Silver Fox rabbit
The Silver Fox is a large, docile American meat and fur rabbit, 9–12 lb as an adult, and The Livestock Conservancy rates it for novices. Does have 6–8 kits, are known as good mothers and will foster other litters. The dense black or chocolate coat is shot through with silver-tipped hairs and stands up when you stroke it backwards.
- Temperament
- Docile, Gentle
- Cold tolerance
- Heat tolerance
- Space needed
- 6.25 sq ft
Is the Silver Fox right for you?
Good fit if
- You want one breed for both meat and pelts
- You want does that raise their own litters and will foster others
- You're new to rabbits and want a docile breed
Poor fit if
- You want blue rabbits you can show. Only black and chocolate are recognised
- You have no shade or moving air for summer
- You want a small rabbit. Adults weigh 9–12 lb
Appearance and varieties
A Silver Fox is a large rabbit with a commercial body: medium length, with well-filled shoulders and hindquarters. The head is small and the ears are big and upright.
The coat is what sets it apart. It is very dense, 1½–2 in long and slightly coarse. Stroke it from tail to head and it stands straight up, and stays there until you stroke it back. Silver-tipped and white hairs are scattered evenly over the whole body, including the head, feet and tail.
Kits are born a solid colour. Silvering starts at about 4 weeks. The Livestock Conservancy says it takes about 4 months to finish; the breed club says the coat is usually not fully developed until the sixth or seventh month. Toenails should be black; the breed club says anything else disqualifies a rabbit from showing.
Blue Silver Foxes exist, and blue was one of the two original colours, but it was dropped from the standard. The breed club says blue is under review with ARBA under a certificate of development, with the aim of having the colour readmitted. For now only black and chocolate may be shown.2116
Temperament and handling
The Livestock Conservancy describes the breed as docile and gentle and lists it as a good choice for a first family pet. The breed club says much the same: sweet-natured, fond of attention, and good mothers.12
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What to expect from a healthy doe. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Litter size | 6–8 kits1 | |
| Mothering | Plenty of milk; does often accept foster kits1 | |
| Dress-out | Up to 65% of live weight1 | The Livestock Conservancy reports this as what was said of the breed at its peak. It is not a measured modern figure. |
| Pelt | Dense fur 1½–2 in long; silvering complete at 4–7 months12 | The Livestock Conservancy says 4 months, the breed club 6–7. |
| First breeding age | 6–7 months, bucks about a month later than does8 | Penn State's figure for 9–12 lb breeds in general. |
| Gestation | 31–32 days8 | All rabbits. Put the nest box in on day 28. |
Planning a litter? Use the rabbit gestation calculator.
Housing, feed and health
Housing
Penn State's minimum cage for mature bucks and does is 30 in wide, 30 in deep and 20 in high. UMass suggests 48 × 30 × 18 in for large breeds, and that extra length is worth having for a rabbit that can reach 12 lb.
Cold is the lesser problem. Heat is the one to plan for: Alabama Extension says rabbits do not cope well above 90 °F, and Michigan State says most suffer heat prostration above 92 °F. Put hutches in shade, keep air moving above the cages rather than blowing on the rabbits, and make sure water never runs out.8976
Feed
A commercial rabbit pellet covers everything the rabbit needs. Penn State gives 6–8 oz of pellets a day for bucks, and for does without litters. Pregnant does and does with litters should have all they can eat.
Keep clean water available at all times. A doe with a litter can drink a gallon a day in warm weather.8
Health
Penn State's list of what keeps any rabbit herd healthy is short: clean cages, good ventilation, looking closely at each rabbit, and shelter from sun and rain. It says to isolate any sick or injured rabbit straight away.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If a rabbit stops eating or seems unwell, call a vet who treats rabbits, or your county extension office.8
Price and where to buy
Prices are per rabbit, read from three breeder pages on 8 October 2026. One of those pages was last updated in October 2019 and gives one range for all its breeds, and another carries a 2016 copyright line and no date, so treat the figures as a guide. Price depends on colour, age and whether you want a pedigree.
