# So, do you think these would sell...



## Tracey (Aug 10, 2011)

I'm thinking of trying to breed/sell some hybrid meat breeding pairs to be ready to sell next spring. I've noticed on here a few people that have had trouble finding breeding stock when starting out with meat rabbits, and also some talk of hybrid vigour. If you were just starting out would have you been interested in

silver fox cross angora offspring

and a totally unrelated

silver fox cross NZ white offspring

(silver foxes are not related)


figure that way both breeders would be hybrids of meat and duel purpose rabbits, and I'll be able to sell them as hybrid, breeding pairs at the 'almost' ready to breed age.

what do you think?

thanks!


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Aug 10, 2011)

I am plannning on trying silver fox / new zealand crosses.  I would have been interested if you were closer.


----------



## Caprice_Acres (Aug 10, 2011)

I love my silver fox/new zealand litters. They're often calmer than my crazy vicious new zealand whites, and are great mothers.  I have some 50%'ers, 75%'ers etc.  

However, keep in mind the supposed hybrid vigor would be gone after the first cross. Inbreeding the F1 generation to get an F2 generation and you'd be back to some that looked more SF, some that looked more NZ.  Mainly the hybrid vigour is bred so that the kits grow well, as a healthy well bred rabit is a healthy well bred rabbit - crosses are just worth less when you're trying to sell them for breeding stock.  I personally cross to improve type and personality. the NZ's benefit from a little lovey SF blood, and the SF type improves with  crosses to NZ. 

Selling them at almost 8 months old, you'll get MAYBE 15.00 apeice from them. Sell them as fryers, otherwise you'll be out money feeding them to almost 8 months old, IMO. I sell breeders out of the growout pen for 10.00 apeice, New Zealand or crosses. (my new zealands are pure, but cross between whites/blacks so are not showable colors). Show color new zealands will be more, and silver fox start at 35.00 (and go up to 65 plus for EXCELLENT show quality ones).  If you can produce litters of purebred SF and sell a few here or there, you'll probably make more, IMO.


----------



## Tracey (Aug 11, 2011)

Thanks for your advice guys. I hadn't really looked to deeply into the hybrid idea, except I've heard people saying it works well with meat pens. Makes sense what you are saying that the hybrid even mix would diminish with more generations. I have breeding pairs for Silver Foxes and French Angoras, and we have one 'pet' NZ white buck. Guess I was just trying to give him a role lol!


----------



## Ms. Research (Aug 11, 2011)

Tracey said:
			
		

> Thanks for your advice guys. I hadn't really looked to deeply into the hybrid idea, except I've heard people saying it works well with meat pens. Makes sense what you are saying that the hybrid even mix would diminish with more generations. I have breeding pairs for Silver Foxes and French Angoras, and we have one 'pet' NZ white buck. Guess I was just trying to give him a role lol!


I thought NZ white buck had a role already...as a pet!  

Thanks for asking the question about hybrids though.  I'm just learning about breeding too and what to expect from future generations.  You really have to be careful mixing because you might mix in something that you really don't want in your rabbits.  I'm trying to read as much as possible on other people's experience.  It's nice to know there's a site like this.  

Good Luck with your Silver Foxes and French Angoras.


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Aug 11, 2011)

We are struggling to find a trio of silver fox to get started. I have been on a waiting list for months.   My luck I will wait for  months to get ours, but then when we have kits we wont beable to find buyers. 

We are wanting to do meat rabbits, for butchering, and hoping to help with some feed costs by selling a couple for breeding stock, and my son is looking forward to showing one or two in 4H at the county fair. We just can't seem to get started though.


----------



## Tracey (Aug 11, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> We are struggling to find a trio of silver fox to get started. I have been on a waiting list for months.   My luck I will wait for  months to get ours, but then when we have kits we wont beable to find buyers.
> 
> We are wanting to do meat rabbits, for butchering, and hoping to help with some feed costs by selling a couple for breeding stock, and my son is looking forward to showing one or two in 4H at the county fair. We just can't seem to get started though.


Hi 20kids,

Sorry hear you're still having no luck - I think I recall in the silver fox post you were looking into Whitmore farms? I would love to get one of their blues if we were closer! Have you tried the silver fox group on facebook? There are a quite a few breeders on there. Seem to be a lot in the far NE though. I was lucky - picked up an 6 month old doe from a local breeder, then one semi-related 8wk old doe. Then when she was bringing new stock down from Michigan I offered a some petrol dollars and she brought me down an unrelated senior buck. Woohoo! I'm still on the lookout for  a blue doe though. Give the facebook group a try!

