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Silver Fox Rabbits
The Silver Fox rabbit was developed in the 1920's by Walter B. Garland of North Canton, Ohio. The Silver Fox is a multi-purpose breed raised for meat, fur, and show, and is the third rabbit breed developed in the United States. The breed, originally known as the American Heavyweight Silver, was recognized and a standard approved in 1925. The breed was originally recognized in both a black and blue variety but in the 1970s the blues were dropped from the ARBA Standards because there was a lack of rabbits being shown. Silver Foxes almost fell out of production, with numbers dwindling and nearing extinction, until fifteen breeders came together and formed the NSFRC (National Silver Fox Rabbit Club). These members worked tirelessly to promote and conserve this wonderful and unique rabbit breed.
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The exact heritage of the breed was never divulged by Garland but the speculation is that he used self-colored Checkered Giants for the very large size; Champagne D’ Argents for the silvering, fur length, and meat qualities; and possibly an infusion of American Blue to improve on the meat producing qualities and contribute the blue color.
The Silver Fox is a docile and strikingly beautiful rabbit. It is set apart from all other breeds as the only rabbit with stand-up, instead of fly-back, fur. When stroked from tail-to-head, Silver Fox rabbits' fur stands straight up until stroked back down. This was the hallmark of the early Silver Foxes, and it was developed as a way to re-create the pelt of the silver fox in an economical way and without the hassle of trapping wild foxes. In regards to its meat qualities, Silver Foxes were the first large breed rabbit produced that has potential to dress out up to 65% of its live weight. In addition to their fur and meat qualities, these rabbits have a gentle nature and does are excellent mothers, often having large litters and producing plenty of milk. Many rabbit breeders keep Silver Fox does in their rabbitry to act as a foster for babies from their other rabbits.
Silver Foxes are born as a solid color rabbit - black, blue, chocolate, lilac, or white - with the silvering developing as they grow older, beginning as early as six weeks and the process takes about four months to complete. The fur is extremely dense and is one of the longest of all domestic rabbit breeds, reaching one-and-a-half to two inches in length. Silver Foxes are a large breed. Bucks weigh up to 11 pounds and does often reach 12 pounds as adults. As such, this is a breed worthy of commercial rabbit farming. They also enjoy attention and petting and are easy to handle, making them a delight for farmers to care for while simultaneously producing rabbits that are gentle enough for children to show.
Alaskan Red Fox
The Alaskan Red Fox (a tort variety of Silver Fox Rabbits) was a later development project started in the 1920's, also by Walter Garland. He created a working standard in 1931 but the breed was never recognized by the ARBA. Records of the breed disappear after 1940, with this rabbit considered extinct. Some Silver Fox enthusaists wanted to work to bring this variety back and have worked hard to do so. Tort Silver Foxes do still pop up occasionally in a litter of standard colored foxes. The gene that causes their tortoiseshell appearance (tort gene) is recessive, requiring a rabbit to inherit a copy from both parents in order to express the red fox appearance.
This variety of color has many of the same standards as the Silver Fox, with the main exception being the tort color. The color was to display a reddish tan color over the top of the back and carried as far down the sides as possible, fading into a slate blu on the lower sides and the belly, verifying that this is indeed a tortoiseshell rabbit and not actually a red. The fur was described to be just as the Silver Fox, with stand-up fur and silvering present.
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We are both fortunate and excited to get to be a part of bringing this rabbit back and we hope to be able to produce high-quality Alaskan Red Foxes starting in spring of 2022 and our aim with this breeding project is to bring awareness to this beautiful variety of Silver Fox and to contribute to the variety's type, fur quality, and health through our breeding program.