The Californian rabbit is a meat rabbit breed developed in the United States in the early 20th century. The breed is one of the most popular commercial meat rabbit breeds, valued for its fast growth rate, efficient feed conversion, and good carcass quality.
The Californian rabbit was developed in the 1920s by George West of California by crossing Himalayan, Standard Chinchilla, and New Zealand White rabbits. The goal was to create a breed with the Himalayan color pattern and the New Zealand White's meat characteristics. The breed was admitted to the American Rabbit Breeders Association in 1939.
Californians have a white body with black points on the ears, nose, feet, and tail, similar to a Himalayan pattern. They have pink eyes. Mature bucks weigh 3.5 to 4.5 kilograms and does weigh 3.5 to 5 kilograms. The breed has a commercial body type with good muscling. Californians are known for their calm temperament, good mothering ability, and litters of 6 to 8 kits.
Meat production is the primary purpose of Californian rabbits. Their efficient feed conversion and good growth rates make them economical for small-scale meat production. Their calm temperament makes them easy to handle.