Giant Rex?

[Celice]

has anyone tried to get this? I am in the fur business and would think that a giant rex would be fantastic. a larger rabbit has a larger pelt, I don't doubt they would grow slower but the wait would be worth it if 1 rabbit has a big enough pelt for 2.

what do you think?

 

[Zass]

My biggest concern would be with the foot fur, since some rex lines have a problem with sore hocks, adding weight might exacerbate the situation.

You would have to start with big rex lines that constantly produced good feet.

 

[Celice]

yeah, I thought of that too. they would have to be kept in a cage with a wire bottom with wooden supports and good breeding. I have a huge blue rex doe (9.5lb) that I plan on trying on creating a giant rex with I have 2 feanch angora/flemish that I can try breeding and then do some line breeding with her offspring.

I have Mizu, Umi, Yuki, and Ryoma to help me with the rex fur but I only have Tank and his two offspring to help me with size.

what would your approach be?

 

[Zass]

I'd probably try to find someone with big rex that already have great feet and breed up without outcrossing if possible. Outcrossing with rex can introduce all kids of modifiers that might be tricky to get rid of later.

Actually with any breeding project, the less you have to breed out later, the better.
Just look at me still struggling with steel!! :lol:

 

[Nyctra]

Don't you still have an FG buck?
Maybe you could breed to the FA/FG, breed kits together, and breed the largest rexed doe to the FG and go along like that.

 

[Ramjet]

My biggest concern would be with the foot fur, since some rex lines have a problem with sore hocks, adding weight might exacerbate the situation.

You would have to start with big rex lines that constantly produced good feet.

Yeah that would be a concern & I have had that issue with quite a few rabbits , primarily does since they tend to carry more weight & put on weight during pregnancy.
Now I generally keep a board or tile in each cage to give them something to escape the wire if needed & haven't had a single case of sore hocks since.

I've thought about crossing them with FG's .... but the feed bill & cage space keep me from doing it.

 

[Celice]

Standered rex are not that common here. Mizu, Umi, and Yuki are not pure rex they just have the rex fur - Ryoma is pure standered rex I got him at the fair in the meat pen. This project would give me a good excuse to do away with my horrible tempered NZ mutts. I'll see what I can get at the fair this year.

lol! I'm loving the GTS lilac though! <br /><br /> __________ Thu Jan 29, 2015 7:25 pm __________ <br /><br />

Don't you still have an FG buck?
Maybe you could breed to the FA/FG, breed kits together, and breed the largest rexed doe to the FG and go along like that.

yeah, He's getting up there in age (5 years I think?) So I think I would have to work with the FA/FG kits they are together and I hope they get the idea soon. It would be an interesting cross! wonder if the kits they produce would have the woolly coat.

 

[Zass]

I want to see some opossum rex. Wool and rexing on the same rabbit. It sounds like you might end up with some if you line breed those crosses!!

 

[Celice]

I wanna see that too! I've heard bad things about them though. like genetics were bad or something to that nature...

 

[Zass]

You know how I feel about steels :evil: :lol:

by this time next year it should be completely out of my herd.

I wasn't too far from the mark when I said I'd end up with every shade of steel before getting rid of it. :roll:

But, I've yet to produce sable steels, and blue, lilac, or chocolate silver tips.

 

[Celice]

lol! I hear you!

that's good though! I'm guessing that the foxy coat would be full in too?!

 

[Zass]

lol! I hear you!

that's good though! I'm guessing that the foxy coat would be full in too?!

I don't know how long it might take to get back there... My breeding partner has a pure SF doe who has a nice coat and is both even tempered and steel-free now. We need to get a good crossbred lynx buck to breed to her so that her kits will be able to throw all the colors.

 

[Nyctra]

I think angora rex turns out kind of goofy... lol http://www.rabbitcolors.info/int/en/ent ... tml?id=631 http://www.rabbitcolors.info/int/en/ent ... tml?id=747

 

[Celice]

bet the fur is easier to brush out though! I kinda like the Astrex rabbit (rex with a permanent curly gene). they look like crushed velvet...

