Angora breeds & their fiber

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When choosing a backyard pet angora, I ask a few questions:
  • Does it molt, and if so, how often?
  • How did you remove the old fiber?
  • How long has it been since the rabbit's last molt/clip? (This gives you an idea of how fast the fiber grows back, and how many months worth of fiber you are looking at. If it molts on the natural 3-4 month schedule, and you're looking at a 5-6 month coat, it's no wonder the poor bun is so felted up.)
  • What grooming routine did you use? (The answer is often a blank stare. . .which can be a good thing. If the bunny still has a decent coat with no grooming, you may have a winner!)
Then I do a few checks:
  • Feel the fiber near the skin, how dense is it? The thicker the coat, the more fiber you will harvest. Does the coat part down the back if it is getting longer, or does it stand up because of the density?
  • How coarse is the fiber? Is it the type you like to spin?
  • What about crimp? The crimpier the fiber, the more give the yarn and finished garments will have. A yarn with coarse guard hair will have no elasticity.
  • Turn the rabbit over. Is it a clean bunny underneath, or does it soil its fiber? There does seem to be a bit of genetic component (not the only cause, but a potential predisposition) to rabbits that can't keep themselves clean underneath, and it is a problem that is unpleasant for both rabbit and keeper. Manure can cake onto the tail and genitals, leading to urine scald, and providing prime habitat for fly strike--not to mention being extremely difficult to clip and clean, even without the added injuries.
Only you can decide how important things like color density (how dark the color is), color depth (how far the color goes down the hairshaft), and color pattern is to you. If you see white spots on the nose or toes, you may well be dealing with the Vienna gene, which can be hard to eliminate if you want to show your rabbits.
 
Some of the pet folks try to take their bunny to a groomer for clipping, they may not actually know much about the coat. They're also usually the ones who are 'rehoming' their 'precious' bun since it was too expensive to keep sending it to a groomer. FWIW, I rarely sell an angora to a 'pet' home. Almost never since they don't take care of them very well. If someone wants the bun to make yarn, then things usually go well.

Thanks for all your replies, JudyMac, they're wonderful to read. Do you have a webpage for your bunnies?

Do you have much crimp on your English? I've not specifically bred for crimp and there doesn't seem to a be a lot of it in the herd, but I can put that on the list of desirable traits and start trying to increase it.
 
Do you have a webpage for your bunnies?
No webpage. I don't show, and I don't have show stock, I raise for fiber, and sell handspun/handknit angora items from the yarn.
Do you have much crimp on your English?
I do select for crimp, all other things being equal (temperament first, it's no fun dealing with an unpleasant rabbit; then for coat texture, then color. Since I don't show and fiber is my goal, I'm not so concerned about body conformation, as long as the rabbits are healthy. If meat was my goal, then conformation and musculature would be a much bigger concern.)

This is from one of my bucks, the color depth is terrible, but I love the crimp.
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I'm still a long way from where I want to be with the herd. There's a lack of color depth on the hairshaft, and I would love to have deeper, richer color. I started off with those things more than four decades ago, and didn't realize what a treasure they were. Over the decades, I bred for very pale colors (loved those pale pastel tints), which ruined my color depth, even in the dark colors. For a while, I didn't do any breeding, then the stock became too old to want to breed. Another bad choice. Now I know why my mentor kept breeding, even if she didn't need replacement stock right then. I ended up pretty much starting over. Later, I moved into town and took care of my mother for a number of years, and pretty much started over again. I took a few rabbits with me and kept them in the yard, but it's not the same as having separate breeding programs for each color and lots of babies to choose from. I still get rabbits with poor face furnishings, or coarse fiber, or less than friendly demeanor (not mean, just not friendly), the herd isn't perfect, but it's getting there. You just keep selecting for the traits you value the most.
 
Do angoras need any kind of special diet to support their wool growth? or just a 16% pellet and (optional) hay?
 
Do angoras need any kind of special diet to support their wool growth? or just a 16% pellet and (optional) hay?

Depends on whether you are looking for optimal wool production or not. We feed a home-mixed 16% blend of locally available grains plus hay (and fresh greens/twigs in season), and have done so for decades. It works for me. We do not get maximum wool production, but it is an amount I'm comfortable with. We harvest 4-6" of fiber each molt (every 3-4 months), and aim for the equivalent of 1" and 1 ounce per month on our English and Satins (although some Satin Angora lines tend to produce a bit less.) Angoras grazing in a rabbit tractor gave the same amount of fiber, with only a half-ration of grain along with the fresh greens they grazed.

Generally, you'll find the experts recommend a higher 17-18% protein content for angora feeds, to support the wool growth, but I don't feed soy beans (almost all soy grown is GMO, and it needs heat treated to destroy some anti-nutrient factors). Soy has a much higher protein content than other legumes and makes the high protein feeds practical to produce. We use green split peas instead, as they do not need heat treated, and I can either grow them myself or buy them locally. Almost all the rabbits enjoy them.
 
