Choosing a Rabbit Breed

So you've decided you want to raise rabbits. Pretty exciting. It is a rewarding and fun hobby that is great for singles, couples or kids alike. Assuming you've done a bit of research or that research has brought you to my page, I've put together the basics of choosing the breed (or breeds) of rabbit that is right for your situation, needs and goals.

When looking at different breeds of rabbits to start your rabbitry with (and I use the word rabbity as an all encompassing term, whether you have 2 rabbits or 50) there are several questions you should ask yourself.

What purpose are my rabbits to be used for - Food/Meat, Pet, Fur, Show Stock or just for fun? 

Once you decide this you can start narrowing down breeds. Breeds like New Zealand, Californian, and Silver Fox are great for meat and show, but I would't recommend New Zealand or Californians for pets or for fur production. If you are only looking for pet, maybe consider a small breed that are easier to find homes for like Lionheads or Mini Rex. 

How much time do I have to devote to my new hobby?  

If you only have a few minutes a day then breeds that require additional care, like angora's for coat care, may be off the list for you. Consider the time you have available when considering the number of rabbits to get as well.

How far are you willing to drive to get your rabbits? 

Some breeds, Silver Fox included, are harder to find quality stock for. You may drive several hours up to several states to find good quality stock. I regularly have people from 3+ hours out and surrounding states come to my for Silver Foxes. Visa versa I have gotten rabbits from NC, MI, AR and all over to get the best stock I could. Now a breed like New Zealand are much more common, so finding decent stock may be easier. 

All together the main point is that it's important to do your research prior to getting your first rabbits. Having all your supplies ready is one thing, but starting out with a breed that isn't going to help you meet your goals or expectations can ruin the dream quickly. 

And like with any animal, remember that starting with quality is key. Not everyone wants to show their rabbit, but show stock is premium quality, and I recommend starting with the best. It's much harder and more costly to improve quality on poorly bred rabbits then to start with good stock from the beginning. 

Silver Fox Rabbits; Black vs Chocolate & the Dilute Gene

In our previous post, Silver Fox Color Genetics 101, we covered the 5 alleles of a rabbit color genotype; A, B, C, D, E.

We learned that the A, C, and E allele are moderately unimportant in most Silver Fox rabbits, should the outlier of a REW (C allele) or Steel (E allele) pop up occasionally.

So lets look at the important alleles that we need to get the colors we want when selecting breeding pairs; the B and C alleles.

Here is a pictographic showing the color genotypes of the 4 phenotypical 'colors' of Silver Fox rabbit. Note I put 'colors' in quotes, as genetically speaking all Silver Fox rabbits are Black or Chocolate, some just have a double dilute gene masking the full color of the rabbit. 

Silver Fox Rabbit Color Genetics 101

Rabbit colors are based on 5 basic genes, A, B, C, D, E. These gene codes (alleles) make up the genotype of the rabbit. The genotype determines the phenotype, what you see when you look at the rabbit.

Specifically, in this post we are going to talk only about the Silver Fox rabbit and its basic colors (black, chocolate, blue, lilac). Although it is important to note once in a while a white silver fox will pop up with the right gene variances, depending on the genotypes of your rabbits.

Silver Foxes are a relatively simply breed to determine colors on compared to breeds like Rex, who have many colors and genotype combinations. To get the rabbit coat colors want, it is very useful to be at least somewhat familiar with rabbit coat color genetics. Breeding wisely with purpose will help you know ahead what colors to expect in your offspring.

The 5 gene locations act upon the TWO basic colors in a rabbit's coat - black, and yellow - changing how those two pigments get expressed in the rabbit's fur. Some genes produce a color, and some genes turn OFF a color.

The 5 Color Genes in Rabbits

A: Agouti hair shaft pattern | Silver Fox Rabbits have 2 “aa” genes, so we will not focus on this gene location. Basically (aside from the silvering) they are one solid color top to bottom, unlike some breeds with underbellies and fee different colors than their topside.

