Silver fox advice...more..haha (pics buried)

[Zass]

Definitely not a weirdo minority, judging from the SF FB page.

If seems lots of people want the three colors, even if they don't plan to raise them.

I like all things dilute. And as much as I want the Choc gene in the Rex herd, it's not to make chocos, but Amber and Lynx.

Yeah, I don't blame you there I'd want that to.
Rex feet (and personalities) are too high maintenance for me though.

Those SF are just so HARDY and low maintenance compared to everybunny else, whenever something bad happens to my rabbitry, it seems the foxes alone are untouched and unbothered by it.

 

[skysthelimit]

In my case it was the Jersey Woolies that came out unscathed, which was totally unexpected.
But the SF by far have the best personalities.

 

[Frecs]

I can't compare much with other breeds because I've not breed others (except my FAngora once) but I can say that my SFs (after their first bad litters) are the best mommas I could hope for.

 

[Southbound_SF]

As far as the spine goes, what am I feeling for? I can still feel the spine (it's not totally buried in fat), but it's not bumpy or prominent in any way.

That sounds like just what you want. It's there, can be distinguished, but isn't pointy or prominent, as you said. That and a nice, firm muscle tone in the loins are what I like to feel.

SB<br /><br />__________ Wed Nov 13, 2013 1:13 pm __________<br /><br />And yeah, bring on the colors! The blacks are the most striking, in my opinion, but it's nice to have a little variety in the rabbitry.

 

[skysthelimit]

I like being able to increase my gene pool without filling the cages with unshowable colors, and increasing the number of culls. Looks like two of the 4 remaining adult does carry blue. Will a blue buck as the herd sire, I could possibly have a mostly blue herd pretty quickly.

 

[Zass]

Since SF are a meat and fur breed, and I use both meat and fur, culls aren't any kind of problem for me! I did want to understand a bit more of what other SF breeders were working towards though, and how my rabbits ranked in comparison to that. Thanks everyone for taking the time to help me out!

 

[AnnClaire]

Sky, actually, breeding black x black (both carry blue) or black x blue (black carries blue) gives color depth to blue ... so you might want to growout a couple of the blue kits to see what you have ... there is a market for the blues even tho they didn't pass at convention

Zass, I am working two lines of SF ... a black-only line and a line of blues and black (carries blue) I just got my first litter from the black line, wasn't the success I was hoping for, but maiden doe should do better next time.

As for my goals with my breeding program ... meat bricks

 

[RothsRabbits]

Working on taking pictures of better quality. Got to work with them more on posing.

 

[skysthelimit]

Sky, actually, breeding black x black (both carry blue) or black x blue (black carries blue) gives color depth to blue ... so you might want to growout a couple of the blue kits to see what you have ... there is a market for the blues even tho they didn't pass at convention

There's no market for anything around here, until recently, I haven't sold a bunny to other than the snake man for a few years. Blue to blacks that carry blue are going to give me a few blue unusable kits for some time. The last litter was 4 blues and 2 blacks, 3blues and 3 blacks. I culled everyone except two blue bucks, a blue and black doe. I try to avoid avoidable culls since the showable amount in a litter is already small. At the moment, it's just more culls for me taking up more space

 

[Zass]

Sky, actually, breeding black x black (both carry blue) or black x blue (black carries blue) gives color depth to blue ... so you might want to growout a couple of the blue kits to see what you have ... there is a market for the blues even tho they didn't pass at convention

There's no market for anything around here, until recently, I haven't sold a bunny to other than the snake man for a few years. Blue to blacks that carry blue are going to give me a few blue unusable kits for some time. The last litter was 4 blues and 2 blacks, 3blues and 3 blacks. I culled everyone except two blue bucks, a blue and black doe. I try to avoid avoidable culls since the showable amount in a litter is already small. At the moment, it's just more culls for me taking up more space

I don't see much of a market for live rabbits either.
I have my few SF but I don't plan on selling any. I saved the nicest doeling to breed with that buck of mine. They will be totally inbred, but not littermates. Depending on what the doe's inherited they can throw me black, blues, chocolates, lilacs or even rew if they both got that.
I can sell colorful pelts more easily then show stock anyway, and it's why I wanted to raise a fur breed in the first place.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

Very interesting thread.
I finally got an SF buck and all three of my does are bred to him. I am excited to see what colors i get. Evn though they will be mutts i breed for meat/pelts for myself so as long as they grow good i will be happy. It will be interesting to see what scope.of colors i get though.

 

[RothsRabbits]

chocolate and lilac silver fox :mrgreen:

 

[Sagebrush]

OOOOoooooo I LOVE the lilac!!

 

[Southbound_SF]

Glad to see this thread is still going on. Just saw RothsRabbits' pictures, and I really like the depth of color on both the blue and the chocolate. I'm bookmarking your website for the next time I'm in your area, or when (eventually) I get moved back down there. Georgia, right? Whereabouts?

SB

 

[skysthelimit]

Nice buns

I really need to go out and take pictures of the SF cross kits. Very interesting for comparison.

 

[Zass]

Nice buns

I really need to go out and take pictures of the SF cross kits. Very interesting for comparison.

Yes...you do. I've been waiting to see them

Rothrabbits, does my buck also share blood with any of those colorful lines? That is a NICE shade of chocolate.

 

[skysthelimit]

 

[Zass]

Sky are those your SF/ FA crosses? They look so FLOOFY! I think you have some nice pelts there.

 

[skysthelimit]

Sky are those your SF/ FA crosses? They look so FLOOFY! I think you have some nice pelts there.

Except for the last one, that's a full SF. Sister to the blue buck I kept. With a blue buck as the herd sire, a blue doe and three does that carry blue, I sure hope blues pass this round, I'm gonna have a barn full of blues.

The black hardly has any silvering, but the type is not as nice as the blue. Both will be crossed back to the Angora soon. I am not worried about the Silvering gene, because the black FA's gray undercoat already looks silvered, I don't think anyone would be able to tell in future generations.

I am expecting a chestnut FA as part of a trade in May, so I will cross the SFs to her to check for Steel, as none of the Rex took this last two rounds

 

[Zass]

Well, my fast growing buckling has grown all the way up. He's a little over 10 lbs. Almost 1 year old. Finally did get silver on his face and ears, although I have a terrible time getting it to show up in pics.
Also, it's not so much that I can't pose the rabbit...more like, I cannot pose him and keep him in that position while I take a picture. So anyway, I just took the pics I could.

Known genotype: __ Bb Cc Dd EsEs He's probably a self aa. I dunno. Bred to the tort and the self Lilac he threw all self kits. I tried like heck to tell if maybe they were just pretending to be selfs, but all I manged to do is make my eyes hurt. I crossed blue and chocolate lines to make him, and he is proven to throw blues, chocolates and rew. (Obviously he can make lilacs too)

I have finally realized something. He's UGLY. (and his coat is sunscorched) By ugly I mean his face. What the heck kind of face is that? Something only a mother could love probably. Well, I love him

Now that I'm thinking of getting out of SF altogether, I wonder...what should I do with him? He's really too sweet to eat, and his growth was excellent, and health, temper, and breeding ability are all good too. I'd ask for a bit longer fur maybe, a bit more density, lets ask for a bulkier shoulder while I'm at it.
I actually DO have his pedigree going back 4 generations. Not a single registered rabbit on there, and only 1 show leg.
(Lines are AGfox, Black Tree's, Twin Willows, Cute Buns, and then Collins rabbits going far enough back )
Wouldn't call him a show rabbit, but, no white spots or white nails, and he doesn't throw them. And did I mention he's sweet? I really hate selling rabbits, though. If only I had more holes! With only 9 holes max, I have rather little space here.

What would you guys do with him? I keep going back and forth. I don't really wanna sell him. But I feel if I want to be able to work on other things I really need to. Especially if there isn't a mate for him here. The does are too fearful. Always. It makes me sad. Because he's genetically a super steel I cannot use him for my foxy-pelt project.
I hate the kind of people who show up for cheap rabbits. So I don't really want to sell him as "just a meat buck", but I can see, he really isn't cute enough to sell as a pet either.