# Blue Silver Fox



## mysunwolf (Nov 20, 2014)

Hi all, just wanted to share my Blue Silver Fox pair. I finally got around to taking some photos of them, and wondered if anyone else bred them. I like the Silver Foxes (temperament, growth rate, bone:meat), but I am not a fan of their coloration. My friends convinced me to get blues instead and I love them.

The buck, Elliot, is small and extremely shy with me but a very aggressive young breeder. He was 6lbs at 4 months.





The doe, Delilah, is much bigger and very friendly with me. She's also registered, though I won't be registering anybody. We are waiting until she is 6 months old to breed her for the first time. She was 8lbs at 4 months!


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 20, 2014)

beautiful!


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## goatgurl (Nov 20, 2014)

they are both just beautiful!


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## wooliewabbits (Nov 24, 2014)

They are both beautiful! I raise Silver Foxes and LOVE my blue buck.


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## mysunwolf (Jan 26, 2015)

I finally got up the courage to post this... my doe died  One day she stopped eating her pellets, but began eating large amounts of hay. A few days later, she refused her morning pets. The next morning, she was dead. She was pregnant so I'd thought her diet changes had to do with that, so I took no action. Now I feel pretty dumb. Not so sad anymore as this happened a few weeks ago, but still questioning whether or not rabbits are for our farm as they seem to have endless health issues.

The bright spot in all this is that my mutt doe, Snow, was bred to the Blue Silver Fox buck and now has 7 beautiful kits. They are big babies like a Silver Fox has, and looks like will have similarly good growth rates. They're adorable 



 

I've also purchased a black Silver Fox doeling for future breedings, in the hopes of getting some nice blue offspring that I can use as my foundation herd.


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## SA Farm (Jan 26, 2015)

I'm so sorry about your doe 
Your kits are adorable, though!


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## goatgurl (Jan 30, 2015)

oh mysunwolf, I'm so sorry you lost your doe.  on a lighter note the kits are just beautiful.  i want the one looking out of the box.  so cute


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## Hens and Roos (Jan 30, 2015)

sorry about your doe  

very cute babies!


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## Citylife (Mar 7, 2015)

I am sorry you lost your girl. That is always hard.
I am curious about your statement that rabbits seem to have endless health issues.
I have been raising rabbits for over 7 years and have had very few problems health wise. 
I look forward to hearing what health issues you're having.


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## mysunwolf (Mar 7, 2015)

Citylife said:


> I am sorry you lost your girl. That is always hard.
> I am curious about your statement that rabbits seem to have endless health issues.
> I have been raising rabbits for over 7 years and have had very few problems health wise.
> I look forward to hearing what health issues you're having.



I'd love to know how you do it!

The health issues here are enteritis and cocci primarily (especially on pasture). We haven't had many ear mite issues or parasites unless they're on deep litter. If I have them on wire, we usually have zero issues, except for this doe Delilah (whose symptoms and insides primarily looked like enteritis).


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## mysunwolf (Mar 10, 2015)

Well, after my doe died I thought I might get out of rabbits, but now I am getting back in the game. I've added a new black Silver Fox doe from our neighbors who we've named Dolly.




 


My buck Elliot is still doing well. Here's him acting goofy, rubbing his scent all over and making sure his kits next door know who's boss.



 

This is the doe kit from Elliot's first litter that we are keeping. She is out of our NZ/?/mutt doe, Snow, who has 8+ kits every time and has been an excellent momma from the beginning, as well as being extremely calm (though she doesn't like to be handled much). This broken blue doe is the largest and friendliest of Snow's litter. 



 

In another month I'll post some photos of the new rabbitry setup.


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 11, 2015)

Very nice!


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## Bossroo (Mar 11, 2015)

mysunwolf said:


> I'd love to know how you do it!
> 
> The health issues here are enteritis and cocci primarily (especially on pasture). We haven't had many ear mite issues or parasites unless they're on deep litter. If I have them on wire, we usually have zero issues, except for this doe Delilah (whose symptoms and insides primarily looked like enteritis).


Your answer is in your post ...  " when on wire, have zero issues."  I would recommend that you change your animal husbandry practices to what ACTUALLY WORKS in real life .


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## mysunwolf (Mar 28, 2015)

Well, we just had an issue on wire: a bald patch on one of the boys' heads, right on his forehead. The four boys are separated out in their own cage and the one rabbit is the only one who has this. We have had this problem on deep litter and assumed that it was a mite of some sort. I will try to get a photo. We have also thought it might be from fighting as they will lunge at each other every now and then. They have enough room right now and will be slaughtered in two days so I am not too worried, but would hate for this to pass to the breeders.

In happy news, my doe Snow is loving living with her Silver Fox cross daughters. And this morning we bred our pure Silver Fox pair, so really hoping for some nice kits! We'll see, of course.


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## mysunwolf (Mar 31, 2015)

The Silver Fox genetics have already helped my meat rabbit sizes! Usually ours are about 2lbs-2.75lbs. The Silver Fox crosses dressed out at 2.75lbs-3.75lbs! I'm very excited as we've never hit 5lbs in 12 weeks before (believe it or not). Can't wait to see what the purebreds bring.

This was the monster that dressed out at 3.75lbs, almost as big as his momma next door:

I thought he would be mostly fat and not end up weighing much, but he was a full 1lb larger than his largest brother. Body shape was inherited from the mother on all of them and so was very much too long.

Here's the smallest bun who had a bald patch on his head:
 
Not sure why, but our best guess was fighting among the brothers. Anyone have any ideas?


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## mysunwolf (Apr 29, 2015)

The first litter of pure Silver Foxes arrived, with 6 blacks and 1 blue  And finally bred my new big blue doe to my blue buck, so there should be more blues in that litter in 30 days.


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## BlessedWithGoats (Apr 29, 2015)

Congrats @mysunwolf!!!  Baby bunnies are so much fun!
Sorry about the doe that you lost! 
My dad has Silver Fox rabbits too! He'd like to get a blue one someday!


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## goatgurl (Apr 30, 2015)

congrats on the new bunnies!!  can't wait to see what they look like when they are up and hopping around.


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## Hens and Roos (Apr 30, 2015)

Congrats!


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## mysunwolf (Jun 1, 2015)

Whew, we have been so busy that I haven't taken many photos. Here is momma Dolly with her big babies.





And on Friday, our blue doe had 10 kits... and they were all blue!! Can't wait for some photos when they are older.




We are really trying to get out of rabbits this time... really. Hopefully by this winter. Until then, I'll enjoy these little fluffy babies.


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## mysunwolf (Jun 29, 2015)

Just had to update with a photo of the 10 blue kits all out of the nest box and hopping around, bothering mom


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## mikiz (Jun 29, 2015)

That's POW worthy @mysunwolf what a cute shot!


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