Ok I have been combing, not brushing, the new buns daily or every other day. Trying to get them used to being handled, groomed. They do not mind sitting on your lap being cuddled, or brushing on the top and sides. The belly they absolutely hate to be combed on the belly :evil: !!! Do not even think about putting them on their backs! I hope this gets better. Any tips? Also they were born on Mother's Day. When can I expect the first coat. They are Angora hybrids. Father full French, mother full English.
Angora bunnies grooming
- Thread starter Lenora C
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MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
There is some good grooming advice in this thread:
how-long-should-brushing-grooming-take-t13171.html
AnnClaire also posted a video on grooming a while back, but I think it is buried in one of the threads. You can PM her and ask for a link, or click on her Username and then Search Posts. It may take a while to find- so happy hunting!
how-long-should-brushing-grooming-take-t13171.html
AnnClaire also posted a video on grooming a while back, but I think it is buried in one of the threads. You can PM her and ask for a link, or click on her Username and then Search Posts. It may take a while to find- so happy hunting!
I find my French kits loose their first coat around 12 weeks usually. To groom, I go over with a slicker brush to loosen the ends and get any hay or other particles that may be there. The first go over usually gets set aside for use in the nesting box if the wool is dirty. Then I use a animal rake (has really pointy metal teeth, but safe when used right) this is the main wool harvest, that fiber is saved for spinning. I then go over again with the slicker to remove the loose hairs that are left behind so they don't eat them. I do this once a week. About every 12 weeks when they molt, I will pluck them. You can tell if they are ready to pluck if their undercoat comes out easily when gently pulled on. Also, they will usually have a ring of darker fiber at the base of their skin. This is the new fiber coming in.
As far as the belly, I'm sorry, but good luck there. I usually let the rabbits take care of it themselves, which they're pretty good at, but if they start to mat I restrain them and deal with it. I have a friend who has taught hers to lay on their side for grooming, but she has two angoras, I usually have anywhere between six and sixteen, depending in if I'm breeding or not...<br /><br />__________ Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:44 pm __________<br /><br />Oh, I also find that it is more thorough if I start towards the bottom/sides of the rabbit (more affectionately known as the 'dust ruffle') and work towards the center of the back. I hold the fiber toward the animal and use the brush to pull if from my hand and brush it out. (Think like trying to brush out a mat in your hair, you start at the bottom, and towards the end of your hair, then work into the mat while holding the rest away until your ready to work with it) I first started by just brushing them like I would my short hair dog, but I always ended up with more mats and not enough fiber.
Then again, once you start spinning, you'll learn there's never enough fiber...
As far as the belly, I'm sorry, but good luck there. I usually let the rabbits take care of it themselves, which they're pretty good at, but if they start to mat I restrain them and deal with it. I have a friend who has taught hers to lay on their side for grooming, but she has two angoras, I usually have anywhere between six and sixteen, depending in if I'm breeding or not...<br /><br />__________ Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:44 pm __________<br /><br />Oh, I also find that it is more thorough if I start towards the bottom/sides of the rabbit (more affectionately known as the 'dust ruffle') and work towards the center of the back. I hold the fiber toward the animal and use the brush to pull if from my hand and brush it out. (Think like trying to brush out a mat in your hair, you start at the bottom, and towards the end of your hair, then work into the mat while holding the rest away until your ready to work with it) I first started by just brushing them like I would my short hair dog, but I always ended up with more mats and not enough fiber.
Then again, once you start spinning, you'll learn there's never enough fiber...
skysthelimit
Well-known member
the best part is watching them on the table with the blower, some hate it, they sit in a basket. i have one i know was raised to love the blower, he's like one of the dogs.
SarahMelisse
Well-known member
With some of the rabbits that are touchy about having their bellies groomed, I lift up their front legs so they are standing just on their back feet and groom slowly. Half of my rabbits don't mind being flipped and half will have a fit if you so much as try.
skysthelimit
Well-known member
i have a small wicker basket , smalleer is better, less room to hurt themselves.
[quote="PSFAngoras"]I find my French kits loose their first coat around 12 weeks usually.
Tomorrow mine are 12 wks.
I blew them out with a hair dryer on cold in stead of brushing tonight. This went very well! George my REW seriously loved it. He would move in different positions so I could get different areas. He even held his chin up so I could blow under the chin. I was getting such a kick out of him. :lol: I think I need to make a video of him next time.
Tomorrow mine are 12 wks.
I blew them out with a hair dryer on cold in stead of brushing tonight. This went very well! George my REW seriously loved it. He would move in different positions so I could get different areas. He even held his chin up so I could blow under the chin. I was getting such a kick out of him. :lol: I think I need to make a video of him next time.
Different lines/ rabbits can have different molting patterns. I did have a doe kit once that I was going to cull at 5 mo the because she hadn't molted once, than lo and behold, I go out one day and she had started one, huge molt. Almost like she was double coated or something. Still spinning on her fiber even though I sold her almost two months ago. I would think that your guys should molt out soon, but it is possible that they may not shed for some time still. The unfortunate thing around my area is that the lines are so close, they are almost all related in some way or you can trace them back to one of two rabbitries that constantly swap stock with each other. It does mean that they all molt at the same time, but you also find a lot of other traits in common as well (very large rabbits, short fiber staple, limited color selection...)
Many rabbits, does in particular, hate their bellies touched. Mine are fine until they raise their first litter. Then it doesn't matter how long it's been since they had their kits, they hate anything that seems to them like a baby bothering her for milk...
Do wool rabbits have wool on the underside?? Wouldn't it be better to try and breed them to not have wool there? I know you can breed naturally crutched sheep, different fur on face and legs with sheep, too. So why not see if it's possible with a rabbit? Bottom dragged fur can't be all that useful.
