Rex rabbits: description, content and photos

One of the few rabbit breeds, about the origin of which there are no legends and the date of its origin is precisely known - the Rex rabbit. The breed originated in France in 1919.

Then wild rabbits, which showed a mutation in the gene responsible for the development of wool, were crossed with domestic rabbits. Further breeding of offspring "in itself" led to the emergence of a new breed, first presented at the international exhibition of rabbits in Paris in 1924. In 1925, the breed was officially registered and named "Rex" - "king". Apparently, it was understood that such a fur is only for kings.

The appearance of this breed in the still young USSR resembles spy-detective novels. And not the fact that it is true. But this story illustrates well the laws of genetics and the nature of the gene responsible for changing the structure of the coat.

Rex breed origin

The history of rex rabbits began by chance a hundred years ago in France. One farmer learned from his own experience what a mutation is: his rabbit of the Belgian giant breed brought strange rabbits. Their short plush coat resembled a chinchilla, and their bright brown color was like a beaver. The local priest Gillet liked these special kids. He bought them and crossed them together.

Did you know? The longest-eared rabbit has grown ears of about 80 cm.

The result was a new rabbit breed, which the priest named the Castor Rex (King of the Beavers). In 1924 (five years later), thanks to Gillet, the Rex already participated in the Paris exhibition. Since then, for the decorative features of their fur, they have gained popularity among rabbit lovers around the world.

History of the breed and variety

Rabbits of the Rex breed appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. A big role in the origin of the breed was played by chance. In 1919, a Belgian giant female gave birth to a French farmer. But due to the mutation of the parental genome, the appearance of the rabbits was unusual.

The coat was short and resembled soft plush in quality. In the future, these rabbits interbred with each other, as well as with wild rabbits. The result was a new breed, which, due to the high quality of the fur, was named "Rex", that is, "royal".

High quality fur

After 5 years, the rex were first shown at the Paris exhibition, where they immediately had a lot of admirers. After that, the breed began to spread throughout Europe, and then came to the Soviet Union.

In 1988, as a result of selection work and crossing with the Dutch breed, a decorative version of the Rex appeared - the Mini Rex dwarf rabbit. It differs from the classic species in the size and length of the coat, in all other respects the breeds are identical.

Today there are several types of rex:

• Castor - the skin of a chestnut or chocolate color without spots and tan marks is very similar to the fur of a beaver;
• Marder - the color of the fur resembles the expensive fur of a marten, this type includes standard-sized and dwarf rabbits;
• Chinchilla - the fur in color and quality is the closest to that of a chinchilla, after professional processing it is almost impossible to find differences between the skin of a rabbit and a real chinchilla;
• Mini rex - an ornamental breed, grown only for home keeping, at the beginning of the 21st century a breed of fold-eared mini rex appeared, which are distinguished by long hanging ears and beautiful long hair.

Description of appearance

The external features of the breed (color, size and others) are presented in the table below.

Description and breed standard

Rex rabbit is a classic representative of the meat and skin direction. These animals are bred for the sake of lean meat and quality fur.

Appearance

Appearance and breed standard:

• body length 40 - 55 cm, elongated body, graceful body structure, thin bones;
• the average weight of a female is up to 3 kg, of a male - 4.5 kg;
• monthly rabbits weigh about 650 g, gain weight slowly - by 4 months, usually no more than 2.4 kg;
• the head is rounded, in males the muzzle is wider and more massive;
• ears 11-12 cm long, erect;
• brown eyes, claws of the same color or several shades darker;
• a distinctive feature of a thoroughbred Rex is a mustache, they are short, strongly curved from birth;
• the length of the fur does not exceed 2 cm, the wool is soft, thick, velvety, pleasant to the touch, after stroking against the fur, the hairs quickly fall in the same direction;
• paws of medium length;
• the tail is inconspicuous, located close to the body.

There are more than 20 color options for rex. The most common are white, blue, chocolate and black.

The nature of the Rex is calm, friendly. At first, showing alertness, they quickly get used to new conditions, to people, they are happy to communicate and play. A healthy adult rabbit should not be hostile to humans or animals. Animals are rather shy, do not like loud sounds, do not tolerate rudeness, can react aggressively, even bite.

Separately, it is noted that rex have an increased sensitivity to odors, so before contacting an animal, you should wash your hands. Rabbits are particularly neat and tidy, they quickly get used to the tray.

