Rex question?

[Nao57]

So when I see ads for rabbits in my area, I keep seeing people call the rex rabbits, "mini rex" instead of saying Rex.

This is greatly confusing to me.

Does this mean people have modified the rex into a smaller version? And does this mean rex and mini-rex are two different things entirely? Or are the terms just being used wrong to sell pets?

How do you make sure you don't get the smaller version? If I ever did Rex breeds I'd want to get larger meat breeds.

It seems like some of the trends for the pet industry aren't good for what people like in meat breeds also.

 

[Bunnylady]

The standard Rex rabbit is commercial in type, and weighs in the 8 to 10 pound range. In the 1980's, a separate, extremely popular breed called the Mini Rex was created (for many years, the Mini Rex outnumbered all other breeds as far as animals taken to the American Rabbit Breeders Association's national convention). The Mini Rex is a dwarf breed, weighing around 3 to 4 pounds at maturity (Jasper, the rabbit in my avatar, is a Mini Rex).

A Mini Rex without the dwarfing gene can get a bit bigger, 5 to 6 pounds, and unfortunately, some people don't try to keep the two breeds separate. The standard Rex is not very common, while the Mini Rex is, and it's annoyingly common for people to cross the two. There are a lot of rabbits out there that I have heard referred to as "Midi Rex;" too big to be a false dwarf Mini Rex, but not making even minimum weight for the standard Rex breed. It can get very frustrating for people breeding the standard Rex that are trying to find new bloodlines for their herd, and run into these mid-size animals instead.

How do you know the difference between the two breeds? Well, for anyone who has been in rabbits as long as I have, that's a bit like asking how to tell a Miniature Pinscher from a Doberman - even as babies, there are indicators of what size animal you are dealing with. But if you don't know the breed, you need to know the breeder (or at least, know that they can be trusted). Your best bet would be to deal with someone who keeps pedigrees, and can show you the size of the parents, grandparents, etc, of the rabbit you are looking at. That may prove a bit more expensive, but it should keep you from wasting time and resources on animals that wouldn't meet your needs.

 

[Nao57]

The standard Rex rabbit is commercial in type, and weighs in the 8 to 10 pound range. In the 1980's, a separate, extremely popular breed called the Mini Rex was created (for many years, the Mini Rex outnumbered all other breeds as far as animals taken to the American Rabbit Breeders Association's national convention). The Mini Rex is a dwarf breed, weighing around 3 to 4 pounds at maturity (Jasper, the rabbit in my avatar, is a Mini Rex).

A Mini Rex without the dwarfing gene can get a bit bigger, 5 to 6 pounds, and unfortunately, some people don't try to keep the two breeds separate. The standard Rex is not very common, while the Mini Rex is, and it's annoyingly common for people to cross the two. There are a lot of rabbits out there that I have heard referred to as "Midi Rex;" too big to be a false dwarf Mini Rex, but not making even minimum weight for the standard Rex breed. It can get very frustrating for people breeding the standard Rex that are trying to find new bloodlines for their herd, and run into these mid-size animals instead.

How do you know the difference between the two breeds? Well, for anyone who has been in rabbits as long as I have, that's a bit like asking how to tell a Miniature Pinscher from a Doberman - even as babies, there are indicators of what size animal you are dealing with. But if you don't know the breed, you need to know the breeder (or at least, know that they can be trusted). Your best bet would be to deal with someone who keeps pedigrees, and can show you the size of the parents, grandparents, etc, of the rabbit you are looking at. That may prove a bit more expensive, but it should keep you from wasting time and resources on animals that wouldn't meet your needs.

Wow.

Thank you for explaining. You are the only one who has been able to answer this and I'd asked a few people.

I am glad I didn't screw up and accidentally get mini-rexes!

 

[Rex79]

The mini Rex is a very popular pet breed here in the UK and I've had to travel a lot to get the Standard breed. I do have one Rex that I bought that definitely came from a Standard mother (not sure of Dad) and she is tiny compared to my other Rex does - she must have either had a mini Dad or mini grandparents. Also here in the UK the Standard Rex breed is smaller than in America due to the high demand for minis as pets making me question whether its worth breeding Rexes for meat.

 

[Nao57]

The mini Rex is a very popular pet breed here in the UK and I've had to travel a lot to get the Standard breed. I do have one Rex that I bought that definitely came from a Standard mother (not sure of Dad) and she is tiny compared to my other Rex does - she must have either had a mini Dad or mini grandparents. Also here in the UK the Standard Rex breed is smaller than in America due to the high demand for minis as pets making me question whether its worth breeding Rexes for meat.

Thanks. I have the same concerns, re: meat potential.

 

[secuono]

I'm in the US and you need to be careful about Rex(mini) and Standard Rex.
Many people lie about the fur, accidentally breed mutts or leave out if its mini or standard.
So make sure you know exactly what you're getting and confirm them & parents in person before paying.

 

[promiseacres]

And since ARBA classifies rex a 4 class vs 6 class my kids can't use them as meatpen rabbits....which was my plan.... but the new Zealands are fine...I guess.

 

[Rex79]

I chose Rex rabbits over the NZ as they are more beautiful, more friendly, eaiser to handle and I want to use their pelts. I know you can use NZ fur too but there is something special about the velvet soft fur of the Rex. Hopefully my NZW doe is pregnant and then I can compare a litter of Rex kits with a litter of NZ. Or I can see what happens if I breed my Rex buck with my NZW doe - I know I'd lose the Rex fur but I wonder what their temperament would be like and would I get a bigger litter and bigger kits?

 

[secuono]

I chose Rex rabbits over the NZ as they are more beautiful, more friendly, eaiser to handle and I want to use their pelts. I know you can use NZ fur too but there is something special about the velvet soft fur of the Rex. Hopefully my NZW doe is pregnant and then I can compare a litter of Rex kits with a litter of NZ. Or I can see what happens if I breed my Rex buck with my NZW doe - I know I'd lose the Rex fur but I wonder what their temperament would be like and would I get a bigger litter and bigger kits?

Have you thought about Silver Fox? Lovely fur, big, super gentle, meat breed.

 

[Rex79]

@secuono I'd not thought of Silver Foxes as they are not widely available in the UK. Maybe they are a breed to consider the next time I need new rabbits