Angora doe shedding

[skysthelimit]

This angora doe was born 11/19. She's as big as my 8mos old Rex. Do they really grow that fast?

Also, there is so much fur all over the cage, so I brought her in to groom and collect the shedding fur. Is this normal? At what age do I start harvesting? This fur pulls right out.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

If the wool comes off easily in your fingers...harvest, harvest, harvest! Mine LOVE to be plucked, they sprawl out and relax on my lap while I yank off tonnes of wool. :lol: So long as you don't have to pull much and it keeps coming out, strip 'em down!

 

[skysthelimit]

This doe is awful. I was told she was sweet, I put my hand in to get the crook and she tries to take a finger off. This has been going on for weeks. She hates to be groomed.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Wow, really? That sounds awful. One of my rules is, a rabbit bites me without a litter of kits in a box, and they get eaten. BUT, if her wool is good enough, then I guess she gets a pass.

I wonder why she hates it though. Even my crazy-head monster doe loves to be plucked. So odd.

 

[AnnClaire]

Sky, she may not be accustomed to the way you are grooming her ... some breeders simply don't use a wire brush to groom the fur, they blow the coat with a pet blower or (in my case) a shop vac.

As for plucking her, I would suggest that you get a comfy chair and a table that is at a comfortable height for you to put the bun on and a ziplock baggie, and gently pluck her with her head facing away from you. This will allow you to keep her in place with one hand on her shoulders.

I basically pinch the tip of some long fiber between my finger and thumb and letting the fiber slip through, I only pull the very longest that is loose.

My new black doe is still deciding whether she likes me or not, but is also in full molt, so I have had to handle her quite a bit more than I like to with a new one. The first session was ... ummm, difficult. The second session was a bit better, but she was still standoffish. The third session was much better as she was actually starting to get some relief from the itching.

Also, when I got her she had an awful case of some sort of skin mites on the outside of her ears and the crown of her head. So, when I do anything in her cage, I take the time to give her ears a good scratching. Last sunday was the end of her quarantine, but I haven't had the mite powder until late this week, so I just dosed her today and she liked me rubbing it in her fur, but she did not like the little white plastic container I had the powder in and she started boxing at it.

I know you are busy, but since you have had her, how much time have you had to simply hold and pet her aside from grooming and feeding? While my REW doe wasn't snarky, it still took her a while to adapt to my grooming and start looking forward to the sessions. I mean, for a long time she simply tolerated it I knew she didn't like it, and I felt bad about subjecting her to something she clearly didn't like, but I kept at it as gently as possible and she finally came around almost a whole year after she got here.

Also, if this is the bunnys first time to blow the coat as an adult, it really seems to confuse them as to what the plucking is all about. If she is still this way next year, then you might want to just move her along to another owner and replace her with a daughter that you have raised. She also may be very ready to be bred, hence the snarky behavior <br /><br />__________ Sat Feb 16, 2013 2:31 am __________<br /><br />Also, at 2.5 months old, she is shedding out her baby coat and growing in her junior coat. Neither of which are useable for spinning. The baby coat is too short and fine, the junior coat at about 6 months will be longer but still very fine. The first useable coat will be her 8-9 month molt which will be her first adult coat. In some lines, this can still be too fine, but most lines will produce a nicer fiber by this age.

I have found that if I pluck through the first adult coat, and then shear the next adult coat, then pluck, the coat grows in quite a bit denser after that. Since your area can have quite warm and humid summers, you might want to consider shearing in early summer and keeping the coat sheared until late summer/early fall. She will definitely be more comfortable, and you will probably not want to be dealing with a blowing coat in the heat and humidity

 

[skysthelimit]

I have done very little grooming, I don't think it isn't the way I am grooming her. She came back into the house Weds, when I noticed the shedding, and I used the wire brush and she seemed ok with it. I plucked a few places, and that set her off, but she was in the carrier at that time.

I'm wondering if she is just cage aggressive?

I simply stuck my hand in the cage and got attacked. The whole growling, clawing, thing, just because I reached for the food dish. I've had new buns back away and hide in the back, but I have only had one actually bite and scratch when I am trying to retrieve the food dish. This has been going on for three weeks. She was in the house with me, and she gets as much attention as any of the others if not more. Most of them came from someone else, were raised by someone else and they don't act that way, so she gets no excuse.

Any other rabbit would have been culled on the spot for this behavior, the only thing keeping her alive is the fiber.

It did occur to me that she might want to breed but she's not even 4 mos old. I've never even had a doe breed at 4 mos old. She is big. Maybe I got the wrong birth date from the breeder? This fiber is at least 3 inches long. That's as long as the sheep wool I'm spinning. Perhaps this doe is older than I was told?

