The Loneliest Agouti

[skysthelimit]

She's skittish, a corner sulker, a bad mom, small, and just generally makes me feel like a terrible person whenever I distribute the treats.

It is unfortunately also all things rather typical of modern SF does.

I finally have one who's passed the motherhood test...with a smallish litter (only 5!) At least she isn't peeing on them or trampling them in a blind panic.

The less said about the others...the better.


My buck is a good fella. Easiest rabbit to handle, and all the SF bucks I've seen have been excellent breeders, ha, they probably have to be to deal with those neurotic does!

I will say the skiddish, sulking in the corner is very typical. On average, I am not impressed with temperament in this breed. I have some docile does, but I had to work for it. (same with Rex). The rarer the breed, the more likely people aren't culling for temperament.

That is a small litter though. I'd be pretty mad. These guys are putting out at least 8 and up to 10.

The bucks are much better, like puppies. <br /><br /> __________ Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:14 am __________ <br /><br />

I wish I could find a doe worthy of him!

What is the furthest drive you can make. I'm thinking if I ask the SF breeders on FB, there must be someone who lives in WA, driving down to Convention.

 

[dangerbunny]

I must have gotten lucky because I really like my SF, good litters, good mothering (with the exception of one time) and nice attitudes. I cull really hard though for looks, attitude and health, and I have noticed a lot of people getting out of the breed due to health issues so I am super strict on my herd. I have Klingon view of animal husbandry, only the strong should survive.

 

[skysthelimit]

If I pick up a kit, and it fights too much, it won't make it back in the cage.

Skip, so far on the SF facebook page, I've had two breeders in Northern Idaho respond.

 

[skip]

If I pick up a kit, and it fights too much, it won't make it back in the cage.

Skip, so far on the SF facebook page, I've had two breeders in Northern Idaho respond.

They have a Facebook!? So far the furthest I've driven is two hours, and in my poor old truck that's probably about my limit. I called up the folks with the litter here, they've sold all but two bucks but may be interested in trading a doe for a red satin doe in the future. I'll hear in a few days

 

[skysthelimit]

If I pick up a kit, and it fights too much, it won't make it back in the cage.

Skip, so far on the SF facebook page, I've had two breeders in Northern Idaho respond.

They have a Facebook!? So far the furthest I've driven is two hours, and in my poor old truck that's probably about my limit. I called up the folks with the litter here, they've sold all but two bucks but may be interested in trading a doe for a red satin doe in the future. I'll hear in a few days

there are two, silver Fox breeders and Silver Fox fanciers. One is more strict, into preserving the breed and gets up set with anyone breeding anything other than direct to the SOP, if you get a funky gene you get a scarlet letter...

The other is more about exploring what genes are inside the buns, and testing to expose and improve the breed.

 

[Zass]

I agree with everyone one about the heavy culling...so much so that I've just about culled my own SF herd to extinction.

Unfortunately, I wasn't very lucky with the breed...but I can assure everyone that I removed quite a bit of the nasty stuff people are selling locally as SF from the gene pool!

My advice is to buy as many jr does as you can afford and can house, so that you can select from the best of them later.

 

[skip]

My advice is to buy as many jr does as you can afford and can house, so that you can select from the best of them later.

Haha, well seein' as there's exactly zero at the moment that'll be easy! From the comments here I'm about ready to leave Bucky to breeding the NZWs and start in on a line of tri-color Rex instead. The Silver Fox is beautiful and utilitarian, and I'm all about that, but with a double recessive rabbit like my red satins or a tri-color rex I'm guaranteed to get what I pay for the first time. I've got two litters of SF (well, Bucky Fox) x red satin coming next month, if they grow out as nicely as everything else Bucky has sired I'd have no problem at all just letting Bucky be a mutt makin' machine.

The comments here have also sort of got me thinking about the ethics of breeding any more of these fake foxes, and while I know I'd tell people the truth about it, I would ultimately be leading to more of them, and I already know most people are selling their rabbits as whatever breed will get the most money. If I don't want to contribute to that problem I think it's best if I only have as many "silver fox" as I can deal with myself, and just not let any make it off my property. Who knows, maybe in another couple years things will change again. Any one of you with problem genes in your foxes ended up with that from a person like me, either directly or indirectly. If I can't be part of the solution I can at least not be part of the problem, right?

