After getting my rabbitry binder back into shape, I was thinking I would sit down and start devising a breeding plan that would work around the fall shows I want to attend. I also needed to add all my breeders here on my blog as well! I had only one doe listed as I began writing this post, but I also had three with a fourth potential and two bucks with a third potential for some time. Yet, just when I thought it was time to gear up and plan for the breeding season and upcoming shows...and opportunity presented itself that would have blown up those brilliant breeding plans anyway!
Beth of Silver Lox Rabbitry had made a difficult decision to sell out of her rabbits because her work schedule and its inflexibility had been making it completely impossible for her to show. I cannot express my sadness about that. I was so looking forward to going to shows and having her there; the Silver Fox breed is rare because breeders are rare and good breeders are rarer still. I had bought a proven doe, Canyon, and two rather promising juniors, Starry Knight and Twilight, from her in recent months. Now she was offering her Grand Champion Leon, which I jumped on the opportunity of buying immediately. I was also wanting another doe even though I really did not have the space, but space would be made for a show quality doe!
Beth of Silver Lox Rabbitry had made a difficult decision to sell out of her rabbits because her work schedule and its inflexibility had been making it completely impossible for her to show. I cannot express my sadness about that. I was so looking forward to going to shows and having her there; the Silver Fox breed is rare because breeders are rare and good breeders are rarer still. I had bought a proven doe, Canyon, and two rather promising juniors, Starry Knight and Twilight, from her in recent months. Now she was offering her Grand Champion Leon, which I jumped on the opportunity of buying immediately. I was also wanting another doe even though I really did not have the space, but space would be made for a show quality doe!
Last Friday, I met up with Stephanie Hughes of Hair + Feather at Silver Lox Rabbitry. She was looking for blues, a pair possibly. I was there to pick up Leon and look for a black doe.
Beth brought out GC Leon first to be posed and he was in molt so not the best coat at the time, but all I could think is, "Now this is what an SOP Silver Fox should look like!" (SOP - Standard of Perfection) I actually was telling myself to look for anything that would make me walk away, but the more I looked the more I was doing a private happy dance inside. For an older buck, his condition looked quite good, as I expected it would, because Beth has always had quite healthy rabbits.
Unfortunately, this is not flattering picture of him as he was molting and he was probably feeling grumpy about the change of location, but I still think he is adorable with his long luscious fur!
Next, Beth brought out a blue buck for Stephanie and he was mighty fine, as he should be. He is my Twilight's brother and grandchild of Leon. I was quite taken with him. Stephanie was too, but she wanted to think it over, so he was placed in a carrier cage as Beth brought out his sister. This is the one I had chosen Twilight over, but looking at her there, I could not remember why. She had developed nicely. (I have always felt Silver Foxes are slower to develop but so worth the wait too.)
Stephanie thought over whether to get both or which one of the two rabbits, since they were siblings. She decided on the doe and a carrier cage. Then she was off to get her pretty doe home and settled in.
I had walked around and saw a black doe that I really liked. Lovely fur and she just looked pretty good in the cage, but when Beth placed her on the table, I was again doing that inside happy dance. I am not sure that Beth really wanted to sell her, but she did. Of course, Luna looked amazing because she is Leon's daughter and I knew she was proven because she is also my Twilight's dam.
I was looking very critically for type without worrying about relationships, so I had chosen unintentionally some pretty closely interrelated rabbits. I can always bring in diversity, but getting to that show quality type—I was thinking it would take me around two years or more if I found better rabbits and kept working to improve my lines. These rabbits are giving my rabbitry a huge head start in a better direction!
Right now, my rabbitry looks like Silver Lox 2.0. Of all the rabbits I currently have, only two were not purchased from or offspring of a rabbit from Silver Lox...and I am smiling about that. Beth worked at having the best in our area and I hope to carry on her legacy!
Beth brought out GC Leon first to be posed and he was in molt so not the best coat at the time, but all I could think is, "Now this is what an SOP Silver Fox should look like!" (SOP - Standard of Perfection) I actually was telling myself to look for anything that would make me walk away, but the more I looked the more I was doing a private happy dance inside. For an older buck, his condition looked quite good, as I expected it would, because Beth has always had quite healthy rabbits.
Unfortunately, this is not flattering picture of him as he was molting and he was probably feeling grumpy about the change of location, but I still think he is adorable with his long luscious fur!
Next, Beth brought out a blue buck for Stephanie and he was mighty fine, as he should be. He is my Twilight's brother and grandchild of Leon. I was quite taken with him. Stephanie was too, but she wanted to think it over, so he was placed in a carrier cage as Beth brought out his sister. This is the one I had chosen Twilight over, but looking at her there, I could not remember why. She had developed nicely. (I have always felt Silver Foxes are slower to develop but so worth the wait too.)
Stephanie thought over whether to get both or which one of the two rabbits, since they were siblings. She decided on the doe and a carrier cage. Then she was off to get her pretty doe home and settled in.
I had walked around and saw a black doe that I really liked. Lovely fur and she just looked pretty good in the cage, but when Beth placed her on the table, I was again doing that inside happy dance. I am not sure that Beth really wanted to sell her, but she did. Of course, Luna looked amazing because she is Leon's daughter and I knew she was proven because she is also my Twilight's dam.
I was looking very critically for type without worrying about relationships, so I had chosen unintentionally some pretty closely interrelated rabbits. I can always bring in diversity, but getting to that show quality type—I was thinking it would take me around two years or more if I found better rabbits and kept working to improve my lines. These rabbits are giving my rabbitry a huge head start in a better direction!
Right now, my rabbitry looks like Silver Lox 2.0. Of all the rabbits I currently have, only two were not purchased from or offspring of a rabbit from Silver Lox...and I am smiling about that. Beth worked at having the best in our area and I hope to carry on her legacy!
Thank you so much, Beth of Silver Lox Rabbitry!