Frequently Asked Questions

We have worked with several different meat breeds over the years, and have decided that Silver Fox are the only ones we care to keep anymore. They are docile, generally appreciate human interaction, tend to be very good mothers, and tolerate the southern summers better that we expected. Their gentle dispositions make them a great choice if you are introducing your children to the responsibilities of small livestock. We also enjoy them for their varied colors, beautiful dark eyes, and distinctive silvered fur.

A pedigree is simply a breeder record showing the parentage of your rabbit for several generations. It is not a "registration" (like AKC in dogs) but rather the product of your breeder keeping track of lineage as they breed individuals. It does not make a rabbit better, or more "special" than an un-pedigreed rabbit. What it does do is show you a snapshot of the detailed effort that the breeder has gone to in order to track and record their progress of (hopefully) improving their results generation after generation. Our rabbits all come with a three generation pedigree, going back to great-grandparents. (Each pedigree represents a minimum of 4-5 years of recordkeeping.)

This is a great question. Generally speaking, a trio will get you going. (Unless you are experienced in breeding rabbits, we do not recommend a pair--it's always better to have two mothers kindle at the same time should you need to foster kits for some reason.) It doesn't have to be unrelated individuals--line breeding is quite common in rabbits. For additional questions on the nuts and bolts of raising rabbits for meat (housing/breeding/harvesting/etc.), I have included a recommendation for a fantastic book on my RESOURCES page.

Our AVAILABILITY page is kept current with rabbits that are ready for new homes. If you are prepared for your new rabbit (have housing, supplies, etc. already set up and in place) please contact us via email or voice (we have very limited text) with the information on the individual(s) you are interested in and we will respond as soon as possible to discuss the details. Please understand we are a WORKING HOMESTEAD, with all the associated chores, tasks, and responsibilities that come with it, and we will respond to your request just as soon as we can!

If you are brand new to rabbit keeping, the best place to start is research! We have linked several excellent sources of information for beginners on our RESOURCES page. Laurel has also invested a great deal of time into publishing information-dense BLOG articles that are a result of questions she often gets. Beyond that we highly recommend you deep-dive into YouTube videos, purchase hard-copy books, and join several Facebook meat rabbit groups for access to experienced rabbit keepers who are happy to help with ideas and advice!

We do not show rabbits, nor do we offer show prospects. That is not to say our rabbits do not adhere to published breed standards (known as Standards of Perfection, or SOP), we simply do not enjoy the demands of maintaining a show schedule (travel, lodging, hauling our animals to and fro, exposing them to possible contagions or injury, etc.) or the social expectations of being members of a club. We are exclusively focused on producing healthy meat for our family, and quality small livestock for the homesteader who wants to raise their own meat. If you are interested in showing rabbits, we highly encourage you to visit the ARBA and research the specific clubs and breeders available in your area.

We do not offer pet rabbits. There are far too many pet rabbits in need in rescues and shelters, and we encourage and endorse rescue adoption. You may ask how we can reconcile this perspective while harvesting rabbits for meat. It's simple--homesteaders will never dump a domestic rabbit to fend for itself in the wild. Domestic rabbits are not equipped to survive outside of captivity and dumping one outdoors is unconscionably cruel. Yet, every year countless rabbits are dumped after the "cute" wears off, they start spraying due to sexual maturity, or the kids stop taking care of it. This is particularly problematic after Easter. If you are committed to a pet rabbit then PLEASE consider offering a home to a rescue in need!

At this time, the best way to keep up with our chick/grow-out availability is to follow our Facebook page!