is this a good opportunity?

[boundarybunnyco]

I've been interested in showing rabbits for a while now, and have a friend who does. She has a friend that raises and shows Silver Fox. However, she's getting out of rabbits, so her stock is all for sale. I have the chance to get a breeding trio, plus a doe that has been bred to another buck. All have been shown and are pedigreed. Thing is, I know little about rabbit showing, and nothing about Silver Fox, but they are pretty. I wanted to show Flemish Giants, but mine aren't pedigreed. So I'd have to buy new rabbits anyway. What would be a good price for these four rabbits? Is this a good idea, or should I start smaller?
Just fishing for ideas I guess.

 

[Secuono]

You should choose a breed you love or speaks to you, not just anything currently available.
SF are $50 each for blacks, $75ea for blues around here.

 

[ladysown]

i'd say go see them. See if they are a breed that you would enjoy working with.

 

[Miss M]

I agree with both of the others. Don't get into a breed that you don't love. However, I'd say definitely go see them. You never know, you may fall in love!

Silver Fox rabbits are supposed to be gentle and sweet, in general. I'd love to get an unpedigreed one, or one with some minor faults, for my meat mutt rabbitry.

 

[Random Rabbit]

You do Not 'need' a pedigree to show. Rabbits are shown based on how close they Look to the standard. If the Flemish LOOK like decent Flemish... they can be shown.

but Do go see the Silver Foxes... You just might really like those as well....

 

[LadyKarli]

I want to get into silver fox. They are so nice & still meat rabbits My rabbits are all NZ right now but I want to get some SF as soon as I get a better set up. I started not caring if they were purebred & just wanting to raise meat rabbits but now I love this stuff & really want to get my kids in 4H & learn all about showing & ect. Anyway if you like big rabbits from what I have looked up they are sweethearts. They are also a breed that needs conserving. Not as many around as people would like.

 

[Honorine]

Silver Fox is a quickly recovering breed, if the rabbits are good quality, healthy and fertile its a good investment. There is a demand for them so selling is not a problem. Find out if the does have produced litters and how long ago. Do not pay extra for a doe that been bred, as the stress of the move can cause her to reabsorb them, unless she's pretty far along. If they were good quality, producing, healthy and YOUNG I'd pay $200 for the group, but would try to talk her down because I'm cheap. I like Silver Fox, their calm and sweet, but that long coat is a pain in the butt, wraps around the wire of your cages and has to be burned off on a regular basis, and blows like tumbleweeds thru your rabbitry when their blowing coat.

 

[boundarybunnyco]

I'm going to schedule a visit. I think I'll like them, based on what I've read. I've heard nothing but good about their breeder as well. I'm going on a road trip today to pick up a truck load of cages. Found them through a friend of a friend... word of mouth works very well out here in the country.

 

[Miss M]

but that long coat is a pain in the butt, wraps around the wire of your cages and has to be burned off on a regular basis, and blows like tumbleweeds thru your rabbitry when their blowing coat.

Whoa! Really? I was wanting an imperfect SF doe to add to my rabbitry, but I'm not sure about that. If my rabbitry wasn't so small, it wouldn't be as much of a concern.

My NZW already blows enough fur in a molt to make two new rabbits!

 

[Fid]

When I decided to raise rabbits I chose Silver Fox after doing alot of research and discussing it with a breeder. I don't regret my choice at all.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Boundarybunny,

that sounds like an excellent start for a breeding program- I would keep a buck and a couple does from the bred doe to establish one line, and crossbreed the lines from there. I paid $50 each for my Rex, and $100 for a bred doe. Sadly, she was a maiden and had the first litter on the wire, so it was a waste of $50 bucks extra in my case.

I believe it is best to start with the best quality stock you can afford, and the higher initial investment will pay off in the long run. Be sure to ask the breeder what their goals were in their line and see if it complements yours. If they are breeding 'just' for show rabbits and don't emphasize health, litter size, and fast growth it might not be the best fit for you. However, by starting with stock bred to the SOP, you can emphasize those other qualities in your own program by culling for it.

but that long coat is a pain in the butt, wraps around the wire of your cages and has to be burned off on a regular basis, and blows like tumbleweeds thru your rabbitry when their blowing coat.

Whoa! Really? My NZW already blows enough fur in a molt to make two new rabbits!

Miss M, I happen to know of a wonderful, sweet tempered breed, available in many colors, including "broken" varieties, that has a very short coat- ideally about 5/8" long. Perhaps you have heard of them? :roll: The wonderful, amazing, beautiful "King of Rabbits", AKA the Rex! :mrgreen: