My Silver Foxes *Pic Heavy*

[annanicole18]

So went and got these two today. Went there to get two does but ended up with a doe and a buck unfortunately of the same litter the breeder has just started with these guys and only has one doe and buck. But they were very reasonably priced so in the long run it will be fine. The buck was just so pretty I honestly should have just gotten him but my husband liked the doe because she was very curious and had personality. The other two does were to skittish and a little on the small side but there was another nice buck. Very very excited to get started in these guys. My first animals ever to come with pedigrees!!!! They are about 14 weeks.

First Set the doe. Not a ton of silver but we will see how she turns out.

Second Set my beautiful Buck. Nice silver and shape to my untrained eye. Overall pleasing to look at with nice substance.

Any silver fox breeders on here I would love to know what you think of them. Thanks.

 

[Caprice_Acres]

Silvering comes in over the course of months, so you may end up with some more silvering on both.

Watch length of fur on that doe as she moults from baby coat to adult coat.

Conformationally, hard to tell much about them without posing them and getting my hands on them. Things to watch are width in the loins and nice wid meaty hindquarters. A lot of SF get comments on show table with 'hollow in the loins'.

As for breeding brother-sister, not a terrible problem. You'll be exhemplifying bad and good traits, as well as making a very CONSISTENT litter due to the inbreeding - but that may or may not be a BAD thing. Studies have been done where inbreeding brother-sister was done for 19 generations with no issues with productivity or health. Obviously if both are carriers of some serious defect, then that would be much shorter - but for most healthy rabbits inbreeding is no issue.

As I always say, breed the best and eat the rest. These are a commercial meat breed that can oftentimes use help in improvement. You're not doing the breed a favor by 'saving' some from slaughter. Keep the very best, sell the good ones, and eat the rest.

 

[Ms. Research]

I was told by my breeder, you should know the "true" coat by the time they are 5 months. That's when they "molt" and get their adult coat. Silver Fox being bigger breed, they may mature slower.

Buck looks like he has really nice silvering at 14 weeks. Doe might catch up by 5 months. Good Luck with your new Silvers. Could you please post in a couple months to let us see how much they changed? I love the way Silver Foxes evolve into their silvering.

 

[annanicole18]

Thanks for the tips. They are shedding like mad right now but that may just be the stress of the move but we will see. I am just starting out as I said but out of the whole litter the buck I chose looked the best to me. I tried to pose them as best I could on a slick box but their feet kept slipping out to get some traction. I will be taking pictures as they progress. If they came from a litter of seven with six surviving should I be looking for a buck or doe that came from a larger litter to breed them to? This was the does very first litter.

I was thinking about breeding them together just for the first litter in the coming months just to get her some experience before I started to seriously look for more. I have no problem butchering the ones that need not continue the line. I believe in the betterment of the breed not just breeding to breed/make money.

 

[Ms. Research]

Thanks for the tips. They are shedding like mad right now but that may just be the stress of the move but we will see. I am just starting out as I said but out of the whole litter the buck I chose looked the best to me. I tried to pose them as best I could on a slick box but their feet kept slipping out to get some traction. I will be taking pictures as they progress. If they came from a litter of seven with six surviving should I be looking for a buck or doe that came from a larger litter to breed them to? This was the does very first litter.

I was thinking about breeding them together just for the first litter in the coming months just to get her some experience before I started to seriously look for more. I have no problem butchering the ones that need not continue the line. I believe in the betterment of the breed not just breeding to breed/make money.

Sounds like an excellent plan. Exactly what I would do.

 

[Caprice_Acres]

Please, by all means, don't feel like you can't breed for money. These animals were made to PROFIT from. If you manage to profit from your rabbits there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that. In fact, I think we need to encourage that MORE because IMO an profitable rabbitry is one I'd like to get lines from. It shows that the rabbits in the group are able to do what they were originally meant to do - produce a product for income. Be it meat, furs, or breeding stock - it's definetely worth it. Most likely in your pursuit of making profitable bunnies, you inherenty select for BETTER bunnies too.

I plan on doing some brother-sister littermate breedings. Nothing necessarily WRONG with it, especially if you get something you like.

 

[annanicole18]

Well my male has completely lost it. He has literally attempted to attack me three days in a row. The doe if fine still a little skittish but at least she lets me fill her food dish without a battle ensuing. We will see what happens I'm just going to handle them every day and not let them get away with thinking they can try to scare me out of their cage. I think the breeder really needs to rethink breeding until she can handle them more from kits. This has turned out to be a nightmare. Oh well what can you do. Maybe get a couple babies and raise them to be sane friendly rabbits.

 

[Ms. Research]

Well my male has completely lost it. He has literally attempted to attack me three days in a row. The doe if fine still a little skittish but at least she lets me fill her food dish without a battle ensuing. We will see what happens I'm just going to handle them every day and not let them get away with thinking they can try to scare me out of their cage. I think the breeder really needs to rethink breeding until she can handle them more from kits. This has turned out to be a nightmare. Oh well what can you do. Maybe get a couple babies and raise them to be sane friendly rabbits.

Don't give up on the buck. He sounds more aggressive than the doe but it maybe it's the fact that it's all new and he hasn't settled as fast as your doe. I would do what you plan. Handle them every day. Don't let him scare you. You need to show him you are Alpha. This is what happens to many teenagers. People get scared of them because they act out (teenage quality) and then get rid of them. Don't give up.

You also are correct regarding the breeder. My breeder takes time every day to touch and handle all the kits, along with her adult breeding stock. Dobby and Kreacher were well socialized by the time I got them. They were also a little offish and defensive at first. But I handled them every day. Believe me, had many scratches on my forearms, but it was all worth it.

It takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. But they will get it if you are consistent with them. Show them who's boss.