REX

I had Rex ever since I started breeding cavies in 2000 but stopped breeding them around 2009 as I needed to cut down the  number of breeds I had.  But in 2011 I acquired a pair of sows from Sathra Stud (Trish Chrissimos) as patting pigs and later  a boar from Symphonia (Kim Forsyth) and have started breeding and showing them again in a small way.

They are a lovely chunky, solid pig with a very different coat, more like steel wool than the coat of a Rex rabbit (which is like the most luxurious plush velvet). They have great personalities and seem more placid than many other breeds. I usually recommend them as pets. Of course, they are not the easiest cavies to breed as it can take up to 18 months before the coat comes through and you know if you have a flyer or an also-ran. The coat goes through so many stages. it starts out nice and thick and standing away from the body like it should, then it goes flat, then, if you are lucky or the genes are right, gradually a strip of good, coarse, wiry, thick hair which stands out from the body will appear from the tip of the nose back, then spread over the whole body. Even so, eliminating soft flattish flanks is hard. They are for those with plenty of cage space to let them run on to see how the coat develops. The most popular colours in NSW seem to be the Agoutis, with Golden Agouti and Silver Agouti favourites. Other states seem to have them as much in solids or marked (Dutch pattern and Himalayan, usually).

Of course, they are not true Rex because they have guard hairs which need to be groomed out just before a show in a similar manner to the Selfs, Satins and other smooth-coated cavy breeds.

BOARS

Symphonia Honey Bear Golden Agouti Rex (not groomed)

SOWS

Sathra Cloudy Bay (Lilac)

Clonakilla, daughter of Honey Bear and Cloudy Bay

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Bumbora Talford (Silver Agouti) who hasn’t been groomed in this photo (been lying around in shorts and thongs in the hot weather). Went to a pet home.