Do wool rabbits have wool on the underside?? Wouldn't it be better to try and breed them to not have wool there? I know you can breed naturally crutched sheep, different fur on face and legs with sheep, too. So why not see if it's possible with a rabbit? Bottom dragged fur can't be all that useful.
Some of the best fiber I get off my angoras is from the lower sides of the animal, the back is great too, but I like the dust ruffle. The wool on the belly is certainly usable, I personally wouldn't worry about trying to breed an angora with no belly wool, but its not a bad idea, really. I find that they usually keep it clean, so it doesn't get dirtier than the rest, and it is about half the length, so it doesn't catch that much to begin with.
skysthelimit
Well-known member
The different Angoras are bred to have wool on different places. FA's don't have wool on their faces, most don't have it on the ears, a few have tuffs, past the elbow or the hock. EA's are just balls of fluff, can't even see their eyes. Gotta leave something on that belly for the does to pull.
My FA's don't molt at all, so what they had at 12 weeks is what they had until I sheered them. The fun of a non molting FA.
The EA/FA crosses, there are two of them left, let's see what they do. They were not from a non molting line.
I read something on the Class Act Angora page-be careful with the blower, supposedly once you open the coat with the blower, be prepared keep it up regularly, because they coat can mat at those places.
My FA's don't molt at all, so what they had at 12 weeks is what they had until I sheered them. The fun of a non molting FA.
The EA/FA crosses, there are two of them left, let's see what they do. They were not from a non molting line.
I read something on the Class Act Angora page-be careful with the blower, supposedly once you open the coat with the blower, be prepared keep it up regularly, because they coat can mat at those places.
Fluffy creatures
New member
Here is the thing. Angora rabbitsgot areutation for needing grooming from showpeoplewho groom constantly. Grooming rabbits regularlyisa bad for them. It loostensthe fiber and then they groom themseves and ingest it and guesswhat -- woolblock! Angorarabbitsthat are usedfor fiber should not be groomed between harvest.sd You want to breedfor easycare coats. But that also means they should not be petted and messed up too much. English and English hybridswill alwaysneed more work. But purebred Frenchand Satin should be left to have a nice natural "bloom" on the coat. I t should fall nicely without matts unless it back up into the cage-- then you will find matted backsides. Bunnies should be scissor clipped at 6 - 8 weeks because the fine baby wool does matt otherwise and will interfere with a proper adult coat development. At 3 months later check the coat to make sure the second coat is coming in and the first coat is prime. It should pull out easily without them flinching if it is prime. It should not get past prime to removeor then it shedsbackanddoes matt. You can harvest it naturally (pluck) or scissor cut it. Bunnies when turned on their back firmly -- if done properly and held until they relax will go into a trance and the tummy grooming and harvest is very easy. Only breed the rabbits whose coatsare dense and no matts. THen you have less work and beautiful coats. :bunnyhop: Dianne
skysthelimit
Well-known member
Maybe once a month, depending.
I combed my buck for the first time since I sheared him in May. he stretches full body on the table, then allowed me to flip him on his back and brush his tush and tummy. The top I just collected some lose hair, there were some small tangles near his tail, where he butts up against the cage. He's obviously been well trained.
I combed my buck for the first time since I sheared him in May. he stretches full body on the table, then allowed me to flip him on his back and brush his tush and tummy. The top I just collected some lose hair, there were some small tangles near his tail, where he butts up against the cage. He's obviously been well trained.
Here is the link to the bunny handling video I did ... his reaction at the very end is hilarious
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhiwhg75ftE
As for the bellies, well, some will fight it no matter how often, and others will fall asleep, and still others are more interested in what they can see from up there, so don't get in their way
Just be as gentle as you can and as firm as necessary.
Also, unless you are going to show, keeping the underside and tailgate area trimmed, especially on bucks, is helpful. And, since I raise English Angoras, I also keep the facial furnishings trimmed back so we (me and bunny) can see
Suggestion: do NOT trim/shear in high winds :cheesysmile: unless you don't mind your yard looking like a bunny exploded out there
And, if there is a wind blowing, your bun more than likely will want to be face-on into the wind
As for trimming the babies, well, like all baby animals their first nails are wicked sharp LOL I would just take a pair of people nail trimmers and snip the tip off just to dull them a bit. You will probably need to do that again in a couple of weeks, but it gets them familiar with that kind of handling, and you will also be able to see the quick even in dark nails at that age.
Carefully look at the structure of the nail before cutting and you will see an area where the sharp, talon shaped area blends into the actual nail ... on the underside, where you see the bulbous area start is where you want to trim when you clip their nails later on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhiwhg75ftE
As for the bellies, well, some will fight it no matter how often, and others will fall asleep, and still others are more interested in what they can see from up there, so don't get in their way
Just be as gentle as you can and as firm as necessary.
Also, unless you are going to show, keeping the underside and tailgate area trimmed, especially on bucks, is helpful. And, since I raise English Angoras, I also keep the facial furnishings trimmed back so we (me and bunny) can see
Suggestion: do NOT trim/shear in high winds :cheesysmile: unless you don't mind your yard looking like a bunny exploded out there
And, if there is a wind blowing, your bun more than likely will want to be face-on into the wind
As for trimming the babies, well, like all baby animals their first nails are wicked sharp LOL I would just take a pair of people nail trimmers and snip the tip off just to dull them a bit. You will probably need to do that again in a couple of weeks, but it gets them familiar with that kind of handling, and you will also be able to see the quick even in dark nails at that age.
Carefully look at the structure of the nail before cutting and you will see an area where the sharp, talon shaped area blends into the actual nail ... on the underside, where you see the bulbous area start is where you want to trim when you clip their nails later on.
