mature?

 

[Bunnylady]

The gene that produces the darker markings on a Cali is the Himi gene. Himi is a weird gene. It is temperature dependent - the dark pigment gets deposited in the hair on the parts of rabbit that are a bit cooler (ears, nose, paws, tail). If a Himi bunny gets chilled when it has hair growing in, there will be a dark band on the part of the hair that was growing at that time. I have seen Himi babies that were so heavily ticked, they almost looked like Chinchillas (the ticking is not permanent, and will grow out with the next molt). Cali does often get dark markings on their dewlaps because the skin got a bit cool after the doe pulled fur to make a nest. During hot weather, the markings tend to shrink, and expand when the weather is cool.

How dark the markings are varies. If a rabbit has 1 copy of the Himi gene, and 1 of the REW gene (Cali x NZW, for example), the markings will be less pronounced than on an animal with 2 copies of the Himi gene. The nose marking will be the most obvious difference. In the animal with 2 copies of the Himi gene, it will typically be a little larger than a postage stamp. On a rabbit with 1 Himi and 1 REW, usually just the end of the nose is dark. There are black, blue, chocolate and lilac Himis, depending on what other genes a rabbit may have. Typically, a baby Himi has barely any color showing as it starts to grow its fur, and the markings get more pronounced as it grows.

 

[Nachoqtpie]

Oh gosh... that's way above my head!

I was just asking because my kids want to show the bunnies at the fair. I know they're not registered, but, I figured that they could show them at the fair and be okay. It's not like it's and ABRA show or anything. I don't know what the SoP for colors on a Cali are. I guess I should try to find that, eh?

 

[promiseacres]

Just double check with the rabbit leader I have heard of 4h clubs requiring pedigrees rabbits.. (if u have not) yes they get darker as they age

 

[Hens and Roos]

Speaking about the coloring, we have a doe, who after her 1st litter with us seemed to lose all the black coloring in her ears. Looking at a picture of when we 1st brought her home and now, I would say her ears are alot lighter. Any ideas on this?

 

[Gagroundhog]

The ears will darken again next time she molts.

 

[Hens and Roos]

The ears will darken again next time she molts.

thanks, that is what we were wondering

 

[Nachoqtpie]

Just double check with the rabbit leader I have heard of 4h clubs requiring pedigrees rabbits.. (if u have not) yes they get darker as they age

Well I guess it's a good thing that I'll be the 4-H leader this year!!

We live in a military town, so, there are no livestock 4-H groups at all in this county. I'm going down today to meet with the 4-H Agent to start a new club. Mostly it will be a lot of chickens and ducks, but, I'm not going to tell a kid they can't show a bunny if they want. I know my kids want to show their bunnies, and we don't have pedigrees or registered rabbits.

 

[Gagroundhog]

That sounds great! Hope everything goes smoothly for you

 

[brentr]

It is temperature dependent - the dark pigment gets deposited in the hair on the parts of rabbit that are a bit cooler (ears, nose, paws, tail). If a Himi bunny gets chilled when it has hair growing in, there will be a dark band on the part of the hair that was growing at that time. I have seen Himi babies that were so heavily ticked, they almost looked like Chinchillas (the ticking is not permanent, and will grow out with the next molt). Cali does often get dark markings on their dewlaps because the skin got a bit cool after the doe pulled fur to make a nest. During hot weather, the markings tend to shrink, and expand when the weather is cool.

I have a NZW x Cali litter (sire is Cali) and two white bunnies in the litter seem to have the Cali coloring all over their bodies. They almost look like they were dunked in dirty dishwater. Coincidentally, they are the smallest of the litter and probably didn't get their share at the dinner table.

Based on what you say above, could it be that they got chilled early on (empty tummy and pushed to edge of nest) and that triggered their coloring? Happily, they are doing fine now and starting to eat solids.