 

[aussiegirl]

Seems like I'm not the only one that has the idea of a Giant Rex though can take up to several years to produce the PERFECT Giant that is resistant to sore hocks, has the commercial size and the Rex coat.

 

[PSFAngoras]

Thought of giant rex recently too as the new rex I've picked up that were accidentally line bred because they were thrown out to pasture to take care of themselves are better furred all around than the rex trio I spent $50 plus a piece on and drove ten hours to get. And I only spent $25 on the new rex for a buck and a bred doe!

Celice, do you go to the shows up north? They actually do have a lot of large rex up there, and many breeders do sell at the shows, but as Zass pointed out, finding the ones with the good foot fur would be the trick. The expensive trio I got had nice coats on their bodies but every one came down with either sore hocks or at least callouses on their feet, even if they weren't sores. It may be the smaller size contributing to the fact that I haven't seen any problems on my new batch of rex, but the new kit's coats are already denser at 3.5 weeks than they were on my pedigreed trio's kits at 10 weeks when they went in the freezer. (Too many issues with the adults acclimating to the heat down here...)

 

[Celice]

I go to the Pueblo fair.

That where I got my Standered rex buck and mini rex trio (boyfriend got a blue angora too) I don't need anything pedigreed, the rex in the meat pen would be fine. I haven't had too much trouble with bad foot fur one one of my rex furred does had gotten sore hooks but I can tell she seems to be a little short furred anyway so I can always breed her to my standered rex or mini to get some better foot fur.

The big blue doe I was talking about is more well furred then my other rex and her kits seem to be the same way. I plan on keeping 2 doelings from her last litter to see how they hold up.

do you know anyone that raises Palominos?

 

[PSFAngoras]

Not personally, but there were a BUNCH at the show in Henderson earlier this month. I know there's usually a lot at the state fair too, but to be honest I'm surprised anyone still does that show after how the rabbits are treated by most of the open public and the fact that you leave them there for several days.

Are you searching for Pals? The next show I'm going to try to hit in April in Castle Rock I can keep my eyes open. Pm me if you want me to see if any are for sale or get you some breeder info.

 

[caroline]

yeah, I thought of that too. they would have to be kept in a cage with a wire bottom with wooden supports and good breeding. I have a huge blue rex doe (9.5lb) ....what would your approach be?

In my herd that is NOT giant. Most of my does are 9.5 lbs. or larger. I have a 12 lb. buck right now and these are purebred Rex for at least 9 generations, no FG or other "giant" breeds. I don't have much problem with sore hocks, but I would cull for that. All my rabbits are in standard wire cages and I use plastic lattice panels that you can buy as 4'x8' sheets @ home depot. I cut into 12"x12" and in the grow out cages I have started using them 12"x24" which I like better. It takes longer for the bigger sitting boards to get "eaten" since many of the bunz do like to chew on them.

I think that you can select for size and have "giant" Rex within a couple of generations if you only keep the largest for breeding.

 

[Celice]

In my herd that is NOT giant. Most of my does are 9.5 lbs. or larger. I have a 12 lb. buck right now and these are purebred Rex for at least 9 generations, no FG or other "giant" breeds. I don't have much problem with sore hocks, but I would cull for that. All my rabbits are in standard wire cages and I use plastic lattice panels that you can buy as 4'x8' sheets @ home depot. I cut into 12"x12" and in the grow out cages I have started using them 12"x24" which I like better. It takes longer for the bigger sitting boards to get "eaten" since many of the bunz do like to chew on them.

I think that you can select for size and have "giant" Rex within a couple of generations if you only keep the largest for breeding.

lol, never said she was only that she is the largest rex doe I have. Wish I could barrow your buck! he sounds like a really neat one, what color is he?

I hope to breed it out of the the white doe I have. She's the only one that gets it sometimes.

I have a hutch that had wooden wire supports under the wire. This way they can't chew it; I hear that toilet lids are good sitting broads for the summer months.