Flemish giant x rex genes?

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Bridget118

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I am just starting my rabbitry. I will be raising for mainly meat and fur. I was wondering why more fur breeders don't cross the giant breed with the soft coat of a rex? Correct me if I'm wrong but in three generations you can get large rabbits with rex fur right?

1st gen a Flemish giant x rex
Rex being buck to two Flemish giant does

2nd gen half siblings to each other and the third will be 50% rex coat in the litters correct?

Has anyone done this? Please let me know
 
It takes a lot of selective breeding to get the quality of the coat back into the rabbit; by the time you breed for that you start losing size. Without that coat not only is the pelt less nice but the thin fur on the feet has trouble supporting the weight and the rabbits are more prone to sore hocks. The thicker bone of the flemish also doesn't help the meat too much with the dress out rate. So it is possible but would take many generations of selective breeding to get a larger rex furred rabbit that's viable for pelt or meat market.

There are some people working on giant rex right now, though
 
SableSteel":37trf4e9 said:
Without that coat not only is the pelt less nice but the thin fur on the feet has trouble supporting the weight and the rabbits are more prone to sore hocks. The thicker bone of the flemish also doesn't help the meat too much with the dress out rate.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:

While I understand that there are people currently working on creating "giant rex," it's the sore hock issue that's made me happy to keep mine the size they are. It'll take a long time to get rabbits that reliably produce thick enough fur on their feet to support the additional weight, not to mention getting that coat back to the Rex standard.

Not to mention if you're breeding for meat and fur, a good-size Rex will still have plenty of meat and fur per rabbit (1 rabbit is 2 meals for DH and I). :D My vote is if you want the Rex pelts... just get Rex. :oops:
 
have done this-- it is a lot of work [as mentioned above] I think.... Flemish alone, is not going to work well, for meat type improvements with a cross. Better to start with a "meat breed" if you want to do something like this..
-----Back when I "Rexed" several lines of rabbits , for the meat, and pelt market, I still had a few "bald footed rabbits", with solid floors and straw bedding.
Rex have a weakness toward thin pads on the feet-- It would be good advise to make sure you start with a line that has good fur, and good feet.
 
Yep, if you want meat and Rex hides, just get Rex!

And then, with your main Rex producing well, do your crosses as well as a side interest, I like first generation Rex crosses, the fur may be normal length but it seems thicker than most meat rabbit breeds.

But as has been said already, look for good feet on your Rex, my first line had itsy bitsy feet with problems but the ones I have now have wonderful feet, nice and wide and well furred. :D

Few hides give more pleasure working with than Rex, I really recommend them, great rabbits, great meat, great hides, great range of colors.
 

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