The Silver is a very old breed of domestic rabbit, dating back to the 1500's.  Before the colonizing of the New World, the Silver grey was kept in rabbit warrens in England, possibly introduced there from Portugal by Sir Walter Raleigh.  Early to arrive on the American shores, the Silver was one of the original breeds to be recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (then called the National Pet Stock Association) when it was founded in 1910. Today, the Silver is raised in the United States and the United Kingdom in three varieties: black, brown, and fawn.   This website and the National Silver Rabbit Club sponsor the Silver breed in the USA, where it is considered a rare breed.  The Silver is a fairly small rabbit, usually weighing 5-6 pounds when full grown.  The Silver has a unique athletic type and active disposition.  The name "Silver" comes from the silver-white hairs and hair-tips distributed evenly throughout the short snappy coat. The Silver is often confused with a breed called the Silver Fox.  To learn the differences between the breeds,click here. You will see that the only common feature is their color! To learn more about "the Sterling Breed", select an article below. 

To visit the webiste of the National Silver Rabbit Club in the UK, click this link: www.nationalsilverrabbitclub.co.uk

To visit the National Silver Rabbit Club Yahoo! Group, click here.
Select an article: Judging Silvers
Interbreeding Silver Varieites
Rare Breeds -- Rare Opportunities

If you are a member of the NSRC and would like to contribute an article to this page, please click here.  Thank you!