Spotlight on Mini-Rex

[Elf Mommy]

I've made my decision. When Elf is with me nomore (she's almost 4...so that means 5 or so years from now...hopefullymore), I want an all black mini-rex again.

I thought it would be interesting to start a thread dedicated to this breed of rabbit. So people could:

Post pictures of all the color varieties of their mini-rexes.

Tell about the personality and propensities of the breed.

Share mini-rex stories.

Tell where they obtained their buns (I'll be looking for a good breeder in 5 or so years...hehe)

I searched the archives and found many people who have mini-rexes, butnot a single thread just about the breed itself (if I missed it, I'msorry).

So, mini-rex people....Please Share!

 

[Elf Mommy]

K...I'm gonna start it out.

From my reading and experience I know that mini rex are prone to:

1. Sore Hocks
2. Being Chunky

 

[Spiced77]

From my experience, they are little goobers andtoo smart for their own good both of mine did however getchunky after they hit the 1 year mark.. they're not *too* bad.. butthey could lose a little for sure. they're bothalittle moody, and mr licks can be downright grumpysometimes.. he also has a lot of fun making trouble! twice the othermorning, he went to scratch and chew on the bedroom door where myhusband was sleeping. when i went out to scold him and 'chase' him off,he ran straight down the stairs to the living room and did a binky!goober head lol..

 

[doodle]

What I'm interested to know is what are thedifferences between Rex and Mini Rex, other than size. Dothey have about the same temperament? etc?

 

[m.e.]

I think this is going to be a GREAT thread!

I'll admit that I am totally, head-over-heels, crazy in lovewith Rex's Perhaps because my first rabbit was/is a MiniRex (all black ), and I just love everything about him, from hislittle face to his toes, his personality, the way he holds his ears,everything.

Of course I love allrabbits, and I often admire different breeds and such - but it alwayscomes back to the Rex's for me (Mini's in particular). In a crowd ofbunnies, they'll the first to catch my eye.

Well, I should probably stop talking and post some pictures...

Here's Rex Robert Harrison, just called "Rex" (also known as "Reximus Maximus", "Sexy Rexy", "Rex Bob")

~Emily and the Fuzzbutts~

 

[pamnock]

Black is my favorite color in the Mini Rex -- we have a black buck named "Tarzan".

Pam

 

[doodle]

Sexy Rexy is gorgeous.

 

[jyrenze]

Wow he looks so sleek and elegant. Like a black panther. Nice !

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

doodle wrote:

What I'm interested to know is what are the differencesbetween Rex and Mini Rex, other than size. Do they have aboutthe same temperament? etc?

I was wondering this aswell. I have two standard rexes so i cantell you about them if they have the sane temperment as mini rexes.

 

I have bothStandards and Mini's right now , the onlydifference in temperment is whatyou would expect from anyother breed , There is Snotty , sweet ,goofy , crazy , Both breeds havethe same temperment , its theold " If I feel Like It " , or "Myterms" only syndrom . I have talkersin Mini Rex and talkers inStandard Rex , The Broken Chocolate MyDaughter got from Roger L chattersand grunts constantly , My Standard Black Rex Ebonychatters and grunts when youpick him up , and makes this goofy airblowing whistle as he snugglesin your ear , ( feels weird ) .

Miss Lucy was very prone to Hock Sores , made meinsane with worry , Sheis with aDifferent Breeder now andIs still having hock problems , whichwill clear up as soon as she is bredagain , I have come to the conclusion notall rex are prone to them , just certainones , because there is 3 Standards and 2 mini'sright now and none of them havethe sores .

I cant comment on the Overweight ,none of mine are fat at all , Ifree feed and everyone maintains theirweight perfectly .( this might not be the case foreveryones rabbit ) .

I also have clean and messy Rex, a few only potty in one spot,the others, well, where thechips fall is where they stay . I do know theylitter box train very easily whenintroduced early to one ,I also have oneDoe who even though 2 years old learnedthe box was much cleaner and healthier for her andrefuses to even potty intheround pen , and will beg to go to her box. ( silly thing ) .

Very clever rabbits Big or small ,entertainment is a key with them ,they dont do well bored andwill find some kind oftroubleto get into . I Had one when bored orwanting to be bred ( miss Lucy ) who would selfmutilate ! ( I never knew any mammel didthis except Humans until her )Contributing to the Hock Sores . and ear issues.

 

[Roger L]

I breed and show mini-rex and to me they are the best!

Their personalities are wonderful and they make me laugh all the time.

There is nothing cuter than a litter of mini-rex babies all waiting for you to

pick them up and play with them.

I have blacks, castors, lilacs, chocolates, reds, blues,and brokens in almost all of

these varieties. I would have a hard time picking a favorite color but I think

that it would proably be black, with red and castor not far behind. I do like

the brokens as well. The different markings on all of them are really fun.

I have found with EZmats and carefully measuring their pellets that they

don't get sore hocks and stay at a healthy weight. I feed alot of hay to keep

them from getting hungry or bored (lots of toys as well).

I think that my bucks are my favorite, they have alot of personality and crave

attention, 5 out of my 7 bucks are grand champions (we're working on the other 2),

and are all beautiful. Most of them have come from other parts of the country

and have adapted very well to life in NH.

I would recommend this breed to anyone.

Roger L

 

[Elf Mommy]

How are Mini Rexes judged? What makes a winning rabbit for this breed?

 

[m.e.]

Roger L wrote:

I have found with EZmats and carefully measuring their pellets that they

don't get sore hocks and stay at a healthy weight. I feed alot of hay to keep

them from getting hungry or bored (lots of toys as well).

