Welcome to our new page!
We are located in Southern Ohio and although we have different breeds, we specialize in breeding and raising Silver Fox Rabbits.
Another fair has come and gone. I couldn't be more proud of these kids and the work they put into their animals. Despite adversity and without realizing it, they continue to remind me why we do what we do. The things they learned, friends they made, and the memories they created will motivate and drive them to becoming better breeders, caregivers, and husbandrymen.
I can't be the only one, right?
It has come to my attention that what I posted on July 4th was censored and apparently viewed as hate speech by this social media company. This page is not political nor a platform for airing grievances, as it is the love of rabbits that brings people together here. However, it is unsettling that by simply copying and pasting the first several lines of our Declaration of Independence, my post was kept from the feeds of our followers and text eventually removed from what was supposed to be a post about the appreciation of the country that we call home. I have no idea if this post will suffer the same fate, but it is tragic that the very day we come together to celebrate our freedom is also the day that we were scorned for doing just that.
Chances are, if you've had your Silver Foxes at a show, you know what I'm talking about.
Watching the nesting process is probably my favorite part of raising rabbits. Seeing mother's instinct kick in to build the perfect little nest as she prepares to bring in new life is so amazing to watch.
Worth a shot right, this can be pens, rooms, houses whatever the bunny space.
MiniCon Columbus was another great experience this year. We got to see all the familiar faces, along with some new ones, and two of our does got their final legs and are now Grand Champion eligible. Plus, it wouldn't be a proper experience if we didn't bring home more rabbits than we left with, right?
Simple moments can be the most beautiful.
Spring is a busy time with cleaning and catching up with everything that got neglected over the winter, but the blooming of flowers and the arrival of fair babies are reminders of the constant birth of new beginnings. The summer will be here and over before we know it, and it's far too easy to get caught up in the rush of things, letting too many opportunities pass. We hope that 2024 continues to be a year of living deliberately, not just for us, but for all of you as well. The hope is to milk every moment for all it has before it becomes a memory.
There are a lot of good reminders in this post that I needed to hear. If you are new to breeding SOP rabbits, it is always good to listen to the feedback of your mentor or the respected breeders around you. However, if you know what you're looking at and have a clear vision for the direction you are going with your herd, go with your gut and don't get too distracted by the competition or table placement.
Another great post from Keith Sinders:
Tip of the Week:
Don’t rely too heavily on show placings.
This is one of those topics where I’ll get up on the pulpit and preach a little bit. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got for showing rabbits was to “go with what you like”.
I see people far too often relying too heavily on how their rabbits place at shows to determine which rabbits they keep and get rid of. That can sometimes be a recipe for confusion and disaster or at the very least culling or selling some rabbits that you never should have gotten rid of.
What tends to make the major difference between top breeders and people who aren’t top breeders is attention to detail. And that applies to most everything from evaluating the rabbits to how they get taken care of.
Hang around most any top breeder for a while and you’ll find that they have certain things that they are very picky about. Pay attention to what they are picky about because that’s part of the key to their success. Because being picky means paying close attention to small details.
Judges are giving a quick evaluation based upon how that rabbit looks to them at that exact moment in time. If that rabbit is a bit too young and small, it’s likely not going to place well. If the fur or condition isn’t finished, it likely won’t place well. If it didn’t pose well or the judge didn’t pose it properly, it likely won’t place well. If the competition is weak, it may place well and it still might not be all that good of a rabbit. If the competition is strong, it may place near last and still be a spectacular rabbit. And the size of the class isn’t always an indication of how strong the class is either. You might have a little local show where a few really strong breeders show up and the competition may be more fierce than even a national show. I’ve had a Florida White place in the 20s out of 40 some rabbits and the next day it calmed down and won Best 4 Class at the Ohio State Convention.
This is why show placement can be so confusing. A rabbit that is too small and places horribly at one show may grow a bit and dominate the competition a couple weeks later.
I’m not saying to disregard how your rabbits do at a show, but to put it in the proper perspective and to also trust your own personal opinion and judgement of your rabbits.
I see so many people watching closely how their rabbits place. What they tend not to pay attention to (comments and posing) is what they should probably be paying attention to the most.
When I’m showing my rabbits, I try situating myself in a position where I have a good view of the judge posing the rabbit and where I can hear the judge’s comments. It allows me to see if the judge posed the rabbit correctly or incorrectly, if the rabbit didn’t want to pose and if the pose affected the comments. The comments allow me to understand WHAT the judge does or doesn’t like about my rabbits. Placing tells you nothing about what the judge does or doesn’t like. It may not even tell you if the judge truly likes it better than some they put off the table earlier, because the judge may pull rabbits off the table randomly until they get down to a certain number of rabbits.
One thing I’m especially looking for are comments on things I might have missed or not caught that the judge may have. I often get the rabbit out later to see if I agree or disagree with the judge’s opinion. If I disagree, I’ll usually go with my own opinion. If I’m unsure, I may get the opinion of another breeder or kindly ask the judge to explain their opinion when they have a free moment.