B: Black (or chocolate) | This allele is important in Silver Foxes. Black and Chocolate are the 2 color types in Silver Foxes, both with a dilute version (well get to that later). Black is dominate to Chocolate. So any rabbits with a “BB” or “Bb” will phenotypically display as Black. The “Bb” carries one Chocolate gene though. Chocolate Silver Foxes must have two Chocolate genes on the B allele, so “cc”. They only carry the Chocolate gene, so EVERY single offspring they have will be passed at least 1 Chocolate gene and be a carrier at minimum.

• A Black Silver Fox will always have “BB” or “Bb” on the B allele (and be “DD” or “Dd” on the D allele, we’ll get to that too.) 
• A Chocolate Silver Fox will always have “bb” on the B allele (and be “DD” or “Dd” on the D allele, again we’ll get to that.)

C: Complete color (or shaded, or albino) | Some Silver Foxes carry a “c” gene, and 2 copies will produce a REW (Red Eyed White) rabbit, but it is not overly common and both parents must carry a small “c” on that gene location. So any Silver Fox rabbit that displays color will be “CC” or “Cc” on the C gene location.

D: Dilute color | This allele is important in Silver Foxes. The dilute gene determines if the color on the B Allele will show as a full color or a diluted color. Blue is the dilute of Black and Lilac is the dilute of Chocolate. Full color (non-dilute) is dominant to dilute, so dilute Silver Foxes (Blue or Lilac) must have two dilute genes on the D allele, so “dd”. Like the Chocolate gene, dilutes only carry the dilute gene, so EVERY single offspring they have will be passed at least 1 dilute gene and be a carrier at minimum.

• A Blue Silver Fox will always have “dd” on the D allele and be Black on the B allele “BB” or “Bb”. 
• A Lilac Silver Fox will always have “dd” on the D allele and be Chocolate on the B allele “bb”. 

E: Extension of color (or its limitation or elimination) | The E allele gets messy, and for the sake of Silver Fox rabbits, if you have a normal coated animal then the E gene is not something to worry about. If you have Steel colored kits pop up I would start to question the purebredness of your rabbits.

Other Important Things to Know or Remember

Capitalized letters almost always refer to a dominant gene, and lower case to a recessive gene.

A "place marker" is used in the spot of an unknown, second gene copy, represented by an dash A-B-C-D-E-.

Since the capitalized code letters represent dominant genes, you cannot know by looking at the rabbit what the second code letter of the pair is. When the rabbit coat color genetic blueprint is not fully known, the place markers are used. A study of the pedigree, and test-breeding’s will reveal the identity of the recessive genes.

A genotype refers to the full set of underlying rabbit coat color genetic codes. Phenotype refers to what the rabbit actually looks like.

Welcome to Gyphon Farms

Hello! As the description says, we are a breeder of purebred, pedigreed Silver Fox rabbits in Central, MO. Our website is dedicated to the information and celebration of the Silver Fox Rabbit breed and all breeds of rabbits. Here you will find resources on rabbit husbandry, evaluating silver fox rabbits, breeding, feeding and enjoying all things Silver Fox Rabbit.

I have been working with Silver Fox rabbits for 4 years now, and of the several breeds I have dabbled in, have decided they are the best all around rabbit for meat, fur, brooding ability and personality. They are generally very healthy hygienic rabbits that grow quickly but also have unique personalities. And of course are beautiful animals.

I primarily got into rabbits to help supplement food costs for my 3 raw fed mastiffs. I wanted a breed that was hardy, would grow fast, but wasn't your run of the mill red-eyed white meat bunny. No thanks. After some research I settled on Silver Fox and found a breeder a few hours away and the hobby started.

Now 4 years later, I would like to share what I have learned with others interested in the breed. When doing research myself I found it hard to find all the resources needed in one space, and specifically information about Silver Foxes, so this is my remedy. Any rabbits I have available will also be posted to this page, so please check back often for updates, new posts and upcoming litters and available rabbits.  

You can find us on https://rabbitbreeders.us/.