Neat and tidy

Temperament

Cute plush bunnies get used to the role of pets well.

They have a suitable character:

• calm and docile;
• friendly and sociable, willingly play with children and adults;
• love to walk in the fresh air;
• smart and well trained, easily accustomed to the cat litter box;
• bunnies become affectionate and caring "mothers";
• are very shy and do not like unpleasant odors, they can bite the one who scared them or smells unpleasant.

Character

Western owners claim that these animals have a high intelligence, which makes it possible to keep several species in one apartment. Rabbits have such a developed maternal instinct that they even accept strangers' babies.

They are very mobile, like dogs or cats. But with large dimensions, this is dangerous, since everything will be broken up in the apartment. Therefore, it is better to keep dwarfs at home.

You also need to know that you should take pets only with clean hands. They do not tolerate unpleasant odors and can bite. They can be trained without problems. They can be trained to approach on command and stand on their hind legs!

Productive qualities

The mass of an adult Rex can reach 5 kg. Due to the fact that it has light bones, most of its live weight is dietary and very tasty meat.Rex is gaining weight relatively quickly: 2 - 2.5 kg in 4 months. But for the sake of meat, other breeds of this direction are often bred.

Find out how to fatten a rabbit for meat in a short time.

Royal rabbits are more prized for their original fur. In addition to high aesthetic qualities, it is very practical. The coat is denser than furs of other breeds and more wear-resistant. In addition, due to its special texture, the rex skin can be confused with the fur of the more valuable fur animals. Therefore, it is highly valued among fur manufacturers.

Subspecies

Unique pelt for its qualities occupies a podium in the production of various products. With the help of delicate wool, similar to velor, imitation of expensive and rare fur of other animals is made.

Rex Marder

The highly prized marten fur has been imitated through the development of a marder rabbit. There are two varieties: regular and dwarf. The dwarf is popular because of its interesting color, while at the same time as common due to its mass.

Dwarf pets weigh from one to one and a half kilograms. They have elongated ears and body. The silky and soft fur can come in a variety of colors. Most often, dwarf Rexes are kept as pets.

Castor Rex

The skin of the rabbit Castor Rex imitates the color of the valuable skin of a beaver, translated from Latin as the name means “kings of the beavers”.

The ridge of such individuals has a burgundy-brown hue. The sides of these rabbits are light silver. The quality of the fur is high.

Rex chinchilla

Chinchillas are very rare.

The fur of this breed is best suited for fake chinchilla skins. The percentage of this color from the entire livestock is negligible. The skins of such animals look nobler and more elegant.

Advantages and disadvantages

• The advantages include the following features of the breed:
• delicious lean meat;
• beautiful valuable fur;
• docile character;
• good metabolism affects the rapid growth and puberty of rabbits;
• excellent cold resistance: easily tolerates temperatures - 20 ° C and below;
• unpretentiousness in food.

• Among the minuses, it should be noted:
• poorly tolerates heat above + 20 ° С;
• multiplies slowly;
• you need careful care and special conditions of detention;
• susceptible to various diseases;
• fearfulness;
• does not tolerate unpleasant odors.

Diseases and vaccinations

This subspecies requires the same vaccination as other breeds of rabbits. It is necessary to be vaccinated against:

• Myxomatosis;
• Viral hemorrhagic fever;

When individuals reach 60-90 days of age, vaccination against rabies should be performed. You can perform the procedure yourself or in a veterinary clinic. All ampoules should be stored in a cool place at a temperature not exceeding 4 ° C. Vaccination allows you to protect eared ears from various viral and infectious diseases.

Read also: Horse breeds: name, photo and description

Before the procedure, deworming should be charmingly performed. The content of worms in the animal's body will negatively affect its health.

How to choose a Rex rabbit

It is not very easy to acquire a Rex rabbit. There are two reasons for this:

1. It is a rare breed due to its infertility.
2. Fakes are often found (more precisely, small rexes are easily confused with other rabbits or, for example, with a chinchilla).

Read more on how to breed rabbits as a business.

Helpful hints

To be sure that the purchased rabbit is a purebred and healthy Rex, it is best to contact experienced breeders with a good reputation. Do not take specimens less than 2 months old. First you need to make sure that the chosen baby is healthy:

• uniform coat without bald patches;
• strong skeleton;
• moderate fatness;
• the fur is dense and shiny;
• dry nose;
• the tail is clean, without discharge;
• eyes are clear and lively;
• the rabbit is mobile, not lethargic;
• if you take it by the scruff, it is tense, like a spring, and does not hang passively.

