Pictures added + questions, I'm getting French Angoras today

I woke up this morning and ran into a seller that is selling some French Angora babies. The Sire is around 10lbs and the Dam is around 8lbs. I'll be getting a trio. Hopefully between the breeder and I we can accurately sex them. I'm hoping to be able to get the 3 from the Chocolate and Broken Chocolates that they have. If not then there is a broken black and black to choose from. I've been wanting to expand my program from Lionheads into another breed. My first choice was Velveteen Lops and my second was French Angoras. Any of the Lops I've seen were a lengthy drive away. I've never seen French Angoras for sale in my state yet alone near me. These are less than 40 miles from me which is wonderful. My biggest obstacle was convincing my wife to let me get them. She was ok with it once I agreed to sell off a breeding pair of albino lionheads. Pictures to come.

Correct me if the color naming is wrong.

Broken Chocolate Tort Doe Pebbles


Broken Chocolate Tort Doe Not Named yet


Broken Black Tort Buck Harvey

congrats.. you will like them.. They are my favorite

Cool, can't wait to see picts.

I added pictures. I have a few questions.

1. The rabbit are very young (4 weeks). Normally I wouldn't touch a rabbit so young as I think it is too early. However I have been checking for French Angoras in my area for a year and a half and this was the first ones I have ever seen offered. I couldn't even find a breeder in my state. I figure someone would have taken them and I feel I at least have some experience. I've never had a problem weaning rabbits but what are some signs that things are going wrong? I have 4 does with kits right now so I could foster or hold a doe over them if need be. They are all eating pellets / hay and drinking right now.

2. I call the rabbits broken torts is that correct?

3. There coats remind me of astrex rabbits, is this how FA kits coats normally look or is it a grooming issue? Some of the fur looks like it is twisted at the base of the shafts in groups.

4. These rabbits were housed outdoors and now are indoors. I assume this change won't be a problem.

5. The sire was a broken chocolate and the dam was black. The litter had 6 kits. 1 black, 2 chocolates, 1 broken black and 2 broken chocolates. All the kits should carry chocolate. I expect that when I breed them that I will get the same in my litters. Are their other possibilities?

6. They are very fluffy right now, how old will they have to be before I can start harvesting fiber?

2. They are not "torts" just broken chocolate and broken black.

5. Yes, you will get blacks and chocolates in self, broken and Charlie (mostly white due to getting two broken genes) You could get torts, shadeds, himilayan, REW or blues if the buck and does carry these recessives colours genes but the chances are less than 12%

4. I would keep then in the garage or at least a colder area of the house since they are use to 32' and not 70'

1. Lack of appetite, diahhrea and listlessness are all signs of a fading kit. I am shocked you suggest putting them with your does! These kits need to be quarantined just like any new addition and kept well away from your current stock. Their mothers immunity is wearing off and their own immune systems are just starting to develop, it is very risky to expose them to novel pathogen that they won't have antibodies for.

I would also give them some oatmeal every day..

PLEASE make sure that these kits are receiving the same amount of protein food that they were started on, if you know the brand get exactly the same food. Switching foods at that age is extremely dangerous, and could cause weaning enteritis, another reason why giving the oatmeal like Mary Ann said is a wonderful idea. On top of that, I have seen several angora kits older than those that were fully weaned basically starve while they were eating everything they could ingest because they weren't given the right protein content. I feed mine 18%. I have heard other breeders say they can get away without that high of a protein content (sky said she feeds every 16%, and all pictures of her herd I've seen on here are beautiful, healthy animals, so I believe her) but I know my lines will not hold up to anything less.

As far as wool, your looking at. Minimum of twelve weeks before they'll be ready to harvest, but my top concern would be to make sure they make it that far. Angoras are very hardy when raised right, but can also be very fragile when raised improperly, so I hope that the early weaning won't affect them, but don't be surprised if you see some stunted growth, have issues breeding, and they never turn out as hardy as you hoped they'd be. It takes a lot to grow that wool, and I know my lines take away from body condition before they take from the wool, so watch them carefully!

PSFAngoras":bg8ey5fn said:

It takes a lot to grow that wool, and I know my lines take away from body condition before they take from the wool, so watch them carefully!

Click to expand...

Yes, so true. These guys will starve to grow wool.

Hay and lots of it, sheltered box, because they still can have problems regulating their body temp.


Just and FYI, in some lines, jr coats are a mess. As they approach 8 weeks, start looking closely at their coats to see if they are the matting type, or you'll look up at 12 weeks and find serious belly matts.

They're lovely. I do hope they make it.

Dood":ag1oadgu said:

1. Lack of appetite, diahhrea and listlessness are all signs of a fading kit. I am shocked you suggest putting them with your does! These kits need to be quarantined just like any new addition and kept well away from your current stock. Their mothers immunity is wearing off and their own immune systems are just starting to develop, it is very risky to expose them to novel pathogen that they won't have antibodies for.

Click to expand...

I was just adding that information to give everyone an idea of what things I had available. As I haven't had a single issue with weaning in our 15 or so litters, I haven't had any experience with things going wrong. As always the information that I receive from you and others, is very much appreciated.

__________ Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:16 am __________

Mary Ann's Rabbitry":ag1oadgu said:

I would also give them some oatmeal every day..

Click to expand...

I have some here, plain from the grocery store, would that be ok? If so I will start adding that to their diet. Also anything Tractor Supply carries I can get.

__________ Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:23 am __________

PSFAngoras":ag1oadgu said:

PLEASE make sure that these kits are receiving the same amount of protein food that they were started on, if you know the brand get exactly the same food. Switching foods at that age is extremely dangerous, and could cause weaning enteritis, another reason why giving the oatmeal like Mary Ann said is a wonderful idea. On top of that, I have seen several angora kits older than those that were fully weaned basically starve while they were eating everything they could ingest because they weren't given the right protein content. I feed mine 18%. I have heard other breeders say they can get away without that high of a protein content (sky said she feeds every 16%, and all pictures of her herd I've seen on here are beautiful, healthy animals, so I believe her) but I know my lines will not hold up to anything less.

Click to expand...

I had forgot to ask the seller about the feed. I had to get going to get an antibiotic for upcoming dental work. Dental pain sucks. I just got off the phone with the seller and he is feeding the tractor supply generic which I think is called Producers Pride. It's a 15% feed and I do not think that is enough and would rather not use it. I use a 16% manna pro pro formula. I can pick up the 18% grow formula which I have been wanting to use for my nursing does and growing kits anyway.

Also what about Calf Manna in very small amounts? Beneficial or not?

__________ Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:26 am __________

skysthelimit":ag1oadgu said:

Yes, so true. These guys will starve to grow wool.

Hay and lots of it, sheltered box, because they still can have problems regulating their body temp.


Just and FYI, in some lines, jr coats are a mess. As they approach 8 weeks, start looking closely at their coats to see if they are the matting type, or you'll look up at 12 weeks and find serious belly matts.

Click to expand...

Do you groom the kits? Any recommendations on brushes and or other tools for grooming and or harvesting. I know some pluck and some sheer.

Calf manna is pretty good if you are trying to add weight, and from my experience my ND's coats looked better after. Of course, my does were overweight so I had to stop giving it to them.

HoppinHalfPints":3hv359d5 said:

Calf manna is pretty good if you are trying to add weight, and from my experience my ND's coats looked better after. Of course, my does were overweight so I had to stop giving it to them.

Click to expand...

It had a production date on the bag of October 2013 Do you how long it lasts after that date

ckcs":3ouvm6b0 said:

skysthelimit":3ouvm6b0 said:

Yes, so true. These guys will starve to grow wool.

Hay and lots of it, sheltered box, because they still can have problems regulating their body temp.


Just and FYI, in some lines, jr coats are a mess. As they approach 8 weeks, start looking closely at their coats to see if they are the matting type, or you'll look up at 12 weeks and find serious belly matts.

Click to expand...

Do you groom the kits? Any recommendations on brushes and or other tools for grooming and or harvesting. I know some pluck and some sheer.

Click to expand...

I don't, not the Angoras. I haven't had any problems with matting. With my JW I just clip coats after 10 weeks. When you get a chance, ask the breeder if these buns are pluckers or not. Most FA are.
Mines are clipped, and are blown out every couple of weeks. I don't comb or brush them, except to part the wool when I'm clipping. If you aren't able to blow them, use a metal afro pick. I've found that handy when I comb Jersey Woolies and for breaking though matts.

I had just helped a couple with their rescue angora kits that were fed a diet of 15%, calf manna, and sweet potatoes. They were basically starving to death. I don't recommend it, but then again, I also won't feed a corn based pellet either. I'm pretty picky about what my buns eat because I eat them. Currently I'm making the switch to organic.

As far as grooming, if your lines need it, you'll know. I had a litter from a new line I was working with that I couldn't go 2 days between groomings. Usually, I can get away with a week. Needless to say I only have one if that line left, and she might get sold depending on how this upcoming litter looks. As far as grooming advice, check out the wool rabbit section if you haven't yet. There are a bunch of great articles there.

Those are adorable babies!

I think as long as you feed them hay and oats in addition to their pellets, and keep them together and give them a bedded area off of the wire to snuggle in, they should be fine.

*I moved this to the wool rabbits forum, since fur rabbits pertains to harvesting the pelt of the rabbit, not just it's fur/wool.*

They seem to be adjusting nicely. They were much more active today than yesterday. Although there was a water bottle in the sellers cage, I'm not sure the babies were drinking from it. I'm keeping a bowl of water in their cage in addition to the water bottle. They are drinking fine from the bowl so for now I won't try to get them using the bottle quite yet. I'll introduce oats to them tomorrow. They are eating the pellets fine. I have a low lying bowl in the cage and a mounted crock. They don't seem to realize there is food in the mounted crock yet. I'm also going to start tracking their weight tomorrow to make sure they are gaining weight.

We named the one Harvey after Steve Harvey. The rabbit had a very prominent butterfly and I said it was dense like Steve Harvey's mustache and the name stuck lol. Still haven't come up with a name for the third one. All 3 of us haven't been able to agree on a name.