# California Flemish cross?



## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

I know Flemish Giants are not the best meat rabbits, but what if they are crossed with a California?

I have a chance to get some 3 month olds that have been handled extensively, so personality wise I think they might be a great starters for a newbie, but would they be worth the effort? What if I just got does and found a meat buck to use on them?


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## lamina1982 (Jan 14, 2013)

i have california crossed with flemish. I think they are pretty comparible to calis in size and meat to bone etc. Not that I weigh them or anything but they seem about same size as my cali s at butcher time. I think lotsa people do just meat muts and turn out well.


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## ChocolateMouse (Jul 31, 2013)

Fg are popular to use in meat crosses. A very famous meat cross is a fgxchampagne d'argente with a Cali, called "altex", which is then crossed over a NZW for a super charged hybrid vigor rabbit. I have no idea if it works or not!

Something that my rabbit Lucy has inspired me to want to try is to breed FgXRhinelanders, then breed them into a meat rabbit. I think it'd be really cool to have such a unique looking meat rabbit.


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## TMTex (Apr 5, 2013)

I'm looking forward to trying my FG buck with one of my Cali ladies again. He was too young at first and was shooting blanks. When he finally sired a litter, it was the doe's first time and all 10 kits were dead by the second day.

Their colors were nice though and I think they'd be decent meat bunnies as well, judging from their size at birth. 

I'm overloaded with rabbits now, or I would have bred him to one of my girls again. Time for some processing I guess.

I say go for it.


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

I love the offspring's fryer size I get from this doe. They are bigger than our other fryers' of the same age...

This doe is an American Sable X Flemish Giant. We breed her with a New Zealand buck. The babies from this pairing usually get to weight quicker than the pure NZ(giving us the option to dress them out at 7 to 8 weeks old)...and when dressed out it is visable that their bones aren't large like the Flemish:nono:.

The doe is 15 lbs. her sire was AS and the dame was Flemish. I love her size, but must admit...her color is beautiful, especially during molting.

This thread peaked my interest...if anyone has a Cali X Flemish...would you post a picture?:thumb:


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

if your raiseing just for meat why not .you are sure to improve the meat to bone/hide ratio and the hybred vigger . I went to a small livestock auction last week and a "pure looking" big Flemish sold for 40$ ,fryer sized calis 10$, mix up moungrels around 3$ . as with any livestock or pets if you have the opertunity to keep them pure you will be better off when the time comes and you want to sell some to try and get some of your feed money back advertizeing cross breeds wont get much results ,and when your talking about several Flemish does that are gonna be eating lots of feed for the next 5 months to reach breeding age .then several litters these numbers (or $) begin to add up quick.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

They're here!


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

The black and white one is Bunny Sue, the red eye one is not yet officially named, but Thumper and Easter have been put out there for my consideration. Lol. Both are does. I will get a California or NZ meat buck in the next month.

Bunny Sue is extremely friendly and likes to be snuggled. The other one likes to be petted but prefers sitting on laps.


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

Love the name Bunny Sue....congratulations


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

Lol, I played a reluctant bunny in kindergarten named Bunny Sue and still remember some of my lines!

"I'm the baby, I'm sweet Bunny Sue. Aren't I cute? Kootchy kootchy coo!"
"I won't hop, I won't hop! You can't make me do it! I won't hop, I won't hop! That's all there is to it!"


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## ChocolateMouse (Jul 31, 2013)

Hmm, wondering if those are really FGXCali... The one on the left COULD be but they look like broken patterned rabbits to me and FG and Cali don't carry broken... Those patterns are like hotots (broken) and butterfly marked (broken). Either way they are pretty!


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

You're probably right. Dad was certainly a california but mom was a huge black and white rabbit. Checkered 
Giant perhaps?

Here's a picture of more of the litter. Bunny Sue is the one on the left next to the black one.


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## ChocolateMouse (Jul 31, 2013)

Checkereds have a distinct pattern of a stripe down the back, butterfly face... And they are very TALL. Graceful rabbits. Their backs are arched up a lot. FG are low to the ground rabbits with thick skulls and more than a little extra skin. Did you get a good look at mom rabbit?


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

I didn't notice mom's back, but she had a face similar to Sue with more black on the nose and was much bigger than the Cali dad. Several of the bunnies had back stripes though but Sue was the only black and white left. The rest looked like Bunny No Name but some had a grey stripe some didn't.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

So we've had some shedding going on and Bunny Sue seems to have somewhat of a back stripe now...either that or I just didn't notice it before and she was leaning to the side in that earlier picture of her, or it wasn't her. Lol. So I think she is indeed half Checkered rather than Flemish Giant. No matter really, but it is nice to know what to expect. 

I'm very pleased with them. Is their sweetness now an indication of how they will be as adults? Easter has settled in and is now just as happy to be held if not more. She always comes to the cage door when she sees someone coming. Sue was my favorite but this new loviness from Easter has made me adore them both.


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## ChocolateMouse (Jul 31, 2013)

Sweet bunnies tend to be sweet adults. There are exceptions. Some go crazy, so watch around the time they hit breeding age. Around 1 year old they will have their final personality unless socializing becomes a factor. Watch also for how their back is arched as they grow. I they grow tall with a very arched back (look up checkered giants for an example) they could have problems breeding with non arched rabbits. My FG Rhinelander (arched breed) cross has no problems. Your mileage may vary. The best conclusion... You have big pretty mutts! :3


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

meaty cali x NzW's


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