Some top breeders enter what I call “game mode” when their rabbits are being judged. They pay intense attention to what the judge is doing and their comments. If a breeder is in “game mode”, don’t disturb them while they are in “game mode”. They don’t want to be distracted while their rabbits are being judged. Check in with them later when they have a free moment.
The biggest key to raising great show rabbits is to have a discerning eye. Learn what to look for. Don’t rush your judgements. Pick them out after looking at the rabbits multiple times. Build your evaluation of that rabbit from numerous times of looking at it over multiple days. Also notice trends of rabbits that have practically the same genetics.
Where are your best rabbits coming from? Which rabbits are the best for a certain trait? Most of the rabbits I like to keep are my very top rabbits, especially ones where there were multiple good rabbits in the litter. But sometimes a rabbit that I keep won’t be one of my best overall rabbits, but it may be one of my very best at a certain trait like fur, high point or massive hindquarters.
It’s also good to be patient when you can without hoarding rabbits. If you have a herd rabbit that almost always throws good rabbits, be a little more patient with that litter if they don’t look good. If it is a good litter and the rabbits are pretty close in quality, be careful about knit picking and getting rid of rabbits too soon. On litters that are close in quality, many times the best one doesn’t stay the best one in the litter. Let them develop a bit to see which ones become the best rabbits.
The biggest mistakes usually happen when a breeder rushes to judgment. I like to get rabbits out, think on it. Walk around the rabbit barn. Compare to other rabbits. Think about it a bit more. Look at the cage cards to see what they are out of. Pull up the pedigrees. Look for trends. Walk around the rabbit barn more and think. Then I repeat that process multiple different days until I feel that I have a solid feel for what each of those rabbits are and what I need to keep and get rid of.
Don’t let the judges tell you what to keep and get rid of. Still value their opinions and comments. Learn from them every opportunity that you can. But learn to become discerning, to trust your own judgement and to put the show results into proper perspective.
Just when we thought mud season was about over the clouds open up and turn everything back into soup.
Well after all the excitement, we learned that the Silver Fox being removed from the publoshed rare breed list was a mistake. They're still on there but no doubt it will be short-lived. Numbers are steadily growing and they are still making making their comeback.
Another family hooked on Silver Foxes! It was such a pleasure meeting these folks from and helping them begin their new journey raising Silver Foxes. It never gets old meeting new breeders that are as excited as we are about this wonderful, unique breed. We wish them nothing but the best and look forward to seeing their new rabbitry grow!
It was a long couple days, but the odds were in our favor at the Rabbit Renegades District 8 Winter Convention. Our juniors took best of breed in all 5 shows and best opposite in all but one. One of our junior bucks took reserve-in-show in the rare breed show, but it's hard to brag about that one since there were only two rare breeds represented. 😆 It was great to spend some time with good friends and meet some new breeders that are as excited as we are about Silver Foxes. Our good friend Nancy got honorable mentions by everyone for the amazing work she doing with her lines of blues that aren't approved yet. Her blues look amazing!
I should be asleep right now after a long PaSRBA weekend, But here I am cruising for and stealing memes 😌
The struggle is real.
"Tina, you fat lard, come get some dinner!" -Napoleon Dynamite
With a new year comes new beginnings and new visions for our future in rabbits, but it's important to remember where you came from and the things you learned along the way. This is Winnifred, our first brood doe, the day we brought her home all those years ago. Our goals were different back then, and although she likely wouldn't make the cut today, she met our needs perfectly at the time. Our rabbitry is unrecognizable today compared to back then. We have grown and gotten better, but much more work and improvement is still left to do. 2023 brought many new experiences for us, which introduced us to a lot of amazing people who helped shape our success at shows and at home, along with adding new beautiful rabbits to our herd. We ended 2023 on a high note, having one of our young does get 2 legs (wins) at a NYE show, and bringing home a new buck (from our wonderful friend Nancy) that had just won a Reserve in Show the same day. We have high hopes for 2024 and are excited to see what it brings! A lot of cool things are happening in the world of Silver Fox rabbits and we can't wait to be a part of it.
URGENT info is needed from all Silver Fox Breeders
To help the Livestock Conservancy review the breeds status on the
Priority List.
Please follow this link to complete the short survey.
https://www.fitfarmnutrition.com/silver-fox-survey.html
The DEADLINE is January 5th, 2024.
Thank you so much for your help to get this accomplished.
Wisdom
Momma is thankful they're finally eating something besides her and is enjoying the break. What are your rabbits thankful for? Happy Thanksgiving!
New Holland, OH
43145
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Salt and Pepper Rabbitry posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Watching the nesting process is probably my favorite part of raising rabbits. Seeing mother's instinct kick in to build the perfect little nest as she prepares to bring in new life is so amazing to watch.
A sure sign that babies are almost here! Bridget will pull her hair either the day she kindles, or the day before, to mix with the hay lining of her nesting box. This keeps the kits nice and warm, which is especially nice on colder weeks like this one.
