It is impossible not to pay attention to Rex rabbits: the fur of animals is so beautiful and unlike typical rabbit that they can easily be confused with a plush toy. It is thanks to this fur, animals often get up as pets.
Breed description
Breed meat-shkurkovogo direction. Unusual mustache and plush fur bring some resemblance to beaver. Possess a calm disposition, cheerful and quite sociable animals, loving the owner.
It is believed that a balanced character, without manifestation of aggression and malice, indicates the good health of the animal, both mental and physical. In the event that eared avoids open places, hides, it is quite possible that something is wrong with his health. Cleanly, freely accustomed to the tray, do not like rudeness.
Did you know? Due to the fact that in the 20s of the twentieth century, Germany banned the export of the Rex from its territory, they came to the USSR as follows: the biologist Alexander Serebrovsky crossed wild rabbits with the Rex. As a result, the offspring resembled noble parents in no way and were successfully exported to the Union. By crossing through generation, the Rex were born pure breed.Fur can be the most diverse color, there are about 3 dozen colors and shades. The rarest are chinchilla and white. Fur breed Rex Castor does not require painting at all - after a light hairstyle, it is almost impossible to distinguish it from the beaver.
Inference history
There is a common version of the appearance of the Rex breed. In 1919, in the farm in France, in the litter of the Belgian giant rabbit, were not quite typical rabbits. Their coat was shorter than the parent and slightly different quality. 
The result of further breeding work on crossing domestic and wild rabbits was the appearance of the Rex breed, which in Latin means "king." At the Paris exhibition of 1924, thanks to its plush fur, the breed conquers its first fans. And after that, as befits a real king, begins the conquest of Europe.
Familiarize yourself with the description and characteristics of the content of the breed of rabbits in the meat-and-skin direction - Vienna Blue.
Standard
Common Rex breed standard:
- weight - 4-5 kg;
- trunk slightly elongated, in length reaches 54 cm;
- the neck is quite powerful;
- in rabbits, the head is oval in shape, in males it is more round;
- narrow bones;
- paws of medium length;
- small tail tight to the back;
- ears stand straight, rounded ends, length - 11-12 cm;
- brown claws and eyes;
- the length of the guard hair fur - 1.8-2 cm;
- down hair length - 1.7 cm.
The fur is completely devoid of tiered, which is why wool always looks trimmed. And due to the large angle between hair growth and skin, the fur cover looks like a dense velvet.Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages of the breed are the following:
- tolerates low temperatures, up to -30 ° C;
- fairly undemanding in food;
- quickly gaining weight;
- meat has good taste.
Important! Wood dust (very small sawdust) cannot be used as bedding, it can provoke eye inflammation and also spoil the fur.Attention should be paid to the disadvantages:
- quite high mortality rate;
- in hot weather, from +30 ° C and above, feel bad;
- fertility leaves much to be desired.
Maintenance and care
Keeping and caring for Reksami is not much different from caring for other breeds of rabbits. There are some nuances about which we will tell.
Selection and arrangement of cells
Rabbit cage is made of wood and mesh. The recommended dimensions are 120x60x60 cm. It is best to make the floor, like the walls, of the grid, then waste products will get enough sleep, which will have a positive effect on sanitary conditions.
Read more about how to choose a cage for rabbits and how to make it yourself.
For sleeping and relaxing, a small piece of plywood is placed on the mesh floor. Grid floors are easy to disinfect and should be done regularly. Regarding the feasibility of using the litter in cages, experts adhere to opposite opinions: some argue that litter is needed, the animal with it is warmer and softer.
Their opponents insist that the content of the rabbits is the main cleanliness, and the litter is a breeding ground for various pathogens. If you still decide to lay the litter, then make it out of sawdust and straw, which need to be changed at least three, and better - four times a month. 
The cage should be equipped with feeders, preferably separately for cereals and wet food, and separately for hay (grass). The food that lies on the floor will not eat the animal, it will simply trample it. As drinking bowls, you can use bowls, suitable containers, and you can make vacuum-type vacuum drinkers from plastic bottles.
Did you know? Rabbit breeding is over 4,000 years old. On the territory of modern Russia, rabbits came in the XI century, but the industry began to develop only in the early 30s of the twentieth century. Currently, more than 50 different breeds are bred in the Russian Federation.
Observe the necessary conditions
Rex feels bad in the summer months, when the temperature reaches + 28 ° C and higher, and it tolerates cold temperatures up to -30 ° C quite well. Install its home, based on these considerations.
Direct sunlight must not fall on its cage, drafts are also unacceptable. When equipping a habitat, consider what conditions will be here in winter. If necessary, a shed should be made. If cells are installed indoors, check for possible cracks for drafts. 
