# Silver Fox breed?



## SaratogaNZW (Feb 10, 2009)

Anyone have silver fox rabbits?
I have been offered a trade. Both rabbits purebred and pedigreed, both between fryer and breeding age. One of my NZW bucks for one of his Silver fox does. I told him I would take it! I may have to change my screenname =)

After researching the breed, I have found some interesting points:
Almost extinct in the 70s, still a rare heritage breed.
Excellent multipurpose utility breed.
Highly desireable pelts, with the only rabbit pelt to "stand up"
2 colors, black (dark gray) and blue. Both with silver tips.
9-11 pound adult weight, but slower growout than other meat breeds.
Blues are extremly rare, but all blacks carry a recessive blue gene, so black to black will occasionally produce blue.
Excellent sweet, mild temperments, but not overly skittish or cowardly. 

After talking to the guy some more about her, this doe is about 12 weeks old, at 10 weeks they start to "silver", and at 10 weeks she weighed only 3lb9oz, but will attain adult weight of 11 pounds. He hasnt had problems with heat stress more then other lighter colored breeds, even with thicker fur and darker color.

Am I missing anything important?


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## jkmlad (Jun 18, 2009)

Blues occur less often than black as blue is dilute of black. That doesn't really mean that they are "rare". More and more people are working with blues, and they used to be a showable color w/ the ARBA. When the numbers of blues being exhibited @ ARBA conventions dropped for multiple years, the color was stricken from the standard. Meara Collins in MN is now working to present the blues to the ARBA for acceptance again. Meara is very good at what she does, so I expect that blues will again be a showable color within the next 5 years. Meara has also developed a chocolate Silver Fox and will begin the presentation process with them at the ARBA convention in the fall this year. She and her mom, Cristy are two of the most reputable breeders of Silver Fox. Many more people are working with blues now, so finding blue breeding stock is not the needle in a haystack hunt that it used to be. Breeding blue to blue will produce blue, but breeding blue to black will only produce blue if the black carries blue genetics. I don't find mine to be slower to get to fryer weight than other breeds... however, some lines are slower to attain Sr. Weight than others. Blacks aren't really dark gray, they are black. The desired amount of silvering will not make them look gray either. There are Silver Fox who have white tips, but mine have white hairs interspersed with the black to give them the look of a rabbit with silver highlights. They have been on the Critical list of the ALBC for multiple years, and a poll of the National Silver Fox Rabbit Club several years ago yielded information stating that among its members and friends of members, there were only about 370 animals. I don't have heat stress problems, (knock wood) and the babies are very hearty in cold weather. They are the only normal coated rabbit with stand up fur quality. While does with litters can consume a fair amount of feed, adults aren't what I consider big eaters. When choosing stock for your breeding program, keep in mind that it is very important to look for an animal with a big bone. Fine boned animals will not be able to attain the Sr. Weight needed. I advise new breeders to look for type, bone, fur and silvering. Since silvering seems to be the most random factor in their genetics, I keep that last on my list. Yahoo groups has multiple Silver Fox groups. The people in these groups are fun and informative, and it is an excellent source of good advice. Good luck!


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## Reauxman (Sep 14, 2002)

SaratogaNZW said:


> Highly desireable pelts, with the only rabbit pelt to "stand up"
> QUOTE]
> 
> Not really. True, they are the only breed to have standing type fur, there are 3 breeds total that have fur that lies perpendicular to the body.
> ...


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## Pat Lamar (Jun 19, 2002)

Silver Fox, Rex and Mini Rex.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

I have Silver Fox, and had New Zealand. Butchered the New Zealand does and kept the Silver Fox. They're the 'teddy bears' of the commercial breed. Unlike my new zealand does, I have yet to bleed in the process of during chores with them. They're surprisingly tame even if generally unhandled. 

However, the 3lbs at 10 weeks worries me. Mine at 9 weeks all weighted out to be at least 4.5 lbs. If he's feeding natural diet or otherwise less protein that might be why, but I doubt that doe will get a good size.

I have blues and blacks. If you're describing the black to be 'dark grey' I'd avoid it, too. A black should be just that - black. Not 'dark grey'. The blues appear to be grey to those that don't know the proper description of the color. Undercolor on them should be just a bit lighter, but not light grey or white.

All in all, I LOVE my Silver Fox. They fit in well here on the homestead. I found another breeder and have been trading with her, but another issue is finding other breeders in your area with unrelated stock. I did keep my New Zealand buck so I've been doing some meat crosses too, have a litter of 75% silver fox in the nestbox now. I've had them breeding back to back since they first kindled in Feb, they're maintaining weight well and raising good litters. I breed mine back when their kits are 4 weeks old, wean kits at 6 weeks, and they kindle again when their kits are 8 weeks old.


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## jkmlad (Jun 18, 2009)

Reauxman said:


> SaratogaNZW said:
> 
> 
> > Highly desireable pelts, with the only rabbit pelt to "stand up"
> ...


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## SaratogaNZW (Feb 10, 2009)

So I have a silver fox!
I hope its a doe, it was kinda hard to tell. I only said dark gray because what the pics I had looked like. She is definatly black. 
She is very sweet, and the girls just cuddled her to death, so I put her away early without weighing her tonight. But just holding her, and holding the ca/nzw hybrid I traded for her, I can tell she weighs much less than he did. He was 5 pounds and 10 weeks old today. I would guess shes under, but close to, 4 pounds, and same age. The Hybrid was also the POTL, and a half pound more than most of his litter. Not like MUTANT big but noticeably the best of the best.

Hopefully in about 3 months I will be looking for a Silver Fox Buck!


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## Safado (Jun 15, 2009)

Saratoga,
I'm glad the girls liked her! Like I said, I am keeping her sister, so if she does get visited by the sex change fairy we can swap her out.



mygoat said:


> However, the 3lbs at 10 weeks worries me. Mine at 9 weeks all weighted out to be at least 4.5 lbs. If he's feeding natural diet or otherwise less protein that might be why, but I doubt that doe will get a good size.


Except for my does, who are giving milk I am feeding a mostly natural diet with a low amount of supplemental pellets. I do alternate between fresh grass and weeds and quality alfalfa, but I have noticed a drop in grow out rate. Maybe I'll do a test with this next litter to see how much of a difference it really does make. 

because the demand has been so high here, I've only butchered part of one litter, and that is when I didn't post an add for them. The group I did butcher turned out very well at 12 weeks, tender and delicious.


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## Surfing_Bunny (Jun 22, 2010)

I just had 2 Black Silver Fox does kindle this week. I'm in baby love here.
9 kits between the 2 does. Not big litters, that's OK. My doe has kindled larger litters before. It's summertime. Maybe the warms days make less kits?

Silver Fox is a wonderful breed. I hope you enjoy your new doe. Rarebreeds are really fun to keep.


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