Cheers!

Tracey


----------



## 20kidsonhill (Aug 11, 2011)

Tracey said:
			
		

> 20kidsonhill said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


We have a trio of blacks ordered from whitmore, and he called and had a set ready, the problem was  he needed us to come and get them, like as in right away and we were unable to make the 10 hour drive in the two week time frame he gave us to come and get them, so he sold them and moved us to end of September, beginning of October.  The blacks are all suppose to be carrying the blue genes and according to Will at whitmore farm we should have 50% blue

We drive to Wisconsin from virginia every other year so we can make arrangement on the way back to pick up animals or drop them off, I am hoping to use that as a way to get in contact with some silver fox breeders out that way.   

Their is a gentlemen in Martinsburg, WV that has Silver fox from 4 different farms or bloodlines, I am a little confussed about that. I am trying to put an order in with him on a pair, but that is also going very very slowly. He has 8 kits available from two litters, but they are from the same buck,  but it is only a total of a 3 hour drive from the house.  Then he has another set available in a month. He said, Cutebuns, Dutchworks , Bridgeport, and Hillside.  I am thinking that is blood-lines. I am not sure what Whitmore has, except this gentlemen(Tom) has done a little business with Whitmore, and one of his does is related to some of whitmores' does.

My son was not a happy camper when he found out we weren't able to go and get the trio and then they were sold, instead of being held for us. I even offered to send all the money plus room and board costs, but he said he didn't have the room to keep them an extra 3 weeks.   We had already picked names and sent them to Will for the paperwork. 


This is getting too complicated.


----------



## Tracey (Aug 11, 2011)

20 Kids

Sounds like you're having some trouble getting started indeed! From when I was looking it seemed like there are pockets of breeders. Michigan, NY, far NE. I guess thats how I got started, when I saw them advertised on local craigslist - for preorder of future kits - and now I have another local preordering mine! Hopefully you can start a trend in your area and fill that empty spot on the silver fox map! And make lots of rabbit sales in the process


----------



## hoodat (Aug 12, 2011)

Crosses do tend to be healthier. The only drawback is that your litters will not always be consistent in size or growth. Because rabbits can succesfully be inbred some raisers will go too far with it. If you continue to inbreed without an occasional outcross you will eventually breed in some traits by accident thet you don't want.


----------



## SuburbanFarmChic (Aug 12, 2011)

Heya, 

  I'm in Martinsburg and I won't disparage another farm person but....    We have a  LOT of junk rabbit breeders up here.    Get good pictures and details on exactly what you are purchasing.   Also if you want me to go scope out his operation I'm happy to.    We have 3 livestock auctions in easy driving distance of us and lets just say around here if it sounds fishy or somebody can't tell you any history on an animal... it came from the stock sale.


----------



## aggieterpkatie (Aug 12, 2011)

Does anyone have pics of the Silver Fox/ New Zealand crosses?


----------



## Caprice_Acres (Aug 13, 2011)

I've got a couple pics up on my website.


----------



## Ms. Research (Aug 14, 2011)

Caprice_Acres said:
			
		

> I've got a couple pics up on my website.


Thank you for pointing out your website.  You do have very impressive rabbits.  Loved the colors on your Silver Fox/New Zealand crosses.  I hope others take your advise if they are looking for that type of cross.  

Plus you have a lot of different animals that you raise.   Congratulations on your success.


----------



## Caprice_Acres (Aug 16, 2011)

Thanks for the praise! Yes, we've got our hands full. And yes, I love my mutts.  I'm trying to keep more and more purebred SF, and actually butcher/sell some phenominal crossbreds for that reason. Even though the crosses are great rabbits for utility, I produce more meat and sell more breeders than can I use myself - so essentially, it makes more sense to produce more higher priced animals. I don't forsee our rabbitry with no crosses, though.  

You still run into those purist folks every once in a while that freak out when they hear you're crossbreeding.  I'd rather have a barn full of productive mutts than a barn full of inbred, unhealthy, poor producing purebreds. Not to say that my purebreds have issues, but I will say that it is MORE likely to run into health/production issues in closely linebred purebreds.


----------

