Does anyone raise Rex?
Anyone raise Rex
- Thread starter CheleBelle75
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RabbitsOfTheCreek
Netherland Dwarf Breeder & Well-known Member
I have a Mini Rex but I don't breed any
I raised Mini Rex years ago and never once had a sore hock issue.
I purchased a pair of Standard and I didn't look at their hocks like a dummy and they have sore hocks. I have never dealt with it
I purchased a pair of Standard and I didn't look at their hocks like a dummy and they have sore hocks. I have never dealt with it
My doe is a Rex/NZ cross, no problems. Sorry you are having problems. Maybe just some vaseline/healing ointment? Is it wire cage bottoms making their hocks sore?
Not of my doing. Just bought them Friday. I was dumb and didn't check hocks. Their nails were so long, I never seen anything like it. I have no clue what type of wire they were on prior to me getting them.
Have you trimmed nails before? I have not. I let mine out and it seems to keep them at a good length. I'm sure once you get them where they should be and away from bad living conditions they will be fantastic rabbits. Protect yourself in case they are biters. Fun fun fun eh. It will be fine in time.
Julie Stade
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Yes, that is the only breed we raise right now. We're currently showing the Black, Blue, Broken, Otter, Seal, and White varieties in Kansas, but our herd has the color genetics also to produce Chocolate and Lilac. And frankly, if I can find the right rabbit to buy, we'd like to add the agouti gene as well which would give us Castor, Opal, Amber, and Lynx too. LOL I keep telling my husband that he better get to building more cages!
I have a broken Black buck and a chinchilla doe. I was curious if anyone raised them and if thee were any specific tricks to heal sore hocks quickly.
I trimmed their nails, cleaned their feet and put neosporin on them. Also added more resting boards and straw.
Julie Stade
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Oops, I just saw your second comment. Because Rex are a high-risk breed for sore hocks, we're pretty aggressive on keeping those hard plastic mat grids on their floor wire, keeping their nails trimmed, and not letting them get obese. If something goes wrong and they do get sore (we had a max weight Grand Champion doe who went sore after carrying/raising a really big litter), we use chlorhexidine spray that we rub and work all over their feet and legs to disinfect to prevent any secondary infection and then use antibiotic ointment if there is actual raw ulceration. If it's only an "about to ulcerate" spot, then we use something like Bag Balm to keep it moisturized. For that doe we mentioned above, we fully matted her whole cage to make the issue go away since she's one of our most valuable rabbits. Now, she has furry, healthy hocks. And one of her broken daughters just went BOSB for me this weekend at the KS State Convention show (her third decent-sized win). But any rabbit with a chronically ulcerated hock issue here is an easy choice to cull for lack of bone/proper fur.
Julie Stade
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Since you probably don't know their exact husbandry conditions at the prior place, I'd give them an opportunity to improve under your likely better husbandry practices to see if it will resolve. And then if they improve under your better management of nails, cleanliness, and resting areas, you'll likely be fine. But if they fail to respond to your better care over the next few weeks, then they might just end up, unfortunately, being culls (hopefully, a not too expensive lesson).
scrusing
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I raise Rex as well. I have 4 does and 3 bucks that I breed primarily for meat but but do sell one or two each litter to offset feed costs. I started with a trio about 1.5 years ago. They were treated more like pets in that they got to run around the house (provided there wasn't any havoc-wreaking, lol). The problem is that my floors are laminate. My buck, Peter, and one of the does, Cottontail, preferred the living room and hung out on the rug a lot. The other doe, Flopsy, liked the dining room where there weren't as many throw rugs. She developed sore hocks. She was moved into a cage and got neosporin and bandages until she improved. She was fully healed after she was moved to the bunny Disneyland in the backyard where she could play in the grass all day.
It was more expensive than I wanna admit since I am on a fixed income.
Mine are going to be primarily for meat & fur but I splurged to get what I thought was quality with pedigree in case my grandkids want to show. I sure learned my lesson.
Hahaha...When I got married, my Dad told my husband that he was glad I had someone else to build me cages now.
You may have bought fine rabbits that were not maintained in ideal circumstances. From the photos and details you posted in the other thread, that would be my guess. As @Julie Stade says, they may very well improve under better care. I'd still start selecting for better hock health in the future, since it is possible to breed Rex that don't need special mats, etc. I had them when we raised Rex, and have a friend who doesn't have sore hocks in her Rex either (we both culled ruthlessly to get to that point).Mine are going to be primarily for meat & fur but I splurged to get what I thought was quality with pedigree in case my grandkids want to show. I sure learned my lesson.
Ok, that makes sense. Thank youHahaha...When I got married, my Dad told my husband that he was glad I had someone else to build me cages now.
You may have bought fine rabbits that were not maintained in ideal circumstances. From the photos and details you posted in the other thread, that would be my guess. As @Julie Stade says, they may very well improve under better care. I'd still start selecting for better hock health in the future, since it is possible to breed Rex that don't need special mats, etc. I had them when we raised Rex, and have a friend who doesn't have sore hocks in her Rex either (we both culled ruthlessly to get to that point).
scrusing
New member
Yeah, my first buns were all pedigreed but not because I wanted to show them, rather, I thought (and still do) that knowing their lineage is interesting. It's fun to see where they came from and why this pair made this color kit. The breeder I got them from was good and I didn't realize how good until I purchased a buck and doe from a backyard breeder that didn't keep track of lineage. The two non-pedigreed kits were not well cared for and are terrified of humans but I'm sure that those two things are not exclusive. I don't have plans to add additional buns at this time but it would be good to know how to identify a good breeder.Mine are going to be primarily for meat & fur but I splurged to get what I thought was quality with pedigree in case my grandkids want to show. I sure learned my lesson.
