Mini Rexs?

Question

Can you tell me about the breed of rabbit the Mini Rex? For example, the problems, weight, length, life span, specific gromming tips, when does it shed, how much are they, how big the cage has to be, what food is good and bad, how much excersise they need, etc.

Answer 1

I used to have a mini rex. It lived for 8 years, though probably would have lived a bit longer had i been able to afford vet care when it got sick (it was then that i decided i would never get another pet until i was able to afford proper vet care). The average lifespan of any rabbit is 8-10 years. My rabbit was about $25 (though that was about 10 years ago), stayed fairly small but bigger than a dwarf, and reached about 7 or 8 pounds. I used a regular sized cage that would normally be used for a dwarf, but it really should have had a bigger one. You need to let it out for a few minutes each day to run so it won't get overweight. If rabbits get too overweight they won't be able to clean themselves and can get very sick. As for food, regualr rabbit pellets are the best, as well as a regular supply of alfalfa or timothy hay, both which can be purchased at good pet stores. There are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables which are good to give them as a treat too, but you need to do research because some can be very harmful (like iceburg lettuce, thats a big no no). They should also be brushed almost daily, especially during major season changes (summer and winter) because thats when they shed most. They shed their thin coat for a thicker one in winter, and shed the thick one again for summer, even if they are an indoor pet. It's also a good idea to trim their nails although my rabbit wouldn't sit still so i left them alone and she chewed them down herself when they got long. It's also a good idea to provide a salt/mineral wheel in the cage as they dont get enough of it from their diet, and keep wood chew toys or thick twigs for them to chew on in order to keep their teeth filed down, otherwise they'll get too long and they'll have problems eating.

Those are all the major points i can remember. Good luck, and do as much research as you can before bringing your new friend home.

Answer 2

I am a Mini Rex breeder in Ohio. I love this breed. I have raised several different breeds and like them the best. Here is why I have chosen to breed them exclusively.
1.They have great personalities-they do not bite or nip. Are easy to handle.
2.Very little grooming is involved with them. You do not brush them at all as this messes up their fur. They only need to be wiped down occasionally with a baby wipe. They do need their nails cut about every 6-8 weeks. This is easy to do with a cat clippers.
3.Rabbits molt(shed) once a year for about 2-3 weeks. Usually in the fall. Mini Rex fur molts can be bad as the hair gets everywhere.
4. They stay small, an adult rabbit usually weighs less than 4 pounds. Senior Bucks-3-4 1/4# ideal weight-4#
Senior Doe-3 1/4-4 1/2 ideal weight 4 1/4#.
4.They eat very little- my rabbits get 2/3 cup of pellets a day.A good rabbit pellet has at least 16% protein and no more than 18%. It should be mad of alfalfa or alfalfa meal as the main ingredient. I also feed a handful of hay daily. NO fresh foods until they reach 6 months. I only give mine a treat of an apple slice about 2 times a year. Rabbit DO NOT need to have fresh foods. Rabbit pellets are a complete feed and have all they need nutrition wise. The hay is to keep their digestion working. They do not need salt spools,again it is in the pellets. Fresh water all the time is a must, if the rabbit doesn't have water it will not drink.
never change feeds suddenly, this must be done slowly by mixing the feeds until it is changed over to the new feed.
5.Mini Rex should have a cage that is at least 24inchesX24 inches, but bigger is always better. You can litter train them with a larger cage.
6.They love to have toys- wiffle balls, golf balls, plastic easter eggs,baby rattle keys. They also need to chew to keep their teeth worn down. rabbit's teeth growly continually. I give mine pieces of applewood. You can buy a 2X4 at the lumber yard and have them cut it into 3 inch pieces. Just make sure it is untreated wood.

Min Rex make great pets. I sell mine for $25-with a full pedigree. Pet quality and ones with limited or no pedigree go for $5-10.
They come in a great array of colors. My favorites are the tricolors,chinchilla and broken patterened ones.

You can research the breed on the ARBA website-
http://www.arba.net
Also check out the NMRRC. National Mini Rex Rabbit Club.
Do a search on Mini Rex their are lots of breeder websites to explore.

Good luck with the Mini Rex they are agreat breed.
If you have any other questions email me.
I do not have any for sale right now but I have just done a major breeding. Will have kits available in March-April

Answer 3

here is some info on them that i could find.
http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/breed_profiles/rabbits/mini_rex.htm
http://www.rabbits-nz.co.nz/breeds/breeds.asp?catID=15&bhcp=1

feed them a rabbit mix like other rabbits. with the cage bigger is beter. same amount of exersize as other rabbits a lot so best to get a run with a sheltered bit for nice days.

