Rabbits of the Rex breed
For those breeders who decide to breed eared pets for fur, the Rex rabbit will be the most suitable breed. For a long time, the skins of these animals were considered the reference material, and today the Rex rabbit breed does not lose its leading position.
Rex Rabbits
General about Rex
Rabbits of the Rex subspecies began to be bred not so long ago. They appeared among French rabbit breeders at the beginning of the last century. These representatives belong to the meat-skin direction, but most farmers still prefer to start this line in order to get valuable skins from them. High-quality winter clothes are made from the fluffy fur of the Rex rabbit.
This type of rabbit got its name due to the unique beauty of its fur. In translation, the name of the breed means "king".
They were presented to the general public in 1924 at a livestock exhibition in Paris. After the official birth of Rex rabbits, private farms around the world began to be considered as pets. They appeared throughout European territory and in the Atlantic side.
The Rex rabbit breed was brought to Russia by the Soviet scientist Serebrovsky in the genetics of a simple rabbit crossed with him. Subsequently, scientists were able to consolidate the genetic characteristics of the Rex and cleanse the breed.
Among the progenitors of the Rex rabbit breed are the Belgian giants. By pure chance, due to intraspecific mutational processes, they gave out offspring with a shorter coat. This randomly appeared trait was fixed among the next generations.
Depending on the species, one individual can cost three times the other. The value of a furry is also influenced by its size and age, and even the color of the fur coat. A chinchilla-colored skin is several times more expensive than a white one. Rex rabbit fur coats at one time were valued more expensive than arctic fox and fox products.
Exterior standards
Description and photos of representatives of the Rex breed must demonstrate a set of exterior signs specific to all animals:
- harmoniously developed physique,
- slightly elongated oval body,
- tightly set, extended forward head with a wide frontal bone,
- developed cervical spine,
- rather short thin legs,
- tight-fitting small tail,
- straight ears up to 12 centimeters long, rounded at the ends.
Females that have reached one year of age acquire a symmetrical chin. Rex rabbit fur is 1.2-1.3 centimeters long, shiny, thick and soft, but quite wear-resistant, it can be worn for quite a long time. Rex rabbit fur is used to make outerwear and hats and lining for leather jackets. The Rex rabbit fur coat is very warm and looks presentable. Rabbit Rex is a high value skin and quite tasty meat. There are many types of such furs, but the white skin is the most popular.
Rabbits of the Rex breed do not differ in early maturity and growth intensity. Rabbits weigh about 1.5 kilograms at the age of three months, gaining weight up to 2.7-2.8 kilograms by the six-month period.Upon reaching the age of 8 months, when their weight is about 3.5 kilograms, the growth of the rabbits slows down noticeably. Adult large rabbits weigh no more than 5.5 kilograms.
This type of rodent includes more than 30 lines, which differ in the color of their fur. Manufacturers give preference to the color of chinchilla, black and white rabbits, it is this kind of fur of Rex rodents that is most popular when sewing fur hats and fur coats. White Pelt is a versatile dyeing material that allows Rex fur to be colored, blue or green. No less famous in the tailoring of coats, jackets, fur coats and even women's bags from the lush fur of Rex rabbits are such species as castor and marder. Inexperienced consumers in the store often cannot distinguish fur and confuse products made from natural chinchilla rabbit with the fur of a valuable fur animal. Sheared white, fiery, brown, blue and black colors are often issued in stores (for example, in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Kazan and other large cities) as a mink, the cost of which is several times cheaper, and the wear resistance is slightly lower. The natural fur of this rabbit in chinchilla color has a decent value. One simple model, one copy sometimes costs from 37,000 rubles.
Rex selection
In rabbits of the Rex subspecies, reviews of owners and farmers in the characteristics note a calm nature. Hybrid dwarf fluffy Rex rabbits, outwardly similar to a small chinchilla or a soft toy, often become not so much residents of private farms as pets.Today there are decorative mini-animals in many families, and they live in apartments in ordinary cages. They get along with other animals, are attached to humans. The highly developed natural instinct of Rex females makes it possible to feed other people's rabbits.
A small fluffy decorative Rex costs an average of 3000 rubles.
When choosing rabbits for breeding, you need to pay attention to the compliance of animals with the established standard. When you take the animal by the scruff of the neck, its body tenses like a spring, and hangs down. Particular attention is paid to fur. The coat should be uniform, without wavy or curly fibers. Waviness is allowed only in the belly and occipital region.
Culling and slaughter of Rex rabbits often occurs during the winter season. It was at this time that the woolen cover was distinguished by the best indicators.
The quality of the fur is checked by stroking against the direction of hair growth. The dense fur growing vertically from the roots returns to its original position.
The subtleties of growing
When breeding and raising Rex rabbits in regions with a mild climate, animals are usually kept directly outside, and when cold weather comes, they are moved to covered premises. Due to its dense and thick fur, animals tolerate frosts more easily, during the hot season.
The most suitable conditions in order to be able to breed and maintain Rex in proper condition, providing a high indicator of the quality of fur, will be a temperature in the range of 18-20 degrees with an average humidity of 50 percent.
For this type of rodent, overheating and excessive exposure to direct sunlight are contraindicated during maintenance and care. Rexes also do not like drafts and damp rooms.
The unpretentious and calm Rex rabbit can live in apartment conditions if he is provided with a spacious cage as a place of residence. It must be remembered that one of the weak points of the breed is its paws. Pads due to insufficient wool coverage are often affected by dermatitis. To avoid skin diseases, it is recommended to cover the metal floor of the cage with wood (plywood or board) and cover it with straw. Among the rules for caring for the animal is timely vaccination and disinfection of premises.
How to grow the Rex breed for fur
If a farmer plans to raise rabbits for a specific purpose - for fur, he needs to know the features and rules of caring for the skins of pets. A Rex rabbit fur coat will be valuable only if its characteristics are: the splendor of the hairline, dense down, fur shine and density.
Rabbit from subspecies Rex and chinchilla are very similar in external fur color. The farm Rex rabbit color will be provided with a selection of individuals to cross. Some farms are aimed at breeding rabbits of a certain color. So in one aviary they can contain only those animals in which the color is black, in the other - white, in the third - brown.
To increase wear resistance, rabbit fur is treated with special agents. The rapid growth of young individuals contributes to the fact that the fur is quickly renewed. The cost of some types of pussies, if they have a natural chinchilla color, is growing by leaps and bounds.