About Angora Rabbits
How are Angora Rabbits different from other breeds of rabbits?
There are lots of resources about rabbits available. I am only going to discuss what is different about Angora rabbits than other breeds.
Angoras are mainly a fiber producing breed of domestic rabbits. Their fiber (or wool) is soft, silky and warm. It is collected by shearing, combing or plucking. It doesn't hurt the rabbit. In fact their fiber can grow 1 inch a month and most breeds shed their coats naturally every 90 days. It is called, "blowing their coat".
What are the differences in the Angora breeds?
There are 11 different Angora breeds. The ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) recognizes 4 breeds.
The English Angoras have 'Fur' growths of wool on the ears and entire face except above the nose. It is the only breed that has fur covering it's eyes. They are described as being "a round ball of fur". The texture of the wool is cottony. They do not produce as much wool as Giant Angoras, but it is better quality. The wool is easier to spin with than French and Satin Angoras.
Giant Angoras produce the most wool, however the quality is not as good as other breeds. They have longer guard hairs. It can be a challenge to spin.
French Angoras require less maintenance than other Angora breeds due to having a dense under coat. They do not have the long fur on their faces or legs. Their fiber is smooth and silky, however they do not produce as much as the English Angoras.
Satin Angoras do not produce as much wool as the other Angora breeds. They are more difficult to groom than the French and Giant Angoras, but easier than the English Angoras, because of the soft texture of the wool and fewer guard hairs they mat much easier and must be groomed daily. The wool that is produced has a sheen and it is strong and slippery. It can be more difficult to spin.
Grooming
*Grooming is very important in the Angora breeds. If constant care is not taken, the wool can mat and felt on the rabbit and cause them considerable pain.
*Groom Angoras every 2-3 times a week. If you groom more often you can break the fiber in their wool and cause more mats to form.
*The easiest way to groom an Angora is to start with a pet quality blower. (A human hair dryer isn't strong enough to get through their dense fur to their skin.) The blower will help remove most mats and get the dander off of their skin. Follow with a metal comb or slicker brush.
*Larger mats can be cut out by using a seam ripper or a pair of scissors angled away from the rabbits skin.
The most recommended clippers for the fiber of an Angora is Gimars Clippers.
*Clip their nails every couple of weeks. Long nails can get snagged and can be ripped off.
*Wool mites, a parasite, can also infest the fiber of the rabbit. Look for flaky skin and hair loss. Wool mites can be treated. You can ask your vet about using Revolution for cats, 1% Ivomec, 1% Agrimectin Ivermectin, or carbaryl powder.
*Do not get Angoras wet! Their fur is so dense it can take days to dry, causing irritated skin and possible respitory issues. If you need to clean a small wet spot, you can put cornstarch or baby powder on it and comb out.
*For yellow feet caused by urine, you can use a spray bottle with 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Spray on mixture and use a towel to get it off. For really tough stains mix baking soda with the water and white vinegar and make a paste. Work the mixture into the stain and comb out.
Another method is to use hydrogen peroxide instead of water and vinegar.
Diet and Wool Block
The wool of the Angora requires a slightly different diet than other rabbits. They can consume their fiber when they shed or clean themselves. The fiber can become lodged in the rabbits digestive system and cause Wool Block.
To prevent Wool Block you can give your Angora pineapple or papaya. The fruit should be fresh, juiced, frozen or in tablets (found at the health food store). Canned fruit has added sweeteners and preservatives and should not be given to rabbits. Give a teaspoon size of the fruit a week.
Hay is also very important in preventing Wool Block. It should be given in unlimited amounts. Kittens (baby rabbits) under the age of 6 months should be given Alfalfa Hay and Adults should be given Timothy Hay. Hay also prevents Stasis and Bloat.
Angora rabbits need extra protein to support constant wool production. Pellets should contain 18% protein. Kittens should be given unlimited pellets daily. Adults should be given 1/2 cup daily.
For winter time, show time or for more fiber production you can also feed them Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (B.O.S.S) or Rolled Oats. They are high in fiber, vitamins and fat. A little bit goes a long way. Feed only about 6 B.O.S.S. seeds a day and a pinch of Rolled Oats. More than that can cause your rabbit to get fat and 'blow it's coat'.
Wool and Fiber
*No harm comes to the Angora Rabbits to harvest the fiber.* It can be brushed out or plucked off when the rabbit sheds (about every 90 days). It can also be sheared off like a sheep or alpaca.
Wool is the fiber from the hair of the Angora Rabbit.
Angora Fiber has a Micron Count of 12-16. Some kinds of sheep wool has a count of about 27 microns. Alpaca is around 18-25 microns.
Meaning Angora is the finest of the fibers.
The fiber of an Angora lacks the scales that wool from sheep has. The smooth sides of the fiber prevent the fibers from grabbing on to each other. The lack of scales make the fiber very soft, but it also slippery and hard to spin.
Also because of the lack of scales, if you make a garment out of the Angora yarn, it doesn't keep it's shape very well. Angora fiber can be mixed with other kinds of fiber that can hold their shapes, such as wool.
There are lots of resources about rabbits available. I am only going to discuss what is different about Angora rabbits than other breeds.
Angoras are mainly a fiber producing breed of domestic rabbits. Their fiber (or wool) is soft, silky and warm. It is collected by shearing, combing or plucking. It doesn't hurt the rabbit. In fact their fiber can grow 1 inch a month and most breeds shed their coats naturally every 90 days. It is called, "blowing their coat".
What are the differences in the Angora breeds?
There are 11 different Angora breeds. The ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) recognizes 4 breeds.
The English Angoras have 'Fur' growths of wool on the ears and entire face except above the nose. It is the only breed that has fur covering it's eyes. They are described as being "a round ball of fur". The texture of the wool is cottony. They do not produce as much wool as Giant Angoras, but it is better quality. The wool is easier to spin with than French and Satin Angoras.
Giant Angoras produce the most wool, however the quality is not as good as other breeds. They have longer guard hairs. It can be a challenge to spin.
French Angoras require less maintenance than other Angora breeds due to having a dense under coat. They do not have the long fur on their faces or legs. Their fiber is smooth and silky, however they do not produce as much as the English Angoras.
Satin Angoras do not produce as much wool as the other Angora breeds. They are more difficult to groom than the French and Giant Angoras, but easier than the English Angoras, because of the soft texture of the wool and fewer guard hairs they mat much easier and must be groomed daily. The wool that is produced has a sheen and it is strong and slippery. It can be more difficult to spin.
Grooming
*Grooming is very important in the Angora breeds. If constant care is not taken, the wool can mat and felt on the rabbit and cause them considerable pain.
*Groom Angoras every 2-3 times a week. If you groom more often you can break the fiber in their wool and cause more mats to form.
*The easiest way to groom an Angora is to start with a pet quality blower. (A human hair dryer isn't strong enough to get through their dense fur to their skin.) The blower will help remove most mats and get the dander off of their skin. Follow with a metal comb or slicker brush.
*Larger mats can be cut out by using a seam ripper or a pair of scissors angled away from the rabbits skin.
The most recommended clippers for the fiber of an Angora is Gimars Clippers.
*Clip their nails every couple of weeks. Long nails can get snagged and can be ripped off.
*Wool mites, a parasite, can also infest the fiber of the rabbit. Look for flaky skin and hair loss. Wool mites can be treated. You can ask your vet about using Revolution for cats, 1% Ivomec, 1% Agrimectin Ivermectin, or carbaryl powder.
*Do not get Angoras wet! Their fur is so dense it can take days to dry, causing irritated skin and possible respitory issues. If you need to clean a small wet spot, you can put cornstarch or baby powder on it and comb out.
*For yellow feet caused by urine, you can use a spray bottle with 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Spray on mixture and use a towel to get it off. For really tough stains mix baking soda with the water and white vinegar and make a paste. Work the mixture into the stain and comb out.
Another method is to use hydrogen peroxide instead of water and vinegar.
Diet and Wool Block
The wool of the Angora requires a slightly different diet than other rabbits. They can consume their fiber when they shed or clean themselves. The fiber can become lodged in the rabbits digestive system and cause Wool Block.
To prevent Wool Block you can give your Angora pineapple or papaya. The fruit should be fresh, juiced, frozen or in tablets (found at the health food store). Canned fruit has added sweeteners and preservatives and should not be given to rabbits. Give a teaspoon size of the fruit a week.
Hay is also very important in preventing Wool Block. It should be given in unlimited amounts. Kittens (baby rabbits) under the age of 6 months should be given Alfalfa Hay and Adults should be given Timothy Hay. Hay also prevents Stasis and Bloat.
Angora rabbits need extra protein to support constant wool production. Pellets should contain 18% protein. Kittens should be given unlimited pellets daily. Adults should be given 1/2 cup daily.
For winter time, show time or for more fiber production you can also feed them Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (B.O.S.S) or Rolled Oats. They are high in fiber, vitamins and fat. A little bit goes a long way. Feed only about 6 B.O.S.S. seeds a day and a pinch of Rolled Oats. More than that can cause your rabbit to get fat and 'blow it's coat'.
Wool and Fiber
*No harm comes to the Angora Rabbits to harvest the fiber.* It can be brushed out or plucked off when the rabbit sheds (about every 90 days). It can also be sheared off like a sheep or alpaca.
Wool is the fiber from the hair of the Angora Rabbit.
Angora Fiber has a Micron Count of 12-16. Some kinds of sheep wool has a count of about 27 microns. Alpaca is around 18-25 microns.
Meaning Angora is the finest of the fibers.
The fiber of an Angora lacks the scales that wool from sheep has. The smooth sides of the fiber prevent the fibers from grabbing on to each other. The lack of scales make the fiber very soft, but it also slippery and hard to spin.
Also because of the lack of scales, if you make a garment out of the Angora yarn, it doesn't keep it's shape very well. Angora fiber can be mixed with other kinds of fiber that can hold their shapes, such as wool.