How to care
The main thing in keeping rabbits is cleanliness! Sanitary conditions must be strictly observed. Regularly change litter and disinfect the cage. Disinfect the cells with a blowtorch (mesh) or by appropriate means.
In order to properly disinfect, you should think in advance about the equipment of the tank. It is also necessary to carry out aseptic processing of dishes (drinking bowls), feeders. If you use plastic bottles as drinking bowls, they need to be changed periodically, as they turn green with time.
Important! For the winter for each adult individual should be prepared 35-40 kg of quality hay. If it is expected, add 12 more-14 kg of hay for each expected bunny.
Do not forget about vaccination
Vaccination standard - at the age of 8-9 weeks, vaccinated against rabies, as well as from viral hemorrhagic fever and myxomatosis.
Video: Rabbit Vaccination
Proper feeding
Proper feeding Rex is the key to their normal growth and development. In that case, if you follow the recommendations for feeding the rabbits and observe the necessary sanitary standards, there is little that can prevent you from raising and keeping the livestock.
What can you feed
The basis of summer food is such feed:
- peas;
- clover;
- corn;
- young oats;
- young growth of rye;
- alfalfa.
It will be useful for you to read about what they eat and how to feed the rabbits in the winter, how not to feed the rabbits, what grass to feed the rabbits, whether bran and nettle can be given to rabbits, and whether rabbits and burdocks are eaten by rabbits.
Of the succulent feeds, the main ones are as follows:
- carrot;
- cabbage;
- pumpkin (except cucumbers).
Concentrated feed:- soybean;
- peas;
- oats;
- corn;
- compound feeds;
- bran, cake, meal;
- flour of animal origin.
We advise you to familiarize yourself with the subtleties of feeding rabbits at home.
Root crops are suitable for winter feeding:
- potatoes;
- Jerusalem artichoke;
- turnip;
- beet;
- swede.
Both winter and summer feeding are suitable feed, called coarse. Their share in the total ration should be about a quarter:
- high quality hay;
- tree branches, especially fruit trees;
- hay and grass meal.
Than not
Be careful when preparing grass for rabbits, it can be poisonous. One should not think that all vegetable crops are equally useful for animals.
For example, rabbits should not be given:
- tomatoes;
- cucumbers;
- bow;
- radish.
The following cereals should also not be added to their diet:
- rice;
- millet;
- millet;
- rye.
Did you know? The fat produced by the glands located on the rabbit's ears is rich in vitamin D. The rabbit, licking its paws after washing, thus takes a vitamin supplement.
Contraindicated in rabbits and some legumes:
- beans;
- peas young.
Breeding young stock at home
Rex's sexual maturity reaches about 4-4.5 months. The first mating is carried out after 1-1.5 months after maturity. The duration of pregnancy is 30 days. The breed does not have a high fecundity, the norm is 5-7 rabbits. One rabbit per year is capable of 2-3 offspring.
Rabbits are born painful and often do not survive. Farmers solve this problem as follows - Rex rabbits are seated on nursing rabbits of other breeds. This measure significantly increases the survival rate.
It will be interesting for you to read about when the rabbit can be allowed on the mating, how long it lasts and how to determine the rabbit suckering, when it is possible to set the rabbit away from the rabbit, what and how to feed the rabbit without the rabbit, and how to determine the sex of the rabbit.
The most favorable time for okrol is autumn or winter. Most often the rabbit brings litter at night or in the morning. Human intervention during childbirth is not required if we are not talking about the first pregnancy.
The duration of the course is 20-60 minutes. Milk appears immediately after birth. The little rabbits of this breed love their offspring, care for them and do everything themselves (eat the afterbirth, feed them, make a nest). If human intervention is required, then the most minimal.
The owner of the rabbits should periodically inspect the state of the mother and offspring, and if everything goes well, the nest is equipped, the rabbits receive milk, the farmer only needs to remove the stillborn rabbits. 
If the rabbit ignores the rabbits, the farmer needs to create the conditions for the newborns himself. You need to make a warm nest, and with the help of an incandescent lamp to create a temperature of 38-40 ° C. If the rabbits do not receive milk from the mother, they should arrange their food.
Important! There may be difficulties with the rabbit mothers who have the first pregnancy: they do not understand well what happens to them if sucking milk with a rabbit gives them inconvenience, they can even tear offspring.
To do this, use diluted condensed milk or infant formula. Cow's milk is not suitable for this purpose. It is necessary to feed the children three times a day for 20 days, after which the young are transferred to adult plant food.
The Rex deservedly gained popularity both in large farms and for breeding with small livestock in private farms. Undemanding and docile disposition make the breed quite popular. Well, if you are still thinking about whether to start the Rex, we remind you about the delicious dietary meat and fur of the highest quality.
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