Rowan and Rob's Rabbits

     The argument seems to be as old as the breed. Just where/when did the Silver Fox originate, and what colors are "true" Fox? The answer will never fully be realized, but we can get pretty close.

​

     The Silver Fox rabbit is either the second or the third breed developed in the United States. It was created by Walter B. Garland of North Canton, Ohio during the 1920s after 14 years of selective breeding. Mr. Garland had two specific goals in mind for the breed: he wanted a rabbit with fur similar to that of a black fox – long, dense, and somewhat silvered, and the new breed also needed to be utilitarian, meaning have a meat rabbit frame weighing more than 8 pounds and have a meat-producing body type. Exactly how he achieved this goal is not clear, as he never explained his exact process.

 

     The genetic make-up of the breed has never been divulged. What is known is that Garland was one of America’s earliest breeders of the Checkered Giant breed and kept Champagne D’ Argents as well. Crosses in more recent years using Champagne D’ Argents with self-colored rabbits have produced reasonably nice examples of a Silver Fox type rabbit. It is likely that Garland used self-colored Checkered Giants for the very large size; Champagne D’ Argents for the silvering, fur length, and meat qualities; and perhaps an infusion of American Blue to improve on the meat producing qualities and the blue color.

     Because his new breed was significantly larger than his Silver rabbits, it was initially known as the Heavyweight Silver. The breed was recognized and a standard approved in 1925 under the name American Heavyweight Silver. In 1929 the name was changed to the American Silver Fox and later to Silver Fox.

While Silver Fox rabbits come in a variety of colors (black, blue, chocolate, lilac and white) the breed has always been recognized in two varieties - blue and black. During the 1970s, however, the blues were dropped from the American Rabbit Breeders Association standards due to lack of numbers being shown. ARBA only currently accepts the black Silver Fox standard, but the Blue and Chocolate standards are being developed.

​

     In 1971, as the breed teetered on the brink of extinction, eighteen breeders formed the National Silver Fox Rabbit Club. Over the next 40 years, the breed has made a modest comeback. Once on the Livestock Conservancy ‘critically endangered’ list, it is now listed only as ‘threatened,’ which is very good news, as this rabbit is found only in the USA and Canada. The breed is not recognized in other countries, although in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom there is a breed called Silver Fox, which is actually the same as the Silver Marten in America. As of 2014, the Silver Fox is no longer listed among the rarest 15 US breeds on the Rare Rabbit Breeds List.