Altex rabbit

{{Short description|Breed of rabbit}}

The Altex ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɔː|l|t|ɛ|k|s}} {{respell|AWL|teks}}) is a commercial breed of domestic rabbit developed, beginning in 1994, for cuniculture, specifically for the rabbit meat industry.{{cite journal|last=Lukefahr|first=Steven D.|title=Development of a New Commercial Sire Breed: The Altex|url=http://users.tamuk.edu/kfsdl00/altex-article.html|journal=Domestic Rabbits|publisher=American Rabbit Breeders Association|date=Sep–Oct 1996|volume=24|issue=5|pages=20–21|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020116071303/http://users.tamuk.edu/kfsdl00/altex-article.html|archivedate=16 January 2002|url-status=dead}} The Altex breed is not recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA){{cite web|title=Official ARBA website|url=https://arba.net/|website=American Rabbit Breeders Association|access-date=14 February 2018}}{{cite book|title=Standard of Perfection 2021-2025|year=2021|publisher=American Rabbit Breeders Association|asin=B08QG6242B}} or by the British Rabbit Council (BRC).{{cite web|title=Official BRC website|url=http://www.thebrc.org/|website=The British Rabbit Council|access-date=11 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051025025558/http://www.thebrc.org/|archive-date=25 October 2005|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Breed Standards 2021-2025|url=https://thebritishrabbitcouncil.org/Breed%20Standards%20Book%202021.pdf|website=British Rabbit Council|accessdate=21 November 2022}}

The name Altex refers to this breed's initial development at Alabama A&M University and at Texas A&M University–Kingsville. The breed was developed from Flemish Giant, Champagne d'Argent, and Californian stock. Altex rabbits are a "Terminal Sire" rabbit and are bred for quick weight gain, as opposed to high weight gain. Bucks are bred to New Zealand does and the resulting litter go to market, on average, on week earlier than New Zealand fryers.{{Cite book |last=Whitman |first=Bob D. |title=Domestic rabbits & their histories: breeds of the world |date=2004 |publisher=Leathers Pub |isbn=978-1-58597-275-3 |location=Leawood, KS}}

Altex rabbits typically weigh 13 pounds and have coat markings similar to the Californian rabbit: white with dark points on the extremities.{{cite web|title=The Rabbit Breeding & Teaching Program at TAMUK|url=http://users.tamuk.edu/kfsdl00/rabb.html|website=Texas A&M University–Kingsville|access-date=14 February 2018|date=12 September 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215204136/http://users.tamuk.edu/kfsdl00/rabb.html|archivedate=15 February 2018|url-status=dead}}