Answer 4

Mini Rex were derived form the standard Rex rabbit. Their unique fur, dense, plush and velvet-like, was caused by a mutation seen in wild rabbits in France in the late 1800s. The rex mutation is recessive and causes the hair to protrude outwards from the body, instead of lying flat, and the guard hairs to be shortened to the length of the undercoat.

Their small size, plush coat and friendly personalities make them one of the most popular rabbit breeds in the United State. They were first recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) in 1988, and been very popular with exhibitors ever since.

A Mini Rex should have a well-rounded back, with well-developed and filled shoulders, midsection and hindquarters. Their head should be well-filled and set on a short neck, with thick ears not longer than 3.5 inches. They have medium-fine bone and rather short legs. Fur should be extremely dense, straight and upright. It should be smooth and springy, not too soft or silky. Fur must be between 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch in length.

The Mini Rex is judged 35 points on body, 5 for head, 5 for ears, 35 for fur, 15 for color and 5 for condition, making a total of 100 possible points. They are a four-class rabbit, which means there are four age groups they can be shown in. They are Senior Bucks (3 - 4.5 lbs), Senior Does (3.2 - 4.8 lbs), Junior Bucks (2 - 3.8 lbs) and Junior Does (2 - 3.8 lbs).

The Mini Rex color spectrum is vast and includes: Black, Blue, Blue Eyed White, Broken Group, Castor, Chinchilla, Chocolate, Himalayan, Lilac, Lynx, Opal, Otter, Red, Sable Point, Seal, Tortoise, and White. New certificates of development have been awarded by ARBA for Sable, Smoke Pearl, Silver Marten, and Tan Mini Rex, all to be presented in the next few years.

Black -- dark, rich, lustrous black, running deeply towards the skin, blending into a dark blue undercolor. Eyes are dark brown. Blue -- dark blue, running as deeply towards the skin as possible, with a medium blue undercolor. Eyes are blueish grey. Castor -- a rich chestnut color tipped with black. The undercolor is slate blue with an orange intermediate band of color. Ears are laced in black. Surface color of the belly is cream, as well as the eye circles and jowls. Eyes are brown. Chinchilla -- sparkling mix of pearl and black. Slate blue undercolor, white belly color. Ears are laced with black, and eye circles are pearl. Upper of tail is black, bottom is white. Eyes are brown or blueish grey. Chocolate -- lustrous chocoalte brown. Dove-grey undercolor. Brown eyes. Himalayan -- body is bright white. Ears, feet, tail and nose dark blue or black. Dark toenails, pink eyes. Lilac -- dove grey lightly tinted with a lilac shade. Matching toenails and blueish grey eyes. Lynx -- light fawn color tipped with lilac. White undercolor. Eye circles, jowls, belly, inside of ears and underside of tail are white. Eyes are blueish grey. ' Opal' -- medium blue top color, fawn intermediate color and greyish blue undercolor. Underside of tail, jowls, belly, inside of ears and eye circles are to be white of cream. Eyes are blueish grey. Red -- rich red with as little shading as possible. White or cream belly color. Eyes are brown. Seal -- dark, dark brown body, fading to lighter brown on the belly and chest. Eyes are brown. Tortoise -- rich orange with dark shading on the belly, feet, rear, sides, face and ears. Eyes are brown. Red Eyed White -- pure white. Eyes are pink. Blue Eyed White -- pure white, eyes blue. Broken -- any color and white. Tri-Color -- white with Black & Orange, Lilac & Fawn, Chocolate & Orange, or Blue & Fawn. Pattern -- a broken with a balanced nose marking, eye markings, colored ears, colored tail and body spots. Colored area covering 10% to 50% of rabbit.

Mini Rex tend to gorge themselves, so their food needs to be rationed. They are playful, and most enjoy rattles and baby toys to play with and chew on. The rex rabbit is one of the smartest and well tamed rabbits there is. it is said that after about 4 months they become vicious, angry and will bite, but that is a simple mith. the rex rabbits life span is around 8 years. they are fine in a hutch by themselves but a partner would still be a good idea. Because of their velvet plush fur, and because they are extrmely smart, these rabbits are worth about $70 - $80. This breed of rabbit is very clean and dont smell as bas as other rabbits because of there short easy to manage fur and there small apatite. If kept as a pet, the rex rabbits cage must be clean once every week or two yet they produce a small amount of feices campared to other rabbits. they also make great pets and are very friendly.