Signs of pure blood

The main signs of a purebred Rex are known:

• hairs of wool grow vertically;
• if you stroke the little rex, its fur is not smoothed, but returns to its original position;
• the coat is not wavy, curls can only be on the back of the head and abdomen;
• ears stick up vertically without drooping;
• the shape of the body and head must correspond to the breed;
• the mustache is short and curved;
• little rex and chinchillas are very similar and resemble plush toys. It is easy to confuse them.

Check out such meat-skinned rabbit breeds as: Soviet Chinchilla, Butterfly, Gray Giant, White Giant and Chinchilla Rabbit.

How to distinguish baby chinchilla:

• the color typical for the breed is blue-gray, but in rabbits it may not match;
• light circles around the eyes;
• white spots on the abdomen;
• black spots on the tips of the ears.

Choosing a good rabbit

It is worth buying representatives of this breed very carefully. Purebred Rex rabbits are quite rare, so you can buy a fake or a non-purebred rabbit in the markets. The breed is rare because female rabbits have a low fertility rate.

New Zealand rabbit

Signs of Rex rabbits:

• The pure blood of the rabbit manifests itself in the thin bones, the powerful structure of the torso.
• Rabbit fur has strong pubescence and is soft. When inspecting the cover, there should be no receding hairline, scratches or bites.
• The hind legs have soft fur.
• The rabbit must be active.

note... A purebred representative of the breed can be bought mainly in specialized nurseries. How much is such a rabbit worth? The price often reaches 5-6 thousand rubles per animal.

Signs of breed culling include:

• An adult rabbit weighs less than 3.5 kg or more than 5.5 kg.
• The ears are different from each other, thin and fall off.
• There are bald patches on the coat.
• The ears are more than 13 cm long and have underdeveloped hair.
• The trunk has deviations from the standard constitution.

Purebred Rex rabbits are rare.

Important! Rabbits over 40 days old are ready for purchase. With an earlier purchase, it will be more difficult for babies to switch to regular meals without breast milk. This will cause a variety of fatal diseases.

Features of maintenance and care

Before you start breeding Rex, you should take care of the proper conditions of detention. This is vital for rabbits. Without proper care, they often get sick, the mortality of young animals increases.

It will be useful for you to learn how to make a rabbit skin at home.

Requirements for the premises

Rexes, like their other relatives, love space. A cage and an open-air cage on a canopy can serve as a dwelling. What it should be:

• dimensions of the "apartment" for one adult rabbit: not less than 100 × 60 × 60 cm, as much as possible;
• material: strong, which the animal cannot gnaw;
• temperature: 15 ° C to 22 ° C;
• humidity: 50%;
• lighting should be good, but direct sunlight should not fall into the aviary;
• there should be no drafts and dampness.

Important! If the animal feels uncomfortable, this affects the quality of its fur.

Rabbit "apartments" can be of three types:

• 1-bed room for an adult male;
• collective for weaned young animals;
• queen cell, that is, a cage for a female with an attached box for a nest with rabbits.

Floor and litter

On what floor the rabbit lives, its health depends. His paw pads are very vulnerable and susceptible to pododermatitis. Therefore (although with a lattice bottom it is easier to keep the cage clean), it is contraindicated for rex.The paws can be easily injured and become a source of infection.

A solid bottom is more suitable, which is safe for the animal. The floor should be covered with a thick layer of hay or straw. You need to change the litter often (every other day), as it gets wet quickly. If you use shavings, then medium or large. Small chips can cause itching and allergies.

Learn how to make a DIY rabbit enclosure.

Shelter equipment

Rabbits are burrowing animals that are free to dig a hole for themselves. That is why they need to arrange a shelter in the cage, in which the rabbits can hide, like in a burrow. If the cage is fully visible, the animal is stressed. And by hiding in a shelter that replaces a burrow, it will feel calm and safe.

You can buy a ready-made house. And you can do it yourself from scrap materials (for example, from plywood or cardboard). Only natural materials are suitable so that the ward can calmly gnaw them and not get poisoned. The easiest way to make a shelter house:

1. Take a wooden vegetable crate or a cardboard box turned upside down.
2. Cut out one wide entrance hole (later the inhabitant will gnaw through additional doors and windows).
3. Set up the house in the cage so that the rex can freely enter and exit.

