Angoras come in 4 varieties (German(or Giant) French, English, and Satin) and each have different problems to overcome, but it's well worth it.
http://www.nationalangorarabbitbreeders.com/angora-rabbit-breeds.htm is a good place to start.
First off...angora wool is a little more difficult to spin than sheep's wool. It's VERY straight and light/fluffy. Has no memory so it doesn't just automatically like to cling in a yarn (causing that "fluffy" look in angora sweaters). You get around that by overspinning and letting is "set" longer. It's wonderful stuff to crochet or knit with tho..my goodness. 4x the warmth of sheep's wool, so you make your garment thinner or more lacey.
The breeds: French - the original of the long hairs. Large (9lbs) they produce a lot of fiber. They have more guard hairs than the other breeds, (guard hairs are rather like human hair) Guard hairs keep the lighter fiber from matting quickly. They still need to be groomed, but not NEARLY as often as the other breeds. Guard hairs are usually removed from fiber when it's spun, so that can be a problem for some. Many of the French "shed" and are plucked instead of sheared. (usually 3 times a year)
English - selective breeding for finer fiber and fewer guard hairs. Smaller body, facial hair (fuzzy faces and ears). Very few guard hairs, they look like a big ball of fluff.
Generally sweet dispositions. Some shed, some don't. Because of the fiber type, they require more grooming than the French (true for all the varieties)
German/Giant are huge. tons of wool. Hard to find this variety in most places, and so they command a higher price usually.
Satins: smaller than the French, but larger than the English I believe. SHINY fiber which makes a great yarn. Again..few guard hairs so they require more grooming, and I'm not sure, but I don't think they shed...(I could be wrong on that). The Satin standard says they must have "crimp" which makes the fiber easier to spin than most of the angora fibers. Again...more rare than the French or English breeds, so price can be high.
They require a high protein for the fiber production. (rather like a meat rabbit requires higher protein to grow). They also NEED, I repeat NEED hay. Very prone to wool block without hay. (some don't feed hay, but do a daily papaya tablet) The French angora industry keeps the rabbits in solid floor "cages" which are cleaned daily, and bedded with straw. Most Americans seem to feel it's necessary to keep them in wire floored cages to maintain the coat. (I keep mine in a colony, bedded with hay and straw...they do well..grooming each other, running around shaking out any debris....but colony angoras are VERY rare)
oh golly. a bit long winded.
I don't see much difference in keeping them vs. the other rabbits. I have most in colony setups, but 4 in cages (adults who wouldn't adapt to the colony
). The French get the same amount of feed as my New Zealands. The English I have stay hefty on less. I groom once a week, and pluck every 3-4 months. (depends on the bunny)
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CROSSES! Many people who breed for wool, and not show, (me included) like the crosses. A French/English cross gives you a lovely fine fiber but more guard hairs so you have fewer matting problems. (I had one English who would mat as SOON as I put him back in the cage after grooming..I swear...) Adding a Satin to the mix gives you SOMETIMES offspring with the shine of the satin and heavier guardhairs.
Check around your area for woolers if you're interested in that. They tend to be less pricey than a purebred.
**Angoras do NOT do well in heat/humidity. When raised in the South, most people I know shear them down in late June or early July. Or they keep them inside a cooled building. I've found that a frozen brick or concrete paver works well as a place for them to lay on and stay cool. Anything that will have condensation on it (like a frozen baggie of water) won't work because it wets the wool.
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Go to a local show, or contact a local breeder to check out the wool. Generally sells for $5 to $6 an ounce (which is about a quart of fiber). See if you like the feel of it, and how it spins. (great for blending into other fibers, btw.)
