Californian Rabbit Weight

[Iva S.]

I recently (abt. 5 days) ago got 5 Californian show rabbits and they’re supposed to be 4-5 pounds by the show, which is in early January. However, they’ve stayed around 2.5-2.9 pounds. I am feeding them Petrus (food brand) and am giving them Timothy Hay. How do I get them to increase weight (I know about using oatmeal as a filler), and how fast do they normally grow?

 

[junebuggena]

How old are they?

 

[Iva S.]

How old are they?

I’m pretty sure that they were already 5-6 weeks when we got them. So around 7 weeks I think

 

[junebuggena]

That would put them in the pre-junior class (under 3 months), and the weight for that class is under 5.5 pounds. They are just babies still. They won't reach their full adult weight till they are about 6 months of age. Do not mess with adding fillers and things to their diet. Rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems and changing things too fast can be fatal. Right now, the most import thing is allowing them to eat as much of their pellets and hay as they want.

 

[braehedge]

I would wait and see if they're losing or gaining before I mess around with any of their dietary needs. Just make sure they're getting unlimited hay and water. Juniors do grow quicker than you think so they should be fine by the time the show comes around.

 

[Iva S.]

I would wait and see if they're losing or gaining before I mess around with any of their dietary needs. Just make sure they're getting unlimited hay and water. Juniors do grow quicker than you think so they should be fine by the time the show comes around.

I weigh them every day and for the most part, they’re growing 1-2 ounces a day

 

[braehedge]

That's a good gain. I wouldn't be concerned.