Conditioning is very important in a rabbit. If your
rabbit is out of condition, it will not stand a chance
of winning any prizes.
On the day of the show, the animal of the best
condition will win. An animal in good condition will beat
out an animal that may be of better quality in the long
run.
According to the Rabbit Standard of Perfection, Condition is worth 5 points in showing. Often the judges will make it seem worth 50 points. The reason for this is that condition effects Type, Fur, and Color which, in the Satin rabbit, is where all the points lie. Good Condition enhances all aspects of the rabbit while poor condition detracts.
Learn how to find good condition on young rabbits, as well. When you do your first culling on 8-10 week old bunnies, the animals of choice should be well fleshed, with a well textured coat (which is the feel and rate of return when stroked from hindquarter to neck). You are looking for enough resistance to suggest development of good guard hair. The less you can see of the skin in the crease you create when storking the fur to the neck, the more density the rabbit has, which is what you strive for.
Place the rabbits you select in separate cages. Handle them and take note of how they develop, but do not cull them again until they are at least 4 months old and approaching their first junior prime coat, which will occur between 4 1/2 and 5 months old.
At this point, cull again, making condition of flesh and fur your priority.
Rabbits that do not get their finishing coat by 5 1/2 months should be culled, as should rabbits
with coarse fur and any other poor quality.
The fur at this point should be soft. Select for the best type and fur on the rabbits.
If they are in good condition then you are on the right track.
Pick a feed and stick with it. If your rabbits eat it and produce offspring that that grow well, don't change. You will end up culling your rabbits to your feed. Many breeders have culled their herds to their feed over time. Try to use a feed that is pretty consistent in its ingredients. Changing feed and ingredients will throw your animals into molt. People who change feed often are easy to beat on the show table, simply because their animals never get a chance to get used to a feed and into winning Condition.
Keep treats to a bare minimum. Use cool, low calorie additives, like some rolled or whole oats for those who have finished their pellets or an ocassional piece of apple. Grass-hay will help prevent furblock. Some use oils to help the sheen of the coat Calfmanna, horse feed with molasses, sunflower seeds (Black oil ONLY), can all speed up Finish, but they can also bring on a Molt. They are helpful if the rabbit is a while from getting its finishing coat, but if given to an animal in Prime, it will ruin the finish of the coat along with your chances for any winnings.
Water is a primary conditioner. If a rabbit won't drink, it won't eat, and finishing a rabbit that won't is impossible.
You can hold coats on rabbits that are bred for Condition. Reduce oils and hot feeds. Cut down a little on the pellets and add oats. Animals that are being conditioned should be at the feeder indicating hunger when you come to feed.
All the conditioning in the world will NOT prime a coat at 3 months or hold it forever. Take notes when your young stock primes. Then you can stagger your breeding program to be ready for specific shows. Satin juniors usually prime between 4-5 months. Identify the shows you want to ready for and count backwards by those months and add 31 days for gestation. With this plan you will have a chance for a big win at a show of your choice.