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Well, this adorable little fluff nugget came home with me tonight. He's very fuzzy, but his color is not great... I'm not positive he isn't broken chocolate, his fur is a little irregular in color. He is, however, a little angel to hold, and he molting handfuls of floof, so it's possible what I'm seeing is old and new coat patchiness.

Which brings me to my next question... If I'd rather pluck than shear, is there a "best" method to that, or any tips or tricks, or favorite tools? He let me just finger pick a soft ball size of floof of him this evening, while sitting on the couch, but I've just scratched the surface. Also I already see that I need a hair cutting cape to protect my clothes from the inevitable lint effect.

Thanks in advance!
 
For plucking, I don't really use any special equipment. I have three bags handy, scissors, a sticky tag, and a permanent marker. One bag is just for the prime pluck (3" or more long, no debris or dandruff, with good fiber integrity. I pluck a small pinch of fiber, hold it by the ends, and give it a little tug. I want to see the fiber simply separate, leaving a nice long tuft in each hand. If instead, the coarse tips of the awn hairs break off near the tip, I know this will be a yarn that will shed badly when spun. To solve this issue, I remove the longer and coarser guard/awn hairs, and put them into the grade 2 bag which I use for felting. Then, I can put the remaining down hairs in the spinning bag, as they are usually not affected.) The last bag is for the junk fiber such as mats, dandruffy fiber from mites, fiber with chaff, soiled fiber, etc. This goes into the compost pile with the other garden debris, or can be used as a mulch mat under shrubbery, just keep the wool several inches away from the trunk.

If I see any hay debris or pilling on the ends of the fiber, I brush lightly before plucking to remove it. Otherwise, you're just wasting good fiber getting tangled in the brush. I personally start on the center back, take a small pinch at the very tip of the fiber, and gently pull. If the bunny is in molt, the fiber should come right out. If you like your fiber to be all aligned the same direction for spinning, I take a box, and lay the little clump I just removed from the bunny into the box. The goal is to keep all the clumps side by side, facing in the same direction, when a layer is finished, tissue paper is put on top of the layer, and a new layer is started. This is the most premium of fibers, has the best resale value. Be sure to only put prime fiber that is 3" or more in the box, the rest goes into a separate bag. This presentation of fiber will make it easier to spin the very fine lace weight yarns evenly.

That said, I actually spin much heavier yarn by choice (spins faster, knits faster), and I don't bother with the fancy box. I save old bread bags, turn them inside out to be sure there will be no bread crumbs in the wool, and just put each clump plucked into the bag. I can usually pluck several locks out before I need to put the handful into the bag, makes the plucking go faster.

Be sure to grab from the very tip, so you're not accidentally plucking out the new coat coming in (if there is one). Usually, by the time I've plucked a patch several inches across, I can clearly see the length of the new coat left behind. The color is usually darker, and it will be shorter than the molting coat. It makes plucking easier to see where you have been, and can compare the fiber length to know where to go next. I keep working from the center back outward in rings.

To keep the bun from getting too tired of me working only in one area, I usually will switch out to the face for a little while (not their favorite thing, faces are personal--same with feet and tail areas), do any necessary trimming on the cheeks, pluck the forehead, cheeks and ears (that fiber goes into the grade 2 bag unless over 3", I do have some buns that give prime crimpy fiber, even on the ears.)

After I do a bit on the face, they seem real happy to have me go back to the back area. I continue working my way down the sides. The belly wool is often shorter, finer, and crimpier. I save flipping the rabbit over until the bunny is getting really bored with the whole sitting still for plucking thing. Flipping them over on their backs tends to be calming, as pressure when lying on their back usually induces quietness. Sheep have the same effect when sitting on their rump, which is why sheep shearers capitalize on that trait and do most of the shearing with the sheep on its rump.

While on their back, hind legs facing my knees, head tucked under my left elbow (I'm right handed), I check the genitalia (extra points given to bunnies that keep their butt fiber clean), trim/pluck the feet (and yes, you do sometimes get English with prime fiber even on the feet, and I give extra points for that, but I don't penalized bunnies for getting some leg mats.) Trim the nails, and pluck the tail and belly. Usually, leg, tail and belly wool goes into the grade 2 bag. Pay extra attention to the area under the front legs, the fiber tends to mat there.

Some bunnies like to switch positions often, and I'll simply work from the back down on whatever side they choose to present, no problem. Other bunnies just take a nap on the lap, and you have to pick them up to switch sides, depends on the bunny, works for me either way.

