AlTex Rabbit - Imported - Kale

In this episode we discuss the Altex rabbit.
When I first encountered this breed, I guessed that it had been developed in Texas, based on the name, but in fact, this was only partially correct.   The Altex Rabbit is currently an unrecognised breed in the United States.  Although this is a relativly new breed, and a commercial breed, many of the commercial breeds are still recognized breeds.  Again, the Altex Rabbit is a relatively new breed, produced for meat and not recognised as a show rabbit. The name comes from Al from Alabama and tex from Texas, and pronounced "all-tex".
Much of the information I have about this breed is from a paper written by Steven D. Lukefahr, Professor in the Department of Animal & Wildlife Sciences at Texas A&M University-Kingsville 78363
The History of the Altex Rabbit.
Discuss the charactoristics of the ALtex Body
The Altex rabbit has a very sweet personality, is not aggressive in any way and is very easy to handle.
What is it that makes this breed original?
The Altex was created purely as a meat rabbit, as a way to feed poorer communities around the world. The females are called Terminal Sires (mothers that breed babies that don't go on to breed themselves).  Altex terminal cross fryers gain weight faster and go to market sooner.  In less-developed countries, they represent better nutrition for people through enhanced rabbit production.  The litters are sold on for the meat trade. Any offspring should not be used as further breeding stock as this will diminish the gene pool.
The NZW or CAL doe consumes less feed than would an Altex dam, produces more milk, and kindles and weans more offspring.
    "Terminal" means "end of the line." ALL the offspring should go to market, and none are saved for replacement breeders.
    Market day should arrive on average up to one week sooner than is typical for a purebred, or a CALxNZW herd
    Replace the buck when needed by acquiring another Altex sire.
The Altex breed takes advantage of both hybrid vigor and breed complementation, two factors that can significantly enhance meat rabbit production in the backyard and in a large-scale commercial facility, both in the United States and in less-developed countries where nutrition and daily survival might be constant worries.

Why choose an Altex Rabbit?
Rapid and efficient weight gain
    High dress out percentage
    High meat-to-bone ratio
The result? Fryers that can be marketed nearly a week sooner.

Health
All rabbits should be vaccinated against myxomatosis and VHD – both of which are potentially fatal conditions that can be spread by infected animals, bedding, utensils or toys.  They should also be treated regularly for fleas, ticks and worms.
Health issues in the Altex rabbit
The AlTex rabbit is a generally healthy breed of rabbit.  As with all rabbits, however, check that its bottom is clean of any debris and is kept dry to avoid the danger of flystrike.
Teeth and also toe nails should be checked frequently to ensure they are not growing too long.
Average lifespan of the Altex rabbit.
7 – 10 years and sometimes more.
The Altex was genetically selected for heavy 70 day market weights for over 20 generations
Breed Status
The Altex is a commercial rabbit and not recognised as a show breed by the British Rabbit Council (BRC) or the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA).
It is emphasized that the Altex is a commercial-bred rabbit. They were not developed for exhibition at rabbit shows.
The breed is found only on the North American continent and it can be difficult to locate stock for sale.   
But still a breed none the less and it's creation was developed over 20 generations so it's an important one.
Have I Missed Anything? If you know something about the breed standard, history or status of this rabbit, please let me know.   Do You Have a Story About This Particular Breed?  What do you love about them? Do you have any tips or tricks up your sleeve for what might make this breed happiest? Perhaps you're a breeder of this type of rabbit. Let us know, and maybe we can set up an interview?
Learn more about the AlTex Rabbit Bred. Discover cool facts, pictures, resources and Rabbit Breed Info as well as links to Altex breeders who may have stock to sell at Hareoftherabbit.com

Word of the day: Imported
Plant of the week: Kale