The Rex personality

[HoneyTree]

I feel a little funny asking this. I suspect that individual rabbit personalities vary much more than any variation from one breed to the next, but I know all people don't feel that way.

So, if rabbit breeds have distinct personalities (or maybe personality tendencies?) what's the Rex personality like?

Many thanks,

Teresa

 

[skysthelimit]

They are not the friendliest breed, nor the most hostile. Bucks tend to be more pleasant than does. Most of mine are standoffish, but not mean. No where as friendly as the hollands. Not as mean as the Mini Rex. Somewhere in between the Silver Foxes.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Mine are super sweet and laid back. There are a couple who don't care for attention, but 99.9% of mine are friendly. The stand-offish ones are good when they are out of their cages for nail trims, etc. I only have one doe, "Evil Blue" who has ever boxed my hand, and that was when she had a nest- and once after she had just been bred and I was giving her a horse cookie as a treat. The other does are just fine when I check nestboxes.

 

[skysthelimit]

The stand-offish ones are good when they are out of their cages for nail trims, etc.

Isn't that interesting? Territorial. Elmo will do whatever to stay in the cage, but once he's out, I can turn him upside down and he won't blink. Only Fava really fights when she's out of the cage, but is all kisses when she's in.

 

[3mina]

Mine are standoffish as well, except for my oldest buck, he's hyper sweet. My does tolerate petting but prefer me to keep my hands to myself, my buck comes asking for lovin's all the time. Nobody is nasty about me checking nestboxes.

 

[HoneyTree]

OK, so my next question, then, is if one is seeking out a super friendly pair, what does one look for in a kit? Or does one look to the parents to tell which way the personality might go? Would a breeder with a good reputation straight up tell you if the parents were sweet or standoffish?

 

[skysthelimit]

OK, so my next question, then, is if one is seeking out a super friendly pair, what does one look for in a kit? Or does one look to the parents to tell which way the personality might go? Would a breeder with a good reputation straight up tell you if the parents were sweet or standoffish?

Mines have. Have not had any dishonest breeders yet, thank G-d.

The rabbits I have handled from birth are different than their parents, the few that weren't get culled.

 

[3mina]

Handling makes a ton of difference for sure, mine don't get handled a lot but they do get a lot of petting

 

[Piper]

MaggieJ, has a link, that tells about rabbit behavior. When they will not face you, ect.
As far as mini rex. My buck is a sweet lovey and my (just bred) doe, will grunt at me. What I am not mentioning, is that my doe, figured out how to open her cage, did it three times in less than an hour. I had to put her in another cage, and she is mad at me. They do have memories. I figure she may stay mad, until I make her, one of MSD's bunny pots, for her to play in.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I find that Rex, the standard variety, are more aggressive in nature. They tend to mature quicker and the bucks will start fighting at 10wks and tear each other apart if I don't get them separated. My Cals can stay together MUCH longer, like 16wks...They tend to be more cage territorial when bred. Even the ones that are really sweet when they are out of the cage, or not bred, tend to charge and grunt when they are bred. I have a bowl that I keep on top of the cage and I use it to cover their head so I can grab them. Once I have them out, they are like baby dolls, very sweet. My oldest doe, Symphony, gets really cranky if I don't breed her about 3wks after she kindles...then she is all sweetness once the deed is done.

 

[skysthelimit]

I find that Rex, the standard variety, are more aggressive in nature. They tend to mature quicker and the bucks will start fighting at 10wks and tear each other apart if I don't get them separated. My Cals can stay together MUCH longer, like 16wks...They tend to be more cage territorial when bred. Even the ones that are really sweet when they are out of the cage, or not bred, tend to charge and grunt when they are bred. I have a bowl that I keep on top of the cage and I use it to cover their head so I can grab them. Once I have them out, they are like baby dolls, very sweet. My oldest doe, Symphony, gets really cranky if I don't breed her about 3wks after she kindles...then she is all sweetness once the deed is done.

Sounds like Fava. I have to keep her bred or she's nuts. This last time, she went flip mode at 7 days, so I bred her.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

They tend to be more cage territorial when bred. Even the ones that are really sweet when they are out of the cage, or not bred, tend to charge and grunt when they are bred.

Say it isn't so! My sweet Schannon is going to turn into a raging hormonal rabbit???

 

[skysthelimit]

They tend to be more cage territorial when bred. Even the ones that are really sweet when they are out of the cage, or not bred, tend to charge and grunt when they are bred.

Say it isn't so! My sweet Schannon is going to turn into a raging hormonal rabbit???

That's how I usually tell the breeding took. They become hormonal, grunty things hanging out in corners.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

You guys have irritable rabbits! :lol:

Magma is a grunty grumbly girl too. Which is odd, because she was from that December litter of Feather's where all but two died, and I had them in the house trying to save them. She got tons of attention, because she was Astrex coated- or so I thought!

Baby pic:



About 10 weeks: