Silver Fox for meat?? (getting frustrated)

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Cottie

Cottie

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Rockford, IL
I'm getting demoralized.

My meat mutts produced, but they have small litters and the parents grew out to be small rabbits.

I'm down to 1 NZW doe and 2 bucks.

The "Cali" does I purchased close to a month ago aren't even 2 pounds yet.

I have 4 minilops to rehome.

I have 4 something-lops that I don't even know what to do with.

Someone nearby is selling Silver Fox with full pedigrees. I emailed her and she said she would have another litter available in September.

So how are THEY for meat?
 
I am crossing NZW and Silver Fox and am thrilled with the outcome. The litters are large (Chloe successfully raised 11 of the 12 she delivered), they grow fast, they have lovely dispositions and I just processed two at 10 weeks that dressed out at 4 and 4.5 pounds! I just posted a pic today of one of my kits out of my NZW doe and SF buck. This is Cinnamon, a SF/NZ doe at 11 weeks and over 6 pounds. Her mother just delivered another litter of 6 big fat kits to the same buck.
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Just make sure that breeder raises for meat, too. Or you will end up with the same issues you have now.
 
Agreed. The only silver foxes close to me are raised for show and produce litters of 6 or less with a decline after the first year. I appreciated the honesty of the guy but my meat mutts produce 8 regularly and they grow a little slower but not by mcu. I think it is the satin int he buck.

Best of luck finding stock. I do wish I could find silver fox with a meat focus, but I have gone with American blue and AM Chins for my heritage. Our AM chin buck has been great so far.
 
Thanks, guys. Those are things I didn't even think about.

I've made the decision to keep a holding pattern for the moment. We're building an outdoor rabbitry this fall, and I think things will stay based on how they produce. My two remaining meat mutts will always have a place in my heart, even if they spawn small litters. Ugh.

So I'm think I'm going to go with what I have, see how things grow out and make cull decisions in October. If necessary (I'm sure it will be) I'll pick up new stock around that time to be ready to breed in March.
 
We just had our first babies a couple weeks ago. It was a first litter for the Mama; she had 3 and lost one. I'm a bit disappointed but I think for a first litter, it's not that unusual. She's a wonderful mother! I swear you can see the little critters growing. I wasn't smart enough to weigh them when they were newborn, dang it (will know better next time), but they're nearly half a pound now at just under 2 weeks. Mom and Dad are just under 10 lbs each and are just 9 months old. I got them from fairly local breeders...one young man who's in 4H and another who breeds for sale and show. So far, I'm really pleased with my SF.

We acquired a mutt doe as well, and were going to breed her, but I'm leery...she's less than half the size of the buck and I worry about having kits too big for her. We may just re-name her "Stewpot"
 
I have 2 SF does and a SF buck that I breed for meat. So far they have been my worst producers although the 2 people I bought them from have had fabulous luck. I'm still really new to this and there is definitely a learning curve sometimes. I did cross my SF doe with my crème de argent buck... she's due middle of July.
 
I'm hardly the last person qualified to answer, seeing the problem that I'm having now, but my SF doe had 10. She comes from a line that has a lot, I haven't had that problem with my Rex, Angora, or SF, or even the Jersey Woolies, all show lines. Even the Holland had 5-7. The litters are ridiculously large. A good line will rival the NZ, you just have to find one. My Rex show friends are telling me that my Rex kits are too small, I should have 5lbs at 10 weeks min, and any SF that does meet that or better it is not what you want.
 
We have three SF does right now that have produced 11 and 8, 8 and 8, and 6 and 8 kits per litter. 6 is about where we like it to be. Anything more and we start running out of cage space.

RJ, if you want some more Silver Fox, I can send a couple of them to you for free next weekend (blue or black, your choice). We are going to Rock Cut State Park for the weekend on July 12 and we could drop them off on Friday. They would be just for meat production though, they each have a white spot that would make them a DQ on the show table.
 
phillinley":38naubgl said:
We have three SF does right now that have produced 11 and 8, 8 and 8, and 6 and 8 kits per litter. 6 is about where we like it to be. Anything more and we start running out of cage space.

RJ, if you want some more Silver Fox, I can send a couple of them to you for free next weekend (blue or black, your choice). We are going to Rock Cut State Park for the weekend on July 12 and we could drop them off on Friday. They would be just for meat production though, they each have a white spot that would make them a DQ on the show table.
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^...that almost makes me jealous :p you should take that deal :)
 
phillinley":2d8mq7e9 said:
We have three SF does right now that have produced 11 and 8, 8 and 8, and 6 and 8 kits per litter. 6 is about where we like it to be. Anything more and we start running out of cage space.

RJ, if you want some more Silver Fox, I can send a couple of them to you for free next weekend (blue or black, your choice). We are going to Rock Cut State Park for the weekend on July 12 and we could drop them off on Friday. They would be just for meat production though, they each have a white spot that would make them a DQ on the show table.
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Wow, thank you! I'm very tempted - space is the big issue right now. I will send you a PM on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm about half an hour east of Rock Cut, so I could meet you over there. Either way, I definitely appreciate the offer. :lovers:
 
skysthelimit":3ispmtze said:
I'm hardly the last person qualified to answer, seeing the problem that I'm having now ...
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Experience is experience, despite how it was acquired :grouphug2:

skysthelimit":3ispmtze said:
telling me that my Rex kits are too small, I should have 5lbs at 10 weeks min, and any SF that does meet that or better it is not what you want.
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Ummm, SF production should be 5# by 10 weeks on pellet-only diet from what I understand ... but, as with any breed and a large litter, slower fryer weight can/will happen. Personally, I believe that a "meat production" breed should be maintained at the meat production characteristics, especially large littes, fast weight gain, good mothering skills. I still need to hang my fish scale so I can get the current weights on the 10 week old ones :)
 
I just started with SF's but from what I can see they are doing better than my NZW or Cali's when it comes to meat weight.
 
They should, but since the breed was in decline, perhaps not all can life up the the standard they once did. Who knows what they had to be crossed with to keep the lines going, since no one really knows what the original crosses really where.
 

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