A Detailed Guide to Rex Rabbit Breeding Techniques and Feeding Management

The Rex rabbit, also known as the rex rabbit, is a dual-purpose meat-and-fur breed of domestic rabbit that is raised mainly for its pelt. Its coat is short, fine and smooth, with a dense, soft pile that feels similar to otter fur, which is how it got the name otter rabbit (Rex rabbit). Rex rabbits come in many coat colours, commonly white, black, blue and beaver, and their pelts are thin and light, making them an important raw material for the fur garment industry.

Rex rabbits are gentle and timid, easily startled, and they prefer a dry, cool environment, disliking damp and high temperatures. In daily rearing, the rabbit shed should be kept well ventilated and dry with moderate lighting; take care to prevent heat stress in summer and keep them warm in winter, because prolonged stuffy, humid conditions will affect pelt quality.

For feeding, green and coarse fodder should be the mainstay, supplemented with an appropriate amount of concentrated feed, given at fixed times and in fixed amounts, with clean, adequate drinking water, and any change of feed should be made gradually. Avoid feeding fodder that is covered in dew, mouldy or frozen, to prevent digestive disorders such as diarrhoea. Droppings should be cleaned up promptly and bedding replaced, rabbit cages and equipment disinfected regularly, and vaccination programmes followed to prevent diseases such as rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease; sick rabbits should be isolated promptly.

Rex rabbit farming also requires attention to selection and mating: choose individuals with good coat quality and normal body development to keep as breeding stock, and after weaning, group the young rabbits by size and control stocking density. Overall, Rex rabbit farming requires moderate investment and has low demands on site, and as long as the three keys of environment, feed and disease prevention are well managed, good returns can be achieved.