Feeders and drinkers

The cage should also have equipment for feeding the animal. These include:

• drinker: preferably closed so that debris does not fall into it, and water does not spill. Automatic will do. It should be hung on the grid of the cage and secured;
• feeder: hinged (mounted on the grate so that it is convenient for the pet to eat from it) or floor-standing (preferably heavy, made of ceramics, so that the animal cannot turn it over).
• sennik - hay basket. The lattice basket is fixed on the wall of the cage, the spherical basket is suspended inside it.

Feeding ration

Rex's menu is no different from other rabbits' menus. In winter, it includes:

• compound feed;
• dry grain mixtures of oats, rye, rolled oats and wheat;
• tree branches;
• juicy roots (these are carrots, beets, Jerusalem artichoke);
• hay from alfalfa and oats.

The summer menu, in addition to winter products, contains:

• dried grass;
• Fresh vegetables and fruits (for example, cauliflower, zucchini, apples, watermelon);
• greens: parsley, dill, carrot tops.

Important! Drinker should have fresh and clean water every day.

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In order for the diet to be balanced, the necessary vitamins and minerals are added to it:

• preparations "Chiktonik", "Prodevit", "E-Selenium" containing vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K;
• chalk, bone ash, bone meal and salt (provide the body with essential minerals).

You cannot feed the Rex with foods that can harm them. These include:

• wet and spoiled;
• beans and other foods that can cause digestive problems.

Did you know? Rabbits drink a lot of water. An individual weighing 2 kg can drink it as much as a dog weighing 10 kg.

Care and hygiene

Rexes are susceptible to various diseases and allergies. Their health is directly related to the cleanliness in their habitat. Therefore, it is very important to clean the cage regularly. To keep the cage clean, a toilet (litter box for large rodents or cats) must be installed. The room should be cleaned at least 2 times a week, and the tray should be cleaned even more often.

Feeding

When feeding Rex rabbits, it is necessary to combine a diet from the list of recommended main ingredients:

• branches;
• bark;
• ready-made combined feed;
• vegetables;
• fresh and dried fruits;
• silage;
• hay;
• roughage;
• freshly cut grass.

Freshly cut grass

When feeding rabbits, avoid cauliflower, all types of beans, a high proportion of tomatoes, lettuce and cabbage. These food categories can cause digestive diseases in both young animals and adults. All animals must have access to clean, fresh water at all times.

How to breed rabbits correctly

Breeding Rex is troublesome. Special efforts and attentive attitude are expected from the rabbit breeder not only to the rabbit during pregnancy, but also to newborn babies. They are born weak, often get sick and die. Survival and health of young animals in the first weeks of life are almost entirely dependent on qualified human care.

Okrol

When breeding Rex, their reproductive characteristics should be taken into account:

• although they reach puberty at 4 months, they are ready for reproduction later: females at 5 months and males at 6 months;
• a female can happen a maximum of 3 times a year. Although she will master 4 litters, but this will greatly undermine her health and will have a bad effect on the quality of the offspring;
• the reproductive age of rabbits ends at 4 years;
• the warm season is best suited for okrol (second half of spring - early summer, first half of autumn). Rex do not tolerate heat over + 25 ° С, especially pregnant women. And in cold winter, rabbits can freeze;
• mating partners must be selected carefully: in good health, without physical defects, of about the same size (and not relatives);
• pregnancy lasts a month. With a comfortable environment, proper nutrition and adequate drinking, everything will go well. Lack of something (especially clean water) will trigger stress and irritation. In this state, the “new mother” can gnaw at her newly born cubs;
• pregnant females usually carefully prepare for the appearance of babies, plucking out the fluff from themselves and insulating their nest. But during the first pregnancy, this instinct may not work. Then the farmer needs to do it for her.

Young growth care

Newborn rabbits look like pink worms, bald and blind. They are weak and defenseless, without careful care they simply will not survive.