Where to look
Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.
| Seller or directory | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| National Silver Fox Rabbit Club members' directory | Breed club | Club members who asked to be listed |
| ARBA Find a Breeder | Directory | |
| The Livestock Conservancy breeders directory | Directory | |
| Full Soul Farm, Lawton, Michigan | Breeder | Kits $60–120 depending on colour and pedigree |
| RoundAbout Farm | Breeder | Pet-quality kits $25 without pedigree; show and breeding prospects from $50 with pedigree; page undated, footer says 2016 |
| Mad Hatter Microfarm | Breeder | Pedigreed rabbits $80–150, one range for all its breeds; page last updated October 2019 |
Budgeting for housing and feed as well? See the rabbit cost guide.
Similar breeds
| Breed | Adult weight | Litter size | Beginner | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Fox (this breed) | 9–12 lb | 6–8 kits | $25–$150 | |
| New Zealand | 9–12 lb | |||
| Checkered Giant | 11 lb or more |
History
Walter B. Garland of North Canton, Ohio, developed the breed during the 1920s. It was recognised in 1925 as the American Heavyweight Silver and renamed in 1929. ARBA calls it the third breed developed in the United States; the breed club calls it the second.
Garland never published how he made it, and the two best sources disagree. The breed club says he crossed a black self-coloured Checkered Giant doe with an English Silver buck. The Livestock Conservancy thinks Checkered Giant and Champagne d'Argent are the likely parents, perhaps with some American Blue, and says the truth is lost.
The National Silver Fox Rabbit Club was chartered in 1971 with 15 members, at a time when the breed was close to dying out. In 2026 the Silver Fox graduated from The Livestock Conservancy's priority list.
The rabbit called a Silver Fox in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand is a different breed. It is what Americans call a Silver Marten.1143
Common questions
What is a Silver Fox rabbit?
A large American breed raised for meat and fur. Adults weigh 9–12 lb. The dense coat, black or chocolate with silver-tipped hairs, stands up when you stroke it backwards. It has nothing to do with the silver fox, the animal; the name comes from the fur.12
How big do Silver Fox rabbits get?
Senior bucks weigh 9–11 lb and senior does 10–12 lb. ARBA's maximum is 12 lb.23
Are Silver Fox rabbits good pets?
They can be. The Livestock Conservancy describes them as docile and gentle and a good choice for a first family pet. Allow for the size: an adult weighs 9–12 lb and needs a cage at least 30 × 30 in.18
What colours do Silver Fox rabbits come in?
Two are recognised by ARBA: black and chocolate. Chocolate has been showable since December 2021. Blue was an original colour that was later dropped, and breeders are working to have it readmitted.131516
Are Silver Fox rabbits good for meat?
Yes. They were developed for meat and pelts. Does have 6–8 kits and milk well. The often-quoted 65% dress-out is what was said of the breed at its peak, not a recent measurement.1
Are Silver Fox rabbits rare?
Less than they were. The breed was close to dying out when its club was chartered in 1971. In 2026 it graduated from The Livestock Conservancy's priority list.114
Where can I find Silver Fox rabbit breeders?
Start with the National Silver Fox Rabbit Club members' directory and ARBA's Find a Breeder page. On the breeder pages we checked, pet-quality kits started at $25 and pedigreed stock ran $50–150.101112
Is a Silver Fox the same as a Silver Marten?
Not in the United States, where they are separate breeds. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand the name Silver Fox is used for the rabbit Americans call a Silver Marten.1
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- The Livestock Conservancy, Silver Fox Rabbit.
- National Silver Fox Rabbit Club, The Breed.
- American Rabbit Breeders Association, Silver Fox.
- Ohio State University Extension, Ashtabula County, Study Tips for Rabbit Breeds, revised 2016 (PDF).
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service, Rabbit Tracks: Summer Rabbit Care, 4-H 1440 (archive copy, PDF).
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Summer Heat and Rabbit Production, UNP-0082 (PDF).
- Penn State Extension, Rabbit Production.
- UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, Rabbit Housing.
- RoundAbout Farm, Silver Fox Rabbits.
- Full Soul Farm, Michigan, Silver Fox Rabbits.
- Mad Hatter Microfarm, Rabbits for sale.
- University of Illinois Extension, ARBA rabbit breed identification guide: breeds, varieties and showroom classes (PDF).
- National Silver Fox Rabbit Club, History.
- National Silver Fox Rabbit Club, Chocolate.
- National Silver Fox Rabbit Club, Blue certificate of development.
Something wrong? Tell us and we'll check it.