Lynx Rex Rabbits — An exceptional fur and meat rabbit

There are many rabbits that may be bred in the color “Lynx” but the Rex Rabbit is one of the more popular ones. It is a larger, meat and fur rabbit which makes it more appealing to fur breeders. Palominos, another good meat rabbit breed, may also be Lynx colored. But the Rex is just a little bit easier to raise and has really luxurious fur.

Lynx Rex rabbits have fur which is very fine and velvety. The Lynx coloring on rabbits has an orange undercoat with a mixture of Lilac and a lighter orange color as a topcoat. This coloring is displayed over the body of the rabbit and the top of it’s tail. The bottom of the tail, jaw, eye rings, inside the ears and stomach are all white. Rex rabbits usually have blue eyes and those with Lynx coloring should have eyes that are blue-gray.

Lynx Rex rabbits are not a preferred meat rabbit because they are a bit smaller than other popular meat breeds and they have a higher bone to meat ratio. On average, an adult Rex rabbit weighs 8-9 pounds (3.6-4 kilograms) and fall into the medium-size weight class. The fur of Rex rabbits is about 1/2 inch long (1.27 centimeters) and the guard hairs of the fur are actually longer than the undercoat.

Because their fur is so fine and short, Lynx Rex rabbits are more susceptible to sore hocks when housed in wire cages. But putting a board or carpet mat into the cage for them to stand on will lessen the problem. Lynx Rex rabbits should be brushed regularly but in general they do not require long hours of brushing or extra care to maintain their beautiful fur. This makes the Lynx Rex rabbit a truly exceptional breed for fur producers. Plus they get a great meat by-product. It has a slightly broader head than other breeds of rabbit, proportionate and upright ears as well as toe nails that match the color of its fur.

Lynx Rex rabbits are very docile, intelligent and can be very affectionate. They are great foster mothers and pairs of them can actually be housed together, allowing them to be bred in very small areas.

The Lynx Variety is genetically a Dilute Chocolate Agouti (A_ bb C_ dd E_).  Agouti is the color pattern seen in wild rabbits. The hair-shaft usually has three or more bands of color, with a dark gray base. The head, ears, feet are usually ticked while the eye rings, belly and chin are a lighter color. Any coloring within the white areas of a Lynx Rex rabbit’s fur is unfavorable in the show ring.

Breeders with Lynx Rex Rabbits are not that easy to find online, but you can start with JT Rabbitry in Pennsylvania, a nice little rabbitry focusing on beautiful Rex rabbits.

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