For trimming, another angora raiser suggested Fiskars spring-loaded micro-tip scissors for any trimming that needs done, or for shearing. https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-1905...rs+spring+scissors&qid=1683300632&sr=8-2&th=1 (No, this isn't a plug for this seller, I don't know anything about them, just was looking for a photo and description to use.) It took me a little while to get used to them being so sharp, I had been using the Fiskars blunt tip kids scissors. But, oh, are these spring-loaded shears fabulous for tired old hands. I can work on bunnies for hours with no tendon issues, what a joy! I used to use the full size Fiskars orange-handled scissors to shear my sheep, they kept an edge much better than the regular sheep shears.

When done, I put a sticky tag on the bag of fiber, and use the permanent marker to record the date; name, color and breed (Satin, English, etc.) of the bunny; I keep a ruler in my grooming bucket, and record the length of fiber. I also make notes about whether the bunny sat well or not, how easy the fiber released, if there was any sign of fur mites (if so, I use Ivermectin before the bunny goes back to its home), if there was any matting, and if so how much and where; color depth on the hairshaft and richness of color; anything else of note. It only takes a word or two for each item, if needed, you can always use a second sticker, or put a paper note in the bag.

When I use the fiber, I weigh the bag first, and record the weight on the bag. I set the bag aside until a quiet rainy day, and then record the information for each rabbit on my bunny spreadsheet. This is an invaluable resource later, when deciding which rabbits to keep/breed. You can see at a glance how much usuable (prime pluck) fiber each bunny is producing, how easy they were to deal with, how easily the fiber released, any health issues. . .It's funny when you realize that some mousy individual that didn't catch your eye is actually producing the twice the usable fiber as some favorite bun that just keeps matting up.
 
Thank you @judymac!! This is so helpful! Also this guy has already molted off his back--from your description it makes perfect sense that the fur is shorter and darker there. His wool is really long on his sides and belly, and I am pretty excited about it. It comes out like butter, so soft and perfect.

I wonder if you card at all before you spin? Wouldn't that combine the longer staple prime wool with shorter grade 2? Why keep them separate?
 
You don't have to keep them separate. For sale, I only put out the prime grade 1 fiber. For my own use, I don't really care if some is a little shorter. I spin a medium weight yarn, and it doesn't seem to matter much. But, for those that like to spin the cobweb fine lace yarns that need to spin fine and even, keeping just the prime separate seems to be the way to go.

No, I don't card my angora for the most part, it spins fine right out of the bag. If I'm working with grade 2 or angora that has been dyed, then yes, I use my cotton cards with the finer teeth. I used the regular wool cards for years, but found the finer cotton cards did a better job with the angora. The vast majority of yarn I spin is uncarded and straight from the bunny to the bag to the house to the wheel, no fuss.
 
It's a good question. For young stock, I like to see the litter when they are weaning age but still with mom or after weaning but before separation. Having a whole litter of kits playing on each other tells a lot about the coat. Those with too-cottony coats will be a felted mess. Those with coarse, hairy coats should be beginning to show that trait. I aim for the rabbits with a nice crimpy soft coat that has made it to their first molt without grooming and still has usable fiber. I don't worry about mats that develop on cheeks, feet, or between the front legs at this point. Mats in these places do not affect usable fiber yield, and are not indicators of general body fiber condition.

A key question is whether or not you prefer to clip your fiber, or have the rabbit molt on its own. If you prefer to clip, you do not want to purchase stock from molting lines. My rabbits have a triple coat, the oldest coat will be 4-6" when molting, the intermediate coat 2-3" long, and the third coat just emerged (or ready to emerge) from the skin. If you clip these rabbits, you end up with those shorter coats in your fiber, which can lead to excessive shedding of the short fibers from the yarn.

Betty Chu bred a line of English Angoras that don't molt, or go many, many months between molts (instead of every 3-4 months like the old English). These need to be sheared, as do Giant Angoras and German Angoras. Generally, for commercial processing, a 3" coat is considered ideal, so these are sheared every 3 months, since the bunnies usually grow about an inch of fiber per month. (Many satins grow their fiber a bit slower.)

On the other hand, if you prefer to pluck/brush/comb your fiber out, you may want to avoid the show English lines that tend to have fewer or no molts (an advantage for showing as your rabbit is always ready to show). I always ask a breeder whether or not their stock molts, and if so, how often. If it is longer than four months, I skip the stock, as it is difficult to keep a super-long coat in prime condition without grooming, and I aim for coats that need minimal to no grooming.

If the breeder is a spinner or has fiber on hand, I ask to see some of their fiber. The first thing I check is to take hold of some of the coarsest fiber by the outer tips, and then gently pull on the other end of the fiber. If the tips break off instead of the clump just pulling apart, this will be a fiber that will shed terribly as yarn. I pass. I personally prefer the crimpy, softer coats, so if the rabbit has more of the coarse, French-type fiber (which spins up easily with a super-high loft and generally has deeper color, an understandably preferred type for some people), I pass. If the fiber is full of noils at the tips, or is all webbed together or matted, I pass.