Yes, we have EZmats in the bunnies'cage, and we have not had any problems with sore hocks (Rex has hadthem, several years ago)

I also measure their pellets, as free-feeding was not working for us.They're both at their ideal weights now, though Rex is slightly on thelarge size for a Mini (5.25 pounds). In addition they have unlimitedgrass hay, and a daily salad. Rex is soooo particular about what kindsof veggies he likes. He usually dives into the bowl, grabs a mouthfulof parsely, and then sits and eats it in the corner while Peanutcontentedly munches on the remaining greens

 

[BlueGiants]

My daughters breed and show their MiniRex. We have Blue, Black, Castor (thanks to RogerL) andbrokens in Blue, Black and Castor. They all have differentpersonalities, just like other rabbits, but none are nasty. Icouldn't have asked for a nicer breed for my daughters tohandle. And with their fur, well. you just can't stay mad orupset with one of those in your hands. (I call them TherapyBunnies!)

Sore Hocks are only a problem in certain animals, and if caught early,can be dealt with. But honestly, I do not recommend breedingan animal prone to Sore hocks. Thin fur over the hocks can bean inherited trait.

Any rabbit can get overweight. It's mainly an issure with theMini Rex because the standard calls for a top weight that should beadhered to. (But the idea is to breed a rabbit that maintainsit's weight without starving it!)Max weight for abuck should be 4 1/4 lbs. , Max weight for a doe should be 4 1/2lbs. (Ideal weight is 4 lbs buck, 4 1/4 lbs doe)

The Standard is very specific about body type, (45 points) compact,smooth, short and close coupled. Well developed shoulders,midsection and hindquarters. Good Depth in balance with bodywidth. Top line rises in a gradual curve from base of ears toa high point over the hips and rounding down to the tail.

Fur (35 points) has to be dense, straight and upright, 5/8" in length,over the entire body. Guard hairs can not be protruding andhave to be evenly distributed and plentiful.

Color (15 points) Each color has it's specific definition and brokenshave their own pattern definitions, including even butterfly markingson the nose and distribution and color of spots over the body.

And Condition is 5 points.

A winning rabbit isselected based on which rabbitthe judge thinks comes closest to the Standard of Perfection... andtake my word for it, it isa very competitive breed on theshow table, even for the Youth.

 

[Elf Mommy]

I think one of their most endearing featuresare the "crumpled" whiskers!

 

[slavetoabunny]

Elf Mommy wrote:

I think one of their most endearing featuresarethe "crumpled" whiskers!

When I first got my rexie-girls, I thought there was something wrongwith their whiskers. I couldn't figure out why they didn'thave long, lush ones like all the other bunnies I'd seen.

Naturally, I'm just a little partial to rexes. I've never hadanother breed, so I can't really say how they are different tempermentand personality-wise. I know that they are very smart,personable little critters. They learn very quickly how towrap you around their little paw. My husband often makes thecomment "who is training who around here".

 

[Carolyn]

Such Divas!

What a handsome baby!

No doubt, Rex's are gorgeous rabbits. I swear, I feel like I go into a trance when I pet their fur.

I hope that it'll be Many Many Years before you get on, ElfMommy.

-Carolyn

 

[doodle]

Elf Mommy wrote:

I think one of their most endearing featuresarethe "crumpled" whiskers!

I love the curly whiskers too. This is not agreat picture (kinda blurry), but here is a whisker shot. Shehas long curlies over her eyes too, eyebrows I guess, lol.

 

[m.e.]

slavetoabunny - your girls are so gorgeous!!:love:I could seriously sit and stare at them allday.

Rex doesn't have crinkly whiskers - he doesn't have any whiskers at all:dunno:

~Emily and the Fuzzbutts~

 

[m.e.]

Here'sastory from over a year ago (wow!), that gives a littleinsight into the personality of a Rex :

Yeah, so my little devil bunny (aka Rex) got out of the pen last night.The bunnies have a pretty big dog crate to live in, plus an excersisepen attatched to the crate that goes around the front, to play in.(their home consumes a good portion of my room) There is no top to thepen, but the sides are about three feet tall and they've never tried tojump it.

Well, about a week ago I gave them this huge carboard box to play with,about the same height as the pen, and they've been having a blast withit. They don't have enough room to work up a running jump to the top,so, again, I wasn't worried they'd escape. But last night I saw Rextry, repeatedly, to jump up through the small hole in the top (I foldedthe cardboard panels over each other, you know, so there was a smallopening)

He had pushed another, smaller box, over to underneath that opening andhad chewed it enough that he could fit through. But the way the panelsfit, they couldn't support the weightof a full-grown rabbit.So he kept falling back through. Quite amusing to see the top half of arabbit appear briefly then disappear just as fast. I knew there was noway he could get out on top, so I ignored it and went to bed.

That little stinker continued to rack his bunny brain until he came upwith another idea. Pushing that smaller box over to the side of thelarger box, he began chewing a hole in the corner, where the top metone of the side panels. About an hour later, he managed to wriggle hisnot-so-little body through, and I woke up to the familiar tick-ticksound of bunny nails on my floor. I look down from my bed and he's onhis way out my door into the living room.

My mom saw him too, and we managed to herd him back into my room andplace one very unhappy bunny back into his pen. He was pretty mad atme, but not mad enough to enjoy a few comforting nose rubs.

I covered the pen in a sheet, reinforced it with clothespins so hecouldn't try it again, and went back to sleep, an hour or so after Ihad intended to be in bed.

Silly rabbit...


from:http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=1724&forum_id=1
​

~Emily and the Fuzzbutts~