# Rex/Satin Mix?



## shellrow (Feb 8, 2007)

Ok, I have wanted to get rabbits for meat. There is someone selling Rex/Satin mix bunnies for $5 each. Would this breed make good meat rabbits or would I be wasting my time? I get confused at all of the different types and I cannot keep them straight. Would this be on the right track?


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## Honorine (Feb 27, 2006)

Well their not going to have either rex or satin fur, their going to look like a normal coated rabbit. Now bred together your going to get some interesting things, and yes they might be good for meat rabbits, depends on the quality of the animals that they came from. Were they purposely crossbred with hybrid vigor in mind out of well producing, well built meaty rabbits? Or were they just a product of someones pets, random rex to random satin? It really does pay to get the best stock that you can from a good producing herd, then again all rabbits are made of meat. It really depends what your priorities are, and what your willing to put up with. I myself would prefer pure satins over satin/rex crosses, as you've already lost the hybrid vigor that can occur with the first cross out. I'd keep looking.


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## vulpinefarms (Apr 18, 2008)

Yes, they will make a nice size meat rabbit. And that is really a good price for them. I raise Standard Rex and raised Satins for awhile. Most likely they will have regular rabbit fur, not the satin or rex, but they will still make good meat rabbits.


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## shellrow (Feb 8, 2007)

Thank you for your replies. I need to do more reading about the breeds. I look up lots of information on the net but if I don't print it out it gets confusing. I think the $5 is a good price but I will shop around a bit more before purchasing.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

There are two paths you can follow here. If you go to see them and you like their looks (nice, meaty, chunky body, great health) buy them with the idea in mind that if they do not produce well you will send them to freezer camp and start over. Some mutts do great and some do not. At $5 you won't lose anything except some time and feed. 

Or, you can wait and get better quality meat rabbits from a reputable rabbitry with a track record. Even then you have no guarantees, especially with unproven young stock, but you do have some kind of assurance that care has gone into their breeding. 

When we started with meat rabbits, Brian "surprised" me with some yard sale mutts. Not what I had in mind at all, but I decided to give them a try, mostly because I didn't want to hurt his feelings. The rabbits surprised me by producing very well. We culled some of them over time and replaced them with the more promising of their youngsters, the ones that seemed better than there parents... but 3 1/2 years later I still have one of the original does. She's winding down now, but she did well for us.


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## shellrow (Feb 8, 2007)

MaggieJ said:


> There are two paths you can follow here. If you go to see them and you like their looks (nice, meaty, chunky body, great health) buy them with the idea in mind that if they do not produce well you will send them to freezer camp and start over. Some mutts do great and some do not. At $5 you won't lose anything except some time and feed.
> 
> Or, you can wait and get better quality meat rabbits from a reputable rabbitry with a track record. Even then you have no guarantees, especially with unproven young stock, but you do have some kind of assurance that care has gone into their breeding.
> 
> When we started with meat rabbits, Brian "surprised" me with some yard sale mutts. Not what I had in mind at all, but I decided to give them a try, mostly because I didn't want to hurt his feelings. The rabbits surprised me by producing very well. We culled some of them over time and replaced them with the more promising of their youngsters, the ones that seemed better than there parents... but 3 1/2 years later I still have one of the original does. She's winding down now, but she did well for us.



Thanks for letting me know that. I am going to contact the person and go take a look at them. I did get into a conversation at the library last week with a gal who knew someone who grew their own rabbits to sell and to eat themselves. She is suppose to give me their number the next time she works. I will also try that avenue as well. I appreciate you letting me know.


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## bunnylover (Nov 1, 2007)

I say go for it (if they look healthy and you like them). Right now my 2 mutt does are the only rabbits producing anything. One had 6 kits almost 2 weeks ago, and all 6 are still alive and doing great. The other mutt doe just started pulling fur. Good luck!


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## MariaAZ (Jun 5, 2007)

I would have no problem adding Rex/Satin to my herd. Both are meat breeds, and as Honorine said breeding them will result in some really fun litters! Ooooh, a Satin Rex.. I can just picture it!


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## Honorine (Feb 27, 2006)

MariaAZ said:


> I would have no problem adding Rex/Satin to my herd. Both are meat breeds, and as Honorine said breeding them will result in some really fun litters! Ooooh, a Satin Rex.. I can just picture it!


Thats what I was thinking, I wonder what that looks like? is it possible genetically? I imagine that it would be more striking on certain colors like red and copper/castor than others. Would be neat!!


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## MariaAZ (Jun 5, 2007)

Honorine said:


> Thats what I was thinking, I wonder what that looks like? is it possible genetically? I imagine that it would be more striking on certain colors like red and copper/castor than others. Would be neat!!


Yep, it is possible, as the genes responsible for the fur types are at different locations. If I'm not correct, Bob Whitman mentions Satin Rex in his most excellent book "Domestic Rabbits and Their Histories - Breeds of the World". I did a web search for "satin rex rabbit" and found several references but unfortunately no photos. 

Hmm... Satin Rex. I don't need another breed, I don't need another breed, I don't need another breed...


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## ladysown (May 3, 2008)

satin mini rex are quite pretty.  I know...I'm not helping am I? (VBG)


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## shellrow (Feb 8, 2007)

Here is a link to the craigslist post. I hope you can see it. I don't think that the people use there bunnies for eating. I guess I could not tell them what I am getting them for. What do you think of them?

http://fayetteville.craigslist.org/grd/955678472.html


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