I know there are times when the fiber was ready to harvest, but circumstances prevented it. That isn't the rabbit's fault. Generally, by looking at the overall condition of the rabbits' coats, I can get a clue as to what the coats will look like. I ask the breeder about how they groom. Interestingly, it seems like those that brush out their rabbits weekly, have some of the worst coats, since they have been brushing out all the longer guard hairs that protect the coat.

If you can, spin some of the fiber. It's often worth buying an ounce or so of fiber from the breeder to test spin. Some fibers spin up so easily, just like spinning sheep's wool. Others just don't spin as nicely. Spin it, knit a swatch. How does it feel against your upper lip and neck? Any scratchiness? What about the color? Is it the type you like? Clear and crisp rich color? Or a very soft pastel?
 
i would also add inside of wrists and under chin for the reaction test.
Good point. You can also try just above your upper lip, under your nose. Take a bit of the spun yarn, a finished garment, or a handful of fiber (sometimes it helps to fold it and allow any coarser guard hairs to pop out, as it will be in the finished yarn. Now, rub the fiber across any of these sensitive areas, to see how you react to it. Is it soft? Scratchy?
 
I am back with more questions for @judymac! I have new fluffs and I am noticing these kits have more crimp in their baby coats than I see in my buck. Is this a baby thing, or is it likely to be maintained? (they are about 10 weeks now)

Depends on whether you are looking for optimal wool production or not. We feed a home-mixed 16% blend of locally available grains plus hay (and fresh greens/twigs in season), and have done so for decades. It works for me. We do not get maximum wool production, but it is an amount I'm comfortable with. We harvest 4-6" of fiber each molt (every 3-4 months), and aim for the equivalent of 1" and 1 ounce per month on our English and Satins (although some Satin Angora lines tend to produce a bit less.) Angoras grazing in a rabbit tractor gave the same amount of fiber, with only a half-ration of grain along with the fresh greens they grazed.

Generally, you'll find the experts recommend a higher 17-18% protein content for angora feeds, to support the wool growth, but I don't feed soy beans (almost all soy grown is GMO, and it needs heat treated to destroy some anti-nutrient factors). Soy has a much higher protein content than other legumes and makes the high protein feeds practical to produce. We use green split peas instead, as they do not need heat treated, and I can either grow them myself or buy them locally. Almost all the rabbits enjoy them.

Also what specifically are these "16% local grains" you speak of? is this a mix you balance yourself out of ingredients like oats and BOSS and the mentioned split peas? I am intrigued. The quality of pellets within an hour drive of me is leaving quite a lot to be desired lately.
 
these kits have more crimp in their baby coats than I see in my buck. Is this a baby thing, or is it likely to be maintained?
I find that crimp for me has been consistent, babies with more crimp tend to keep that trait as adults. Some lines are much more crimpy than others. I love the crimp, as it makes a more elastic yarn. Angora lines with strong guard hair tend to have very inelastic yarn, like alpaca and camel. Crimpy wool yarns spring back into shape when knitted, while the more inelastic yarns tend to droop. This is a good reason to spin the angora finer, as it has less weight and therefore less droop. Of course, having crimpier angora fiber is a real bonus.

French and German seem to have a straighter fiber, Satin tends to coarser guard hair and very very fine down, and English is the most likely to have soft fine crimp. I haven't worked much with Giant yet, I've raised at least a few specimens of the others. There are exceptions in every breed, a fellow spinning guild member had fabulous French with super soft beautiful coats; and I've seen very nasty coarse English. The Satins are funny, many have a dominant guard hair above the down. I tend to remove it separately, as I'm personally in love with the very fine fibers. I keep my fiber in sealed plastic bags (gasp!), and ten years later it is still in fine shape. . .BUT, the bags with the coarse Satin guard hair are felted within months, so funny. Who would guess the guard hair would be the one to felt? My fine English has no problems, even in long storage.

As to the feed, I mix whole wheat berries, whole oats, green split peas, black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) and CalfManna for the minerals. I've tried the mix without the CalfManna, and didn't like it as well. We also feed mixed hay, to keep things moving in their digestive system. The Satins prefer the higher protein, and eat more than the English, even at the same weight.
 
Well that is really exciting! I think I hit the jackpot with Flopsy, she has a relaxed temperament, a really dense dark coat with more crimp than I have seen in person before. The staple length is short on her baby coat, but not TOO short. I am so glad I went with the English after literally thinking and waffling for YEARS. Also she and the buck carry chocolate, tort, and probably dilute, so I should get every self color possible. Neat! I will have to see how well the babies sell in my area, I don't want a rabbit-flation situation and I am not sure I could cull one of these if they were healthy! I can totally understand why you might stop breeding at some point, as it will be hard for me to let them go to anyone but an experienced owner.
 
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