I was cautiously hopeful about getting at least one SF purebred kindle from Misty Blue in a couple of months with one of the SF bucks as I wanted a Lilac that would be related to only one buck, but I bred Misty Blue twice and she did not take either time. The first one time was with an unproven NZW buck who might have been too young so it might not have been her fault, but the second was with another NZW buck that was still young but had been proven.
Many rabbit breeders have a three strikes rule; bad mothering, not taking care of a kindle, an aggressive action, health issue, or whatever will add a strike for each disappointment. Any young or stressed out doe can make a mistake of not caring for her kits properly once, which is why breeders give a doe three strikes. However, Misty Blue already had some things that are adding up for me. She has always been difficult to accept a breeding and now she is four years old so fertility is a concern, seemingly justified at this point. Although she was difficult about accepting a buck, once bred she was always an excellent mother. She could get a bit challenging with me when I would check on her kits, but I appreciate a mother's protective instincts.
Of all the rabbits we have had, I probably forgotten more than I remember, but Misty Blue has been special to me. She was just eight weeks old when we got her along with Romeo, a Black SF who was retired this summer due to teeth and health issues. Misty was our very first Silver Fox doe, who sold me on the breed completely in just minutes as I held her. Although the silvering is rather striking on a black SF, I love the softer toned blues with those grey eyes. I plan to always have a blue doe, just because I like their appearance so much, which was why I wanted Denim, a blue SF doe, who would be breeding age about the time I had planned to retire Misty Blue after her last kindle of this season. Unfortunately, Misty will be retired this week instead.
Our original three NZWs, a buck and two does, were already gone, but until the end of this season I still have one of their offspring, Whoops, who was out of Buck and White Sugar. Now our original two Silver Foxes will be gone as well, but I will still have Golden Girl, a crossbred from Buck and Misty Blue, but this will also be her last season.
I will have to revamp my breeding plans again and work on getting my desired Lilac through another one of my SF does, hopefully this spring.