Blue Californians?

[txcarl1258]

I bred two of my Californian rabbits with shocking results. This was her first litter. She gave birth to 9 kits all were a blue color. I assumed they would turn white as they grew 5 are still living and are a week old. They are still a silver blue color. Both parents have traditional Cali markings which is why I am so puzzled at the results. There is no possible way they were fathered by another buck as I only have Cali bucks. I am not 100% sure they are pure bred as the parents were ex stock show rabbits. Can anyone shed some light on how the kits came out blue?

 

[Bunnylady]

Is there any chance that the babies got chilled when they were born? The Himi pattern of the Cali is temperature dependent. Areas that are cooler (the "points") get dark fur, the warmer areas get white. If a himi baby gets chilled, the hair that was growing in the skin at that time gets dark pigment deposited in it. I have had himi patterned babies of other breeds that wound up with dark ticking because of getting chilled at birth; the rest of the hair shaft was white because the baby was warmer as it continued to grow. It can almost look like a what some call a "ghost Chinchilla" with red eyes! The dark ticking is not permanent, it will grow out as the junior coat comes in.

 

[txcarl1258]

It's possible they got chilled. It is just odd that they are such a dark blue. I will post some pics as they grow. I have a foster kit in with them that was born to a doe I didn't even think was bred. It was born on the wire and it is getting white fur. I am going to revered the pair to see if I get the same results.