 

[skysthelimit]

That's pretty much why 90% of what I breed is terminally culled.

I don't sell meat rabbits. I sell rabbits I would show, or keep, if I had time or space, with peds, to meat breeders. So whatever I put out there is worthy of the breed.

I'll be interested in how the Tri Rex do. They are even more rare than SF.

 

[skip]

I'll be interested in how the Tri Rex do. They are even more rare than SF.

Holy smokes, really? That's a shame, they're awfully pretty. I don't know anything about rexes though, so I've got some research ahead of me. I guess I'll start doing my homework on rexes *and* start saving my pennies, if they cost as much as rare rabbits tend to.

 

[skysthelimit]

Originally it was a color I wanted, but they are hard to get.

Rex in general are hard to find, I'd be pretty skeptical of someone out of the blue who happens to have some Tri color Rex. Who knows :shrug:
Mostly because the non extension gene (though you can pair two harlie genes) needed doesn't play well with any other recognized Rex color except Red. So I do not own any non extension carrying colors, because I only breed acceptable colors.

 

[skip]

These folks are raising them for fur and selling the meat to a local co-op, so I think they probably have the financial freedom to maintain tri-rexes (they raise satins, too). They aren't exactly out of the blue, it's just that they usually only advertise fryers and roasters.

I do think it'd be pretty funny if I ended up with all rare rabbits, since I'm really only in this for myself. I've never sold rabbits before, just bred what I could handle on my own, but I'm intrigued by the thought of paying for feed by selling a couple a month. Rather than a real breeder operation I could end up with something more akin to a rabbit museum. That'd be ok by me

 

[skysthelimit]

These folks are raising them for fur and selling the meat to a local co-op, so I think they probably have the financial freedom to maintain tri-rexes

Well they aren't expensive, just unusual. Breeders work hard to find them, and of the hundred and so odd people I know actively breeding Rex (there aren't a lot of Rex breeders nationwide), only 3 have Tri. Tri is a pretty rare color in any breed that accepts it.

I think more people should raise rare breeds and colors. I'm on the rare breed rabbit FB forum. it's pretty cool to meet people with the same passion. Besides the Woolies, I just had to choose three of the most hard to find breeds, and want the rarest colors in those breeds. i'm trying to get Sables and Cals, and I have chins.

I've been wanting to tell you, the plural of Rex is just Rex. Didn't want to see snobbish though, lol.

 

[skip]

I've been wanting to tell you, the plural of Rex is just Rex. Didn't want to see snobbish though, lol.

Hahahaha, oh thank god you did, I trip over it every time. Rexes? Rexi? Reex? Reexes? Rixe? Oh English language, you're a cruel and unpredictable mistress!

__________ Mon May 05, 2014 8:12 pm __________

Well, it turns out sometimes the best teacher is time. I was in South Dakota for a few days, and came back to a different litter! Here's how the litter looks now, as you can see we've got an agouti, GTS, and self black. The agouti is still alone, there are two gold tipped steels, and one self black. I'll be growing them out for a while yet, so we'll see if any or all of them develop silvering. From the looks of the litter I'm writing up the doe as Aa and EsE. She's started a molt this week, and I can now see some GTS "stripes" along her flank. I never saw a speck of gold or brown fur on her before, and I'm left wondering if perhaps her winter coat just hid it?

The kits are growing nicely, but they're noticeably more skittish than kits from other litters despite handling and light treats every day. I feel as bad handling them as I do handling the doe, and it makes me sad to have rabbits that are so afraid so often . I've come to find the GTS kits very beautiful, and I would like to produce more of this type, but I've had it with this doe and this line. She'll be on her way out once the kits are weaned, and I won't be keeping any of this litter.

You guys have been such a great help, I'd never wrap my head around this genetics stuff without your patience and wisdom. Thanks for being such a friendly and knowledgeable place to ask newbie questions.

EDIT: Oh geez, I don't know why this posted as an edit, or why the picture is sideways :/ it showed up straight before, I swear! I still have a lot to learn, obviously :shock: