Hi everyone,
I guess I need to make some comments here before people start getting the wrong impression,
or get confused about all this talk about White Silver Fox.

First off they do happen naturally on a very rare occasion.
If you do happen to get one in a litter, and if it is a doe, you can breed it once to your best Black or Blue buck. (Do not keep more!)
At this point, you should keep only the very best colored doe out of that litter and breed that into your herd. PLEASE, PLEASE do not keep any more than that and do not try to breed for them!!!

If you do that, you will eventually get into trouble as you will lock in the REW gene.
This is not something that you want to do!!!
White fox are a throw back, and they can help with your fur and type if used in your breeding program correctly,
If they are used incorrectly they will eventually destroy your herd!!!
White fox will never be accepted as a variety of the breed if for no other reason, than you can not see the silvering (obviously).
Like all other breeds, the REW is a recessive gene, and when you breed 2 animals together with that gene you will get some REWS.
If you keep breeding them you will eventually be over run with them. These should be treated as culls for the most part, and not be used as breeding stock.
I have purchased a couple of animals with a single white in the background, and probably kept one or two Blacks out of that line. I have however never kept a white for breeding in my herd, and in fact have been pretty lucky that I have only had 3-4 ever born on my place. If I cross a buck and doe and get any white... I never repeat the cross again.

When I first heard about the whites and the benefit of using one in my breeding program, I like a lot of people tried desperately to get them.
I had luck on my side and was not successful!

As I thought about it over a period of time and talked to judges and experienced breeders (not necessarily fox breeders) they educated me on what that REW gene could do to my herd over the long run. I will be forever grateful that they showed me the error of my ways!

Please do not be taken in by the unethical breeders who will tell you that you are getting something great because it is out of white!!! You could effectively ruin your herd! They are only good for one basic purpose, and that is as a meat rabbit!

Written & Copyrighted by Susan Origer 2000

If you need additional information you can contact me, at the following address:

havafox@uslink.net

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