I'm looking to start a Standard Rex rabbitry in the coming weeks (mostly for meat, maybe for show), and I've heard that it's wise to start with "good breeding stock." How do I identify good rabbit breeders (and good rabbits at their rabbitries) when I am too new to tell whether a rabbit has narrow shoulders, poor coloring, etc.?
I don't expect to waltz in and buy a grand champion, but I also don't want to buy someone else's culls that should be in a stew pot, not establishing a new breeding line that will have lots of problems.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
If you're breeding mainly for meat: health, type and mothering qualities should be your main concerns, while color will be way down the list. In the long run, paying a bit more for good-quality rabbits will probably be worth it in terms of how much meat you get from each litter. Keeping crummy rabbits costs as much (sometimes more) compared to keeping good rabbits, and good rabbits produce a lot more meat.
For any meat-type breed, including Rex, a good show rabbit is by definition a good meat rabbit. An ideal scenario would be to go to a show and talk with the breeders that have rabbits there. You can stand and listen to the judges' comments on the rabbits, get an idea of who has quality rabbits, and find out what's for sale or will be in the near future. The best possible thing would be to make connections and develop relationships with one or two breeders in your area. It will help you get started more smoothly and makes things more fun for everyone. Most of us who've been at it for a while like to encourage new breeders, and appreciate more good competition.
Inquire as to the production and mothering abilities of the stock you're considering. That's one area where show breeders can let things slip that meat breeders can't afford to. If you can find a breeder that breeds for BOTH meat and show, that's the one you want to get to know! You can ask what their experience is, how long they've been showing, how their rabbits generally do at shows, how many the mother rabbits raise per litter and per year, about issues with weaning enteritis, etc.
Pedigrees should show winnings; you can get an idea of how well a breeder's stock has done that way as well. It's not necessary for a rabbit to be a Grand Champion, or to have Grand Champions on its pedigree for the rabbit to be high-quality. Some rabbits win all the time but never quite make it to Grand Champion status because of things like small class sizes or an inability to get the rabbit registered, for any one of numerous possible reasons. But seeing notations of BOB, BOSB (Best of Breed or Best Opposite Sex), BOV, BOSV (Best of Variety or Best Opposite of Variety) suggests the rabbit and/or its ancestors are good examples of their breed.
There is no such thing as a perfect rabbit, and every rabbit will have
some flaw in
someone's eyes, but you
may actually be able to buy a Grand Champion. I've sold numerous of mine - Satin, Mini Rex and Polish - to new breeders to get them going (read: hooked on showing
); so be sure to tell the people you're considering buying from, that you're new, want meat rabbits but are interested in showing and breeding for show, and would love help.
Show rabbits age quickly and most meat-breed does are finishing up their show career within a year or at most two; the bucks sometimes show a bit longer, but they age out of the show circuit as well. They then move into the breeding lineup, but a rabbitry only needs so many breeders - especially bucks - so you can sometimes buy a great rabbit that has done its job for the breeder, but can still give you a litter or two that will start you off really well. That's another reason to develop a relationship with an experienced breeder; once you get those pretty babies on the ground, you'll want help selecting which ones to keep for the next generation. Ideally, the breeder of your stock will be able to tell you details about how rabbits from his or her particular line develop as they grow, and what features to look for (and look out for).
I'd probably pass on any doe over about 3-1/2 years old, but an older, experienced doe can be a lot easier to start with than a newbie. Bucks, on the other hand, can continue to sire litters as long as they're alive. And you should get the best buck you possibly can, since he's going to be producing every kit you see for a while. One note is the old breeder wisdom which counsels breeding newly-acquired old bucks right away; as my mentor said, "Breed them as soon as you get home before they die." Of course they don't
always die right away, but it's been my experience several times and it's heartbreaking.
One health issue to pay attention to in Rex is "sore hocks," which aren't actually their hocks but the bottoms of their feet. Usually on the back feet, though it can happen on their front feet as well, the rabbit gets bald, raw spots, which can be aggravated by stomping or living on rough wire, to the point that they bleed. You can ask the breeder if they have problems with it, and definitely look for it in all rabbits you're considering buying. A little calloused spot isn't necessarily a problem - almost all of our Mini Rex ended up with callouses on their back feet. But if it's red and inflamed, and certainly if it's bleeding, I'd steer clear.
Another thing to look out for in all colored rabbits, except for brokens, is light or white toenails; they are easy to miss but are
always a disqualification. As I said, color won't be at the top of your list, but if you are thinking about showing in the future, all other things being equal, avoid white toenails because they can be a real pain to get rid of once they're lurking in your herd.
Anyway, that's probably enough for the moment. If you're looking for a show you can try the ARBA show locator at
Find A Show. I didn't see any in Massachusetts, but there are upcoming shows in Riverton CN, and a couple in Cortland NY. Not sure how far that would be to travel for you but maybe a possibility? (Most places on the East Coast look close to each other on the map, compared to travel distances in AK
).
