# altex rabbits??



## randolphj (Feb 24, 2013)

Anyone know about them? worth investing in? any input would be great I got the opportunity to purchase a few at a fair price. ..


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

the bucks are used to cross over NZW and Cali does for a terminal meat cross, supposed to produce large fast growing kits, so far what i have heard about the Altex does isnt the greatest, but that may just be isolated, they were developed for the terminal meat market,


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## randolphj (Feb 24, 2013)

So the altex cross kits can't reproduce? what about an altex to altex instead of crosses?


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

lol no they can breed just fine, Terminal is a comercial term that basically means they are the end result and anything bred after is down hill comparitively, if you wanted to keep them and breed them you would get more rabbits but the growth potential and meat yeald wouldnt be AS good but still edible, you can breed altex to altex also, but like i said the does may not be the best mothers, they could be fine but are apparently known to be bad mothers, 

they were developed to be the equivelant of an Angus bull over a comercial herd of cows to make beef for market, not to make replacement heffers,


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## BroodCoop (Feb 20, 2012)

Lots of misinformation on Altex. Most for sale are misrepresented, probably innocently.

Search for the ALTEX research projects at the Universities in *AL*abama and *TEX*as.

IIRC, It's debatable as to whether there is any such thing as an Altex doe. You can't breed Altex to Altex to get Altex. That is what is meant by terminal sire.

I have a buck that was sold to me as an Altex. He is a big, pretty rabbit with a great disposition and constitution who throws great babies. So what is really the difference? He was a good deal even if he is not exactly what the research project ended with.

Geneticists know the rules, I am not a geneticist.


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## FloridaHillbill (Dec 5, 2012)

I have a single breeding male in my herd, an AlTex buck. He was purchased from a breeder that raises AlTex, Flemish giants, and New Zealands. He drove over 400 miles to get breeding stock from a second generation AlTex breeder, the Seeleys in Ocala, FL . Here is what I was told by the breeder I purchased from:

AlTex IS a breed. You have Altex bucks and AlTex does. Breeding AlTex to Altex gives you AlTex.

The AlTex does are not known as great mothers.

A terminal sire is a male that has genetics for offspring that are intended to be used for slaughter instead of for breeding purposes.

You shave about a week off of grow out times, allowing an additional litter per year for each doe.

Coloration runs to light gray points, tails ears, and feet have slight gray coloration. This sometimes gets passed to the initial offspring, and becomes more prominent with each generation. I am currently using one second generation NZ x AT cross as a breeding doe. It took me 6 tries to come up with a decent breeder. This one is a good mother, the others only made good sausage. 

Is it worth seeking out AlTex stock? Probably not for most backyard breeders, but if you are a big number crunching operation, it WILL make a difference.


Read here for more information FROM THE SOURCE, Texas A&M

http://users.tamuk.edu/kfsdl00/altex-article.html


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

People say the same thing about the cornishX chicken being a terminal cross.
They are wrong.


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## BroodCoop (Feb 20, 2012)

That is a good link and I have one other somewhere if I find it. The chances of you getting your hands on a legitimate ALTEX doe are next to none. Go to the source for confirmation.

If it is a great rabbit then it doesn't matter what they call it. Especially meat rabbits. Read the menu, not the pedigree.

There are a lot of other variables that are going to matter more over the course of time.


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## Pat Lamar (Jun 19, 2002)

For info on the Altex breed, go to: http://users.tamuk.edu/kfsdl00/rabb.html

Scroll down the page to the Altex breed and click on the links provided. You'll get all the information you need about this breed.

The one thing that everyone has left out is the fact that this breed was created SPECIFICALLY for use in the hotter climates. Thus, those who have imported them to the colder northern locales tend to be pretty disappointed in their performance.

If interested, it is recommended that you purchase a trio... meaning a buck and two does... so you can not only replace your own terminal buck when needed, but you can also provide/sell Altex to other breeders.

Pat Lamar


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## Bluefirephoenix (Feb 19, 2013)

I did quite a bit of research into the breed. There is a developing breed out there and the terminal cross which would only work for large operations who can afford to have 3 or 4 less than ideal animals for the crossbreeding. What I'm working on here is from Californian stock which has flemish in there somewhere, crossing against Dutch which have superior dressing ratios. Flemish crosses are definetly too large and feed requirements are far above the medium size breed. It doesn't just go per pound in this climate it takes more to keep bigger animals warm per pound of animal. I'll let you know how it goes. The Flemish cross does are crossed against a pure California buck and those does will be crossed against a Dutch buck. The first cross I'm going to be slaughtering this week so I'll have my first feedback. They look about the right size for fryers and are now around 10 weeks old. This was the january litter that the doe was able to hide for a few days before I realized we had kits in the hutches ( they came out of a colony set up pregnent) Pure altex does not do well in cold weather, but they are bred in western provences which are far colder than Nova Scotia. So maybe someone is doing a mix with a heavier coat.


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## FloridaHillbill (Dec 5, 2012)

Pat Lamar said:


> The one thing that everyone has left out is the fact that this breed was created SPECIFICALLY for use in the hotter climates.
> Pat Lamar


DOH! I forgot to mention that. I'm so far south in Florida that we NEVER see frost, and we have 4-5 months of 90+ degree days. The Altex handles the heat very well, though we get a month or so of sterility in my buck due to heat most years. That works out fine since I don't want my does stressed at those times with litters, they get a couple months off.


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