Rex Fur

[Hooligan Farm]

I'm new to breeding. I'm breeding meat rabbits, Rex/ NZ crosses. As I understood Rex fur is a recessive trait and it would take to rabbits with the trait to produce the fur. Last night i noticed 2 out of 3 in my 8wk litter had the Rex fur like their father. Is this a fluke or is it possible my NZW is not pure or does the father have some strong genes

 

[Bunnylady]

Everything I have ever seen or heard on the subject has said that the Rex gene is recessive, so a rabbit has to get it from both parents to have a Rex coat. With that understanding, it does sound as if someone has bred a Rex into this New Zealand line before you! It really isn't anything to get excited about; it happens all the time, especially in meat rabbits.

I breed Harlequins, which only come in the normal coat in the U.S. A few years ago, I had a bunny in one litter that turned out to be an Astrex -not only Rex coated, but curly to boot! Apparently, Harlies can have that coat in Europe, and the genes for this coat had been floating around in the bloodlines for who knows how many generations. I've also had REW's pop up in my Harlie litters, legacy of an outcross somewhere back beyond the 3 generations on the pedigree.