Certain conditions are required for their maintenance, namely:

• the presence of a down nest. Without it, babies will freeze even in a warm room. If there is not enough down, you need to install a heating lamp in the cage;
• in cold weather, the room should be heated, but the temperature should not exceed + 25 ° С;
• you need to clean the cage and nest daily. In a dirty cage, rabbits can easily catch some kind of infection and die;
• it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the feeders, drinkers and tray;
• do not remove the young from the mother earlier than after 45 days. Being near the mother during this period and feeding on her milk, the cubs grow faster, get stronger and better prepare for adulthood;
• before settling the young, the cage must be disinfected;
• regularly inspect the rabbits. Those who are lagging behind in growth need to be separated and fed intensively. Individuals with signs of disease (discharge from the nose, ears, dirty under the tail) should also be removed to treat and protect healthy rabbits.

Did you know? The largest rabbit mother brought 24 cubs in one round-up.

Feeding

The normal growth and development of young animals largely depends on their diet and feeding regime. It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the digestive system of pets. They have a single-chamber small stomach, which leads to rapid digestion and assimilation of food. For this reason, rexes eat a lot and grow rapidly: their birth weight is about 50 g, after a month they grow to 600 - 700 g, and at 4 months they catch up with the weight of adults (up to 3 kg). In the first month and a half, babies feed exclusively on breast milk. But if the rabbit has mastitis, she has little milk.

Then you need to feed the kids with additional food. It happens that the female does not have milk at all, then its substitutes are needed: diluted condensed milk or baby milk formulas. Such food should be given to the rabbits once a day for 3 weeks, and then transferred to plant food.

If the female fully feeds the babies with milk, then after a month you can start feeding them with dry food, and at 1.5 months of age it will already be possible to completely transfer to adult food and separate from the mother.

What to include in the diet of young rex:

• hay is the main ingredient in the daily menu;
• fresh grass: alfalfa, plantain, dandelions, nettle, sow thistle, quinoa, burdock, yarrow;
• tree bark and fresh branches of birch, raspberry, apple, linden, mountain ash;
• cereals: oats, barley (soak and boil);
• fresh vegetables and fruits: carrots, beets, turnips, cabbage, sweet corn;
• boiled vegetables: potatoes, turnips;
• mineral supplements: bone meal, chalk, mineral stone.

Find out what to feed the little rabbits.

Recommendations for feeding young animals are as follows:

• often: 4 - 5 times a day;
• in small portions;
• the break between breakfast and dinner should not exceed 10 hours;
• dry breakfast: oat grains;
• Leftover food must be removed immediately so that the rabbits do not get poisoned by spoiled food.

Vaccination

Rex, like other eared breeds, are vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral hemorrhagic disease. Vaccinations are done regardless of where the pet lives: in an apartment or a rabbitry, whether it is on the street or not. Insects are carriers of myxomatosis. A pet can become infected with HBV through infected hay or clothing. The disease develops so quickly that it is sometimes impossible to save the sick animal. Therefore, the only way to protect your pet is timely vaccinations.

Some rabbit lovers give the animal a rabies vaccine. It is necessary if the rabbit will travel with its owner. But there is no need for it if the pet is at home all the time, and there is no risk of meeting sick animals either. There are certain time frames for vaccination:

• a joint vaccine against myxomatosis and HBV is administered to 45-day-old rabbits, but only to those whose weight is not less than 500 g. The procedure is repeated at the age of 4.5 months, and then every 6 months;
• if the vaccines are separate, then first they are vaccinated against myxomatosis, and after 10 days - against HBV (further - according to the scheme described above).
• rabies vaccination is done not earlier than 2 months. It is necessary before transporting a pet by train, plane, if you cross the border.

Important! Prerequisite: deworming before each vaccination, otherwise there may be complications

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Caring for plush rex takes time and effort. But if you listen to the advice described above, then their content and breeding will not be a burden, but a joy.

Breeding

The breed rabbit has low fertility. There can be no more than 6 newborns in one litter. Babies need to be cared for or they may die.

Sometimes the female may refuse to take good care of the babies. In such cases, rabbit breeders add babies to rabbits of other breeds, which have a well-developed maternal instinct. This increases the offspring's chances of survival.

The breed rabbit has low fertility

The okrol period is autumn. In rare cases, it can occur during the winter. Okrol comes at night or early in the morning. Duration - from 20 minutes to an hour. The female's milk appears after birth. Rabbits of this breed have a good maternal instinct. The dwelling is prepared in advance. Carefully take care of newborns: after childbirth, they lick the babies, feed them with milk, make sure that the babies do not freeze.