I like the idea of the shearing, in the summer, the boys will be cut, but I have one problem, this doe is supposed to go on the table this spring. About the shearing--if one shears in the summer how do they show angoras? Most shows happen between April and October.

 

[Oceanrose]

A lot of bunnies don't like the feeling of being plucked. You can comb the fiber out too. I find they tolerate plucking best on their backs, and least on their sides. The first couple molts are the worst, then they settle down and realize it feels nice.

Not sure about the cage aggression thing. I will say, Angoras seem to hold grudges and to bond to certain people more. I have a black doe here, who also molted right when I first got her. I plucked her out, and she was really upset. It took her 2 or 3 months after that to approach me. It took at least a month before she stopped growling at me when I walked into the rabbitry! I'd be feeding there she'd be grumbling and growsing. The does I bough last month, one likes me, the other one is still pretty sure I am an evil alien who kidnapped her from her happy home. Any other rabbits I've gotten, have almost immediately liked me. Angoras, nope.

I will also say, while it would SEEM like Angora breeders would handle their babies a lot, not everyone does. One of my rules is to make sure babies who leave here are used to laying on their backs, being brushed, and being handled. Mine have all been hand fed and topple out of the cage when I open up the door. Now, I will be interested to see, if when they leave in a couple weeks, if people report back that they are friendly..

3 inches is about right for her age, my babies who are 6 weeks old have 2 inches of fiber easily already, and it's getting denser and longer every day.

To get her to grow coat back in for showing, get it out, and blow her a couple times a week. It will probably be 2-3 months before she has enough showable fiber, possibly longer depending on her coat growth pattern. Seems like Angora people just keep enough to not depend on one to show. That is my strategy, those coats are buggers to keep in. The exception seems to be the English. They slip coat, but grow it also like crazy. My 2 Jr English does are slipping coat but it's being replaced by their adult coat as it happens. That wouldn't be possible without a blower though. I aim for every other day for my English, once or twice a week for my satin angoras. That keeps the coat separated and growing out nicely.

 

[skysthelimit]

Interesting, she is certainly holding a grudge. I had a Rex like her, and her kits were like her as well. Not sure I want to go through that again.

Good to know about the coats. Not possible yet to have enough like that, so I may have to give up the idea of showing then.<br /><br />__________ Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:59 pm __________<br /><br />So I should discard any wool shed till she's 8-9 mos old?

 

[owlsfriend]

I got a pet English from a girl who was going to college....she was a grouchy old thing, growling and boxing me for about 6 months....then she just changed her mind about me and is very sweet. I think she was angry that I took her from her bonded human...(a lonely home schooled teenage girl) and it took a while for her to forgive my evil...but now she's a snuggle bunny--even if she won't let me comb her belly, and a good wooler.

She's housed with a neutered SA and they have their disagreements, also....she just holds very strong opinions....has never bitten or scratched me...but plenty of rump shots, thumps and boxing before she decided I wasn't so bad.

 

[AnnClaire]

Sky, you did pick the most opinionated angora breed :cheesysmile:

As for the fiber, anything before she has her adult coat that is long enough to spin is perfectly fine for blending with another fiber, or used as stuffing for amiguri, etc.

I agree that she could be displaying a bit of cage agression which may or may not be associated with the move. I would bet that it is her being grumpy over the move and if you have the time and patience to wait it out, you will end up with a very sweet, gentle doe. Especially if the others from the same breeder do not display this attitude.

Also, what size cage do you have her in ... if you can put her in a bigger cage for a bit, she may lose her aggression sooner. And like Oceanrose said, it can take until the 3rd or 4th molting that she finally realizes that plucking is not that bad. With my new doe, I brush her a bit with the cat slicker brush, giving it a little flip near the end of the fibers to pull the loose ones. Then, when my arm gets tired, I go to plucking for a bit. Each time, I pluck a bit longer or in a different area. Then I switch back to the slicker brush. I also don't actually hold my buns down while they are on the table, but I let them move around ... some like their face into the wind, some don't, something will catch their attention, they get bored of sitting/facing one way, etc. I just pluck whichever body part is closest to me And, don't forget to give potty breaks and just breaks in general. I will love on the bun, pet it, talk to it, trim the nails, etc.

Now, if you have a buck, you want to do the does first as that will definitely give the bucks something interesting to investigate while you are plucking :cheesysmile:

As for showing, you are right, many shows are in the spring and summer months. For that, I would move the EA into the airconditioned house to maintain the show coat, but then, if I take that rabbit to a show in an unairconditioned facility, I stand a big chance of it blowing its coat at or immediately after the show. Of course, EAs make great house buns inkbunny:

I am still having difficulty with getting the baby angoras to accept tummy brushing on their back ... so they will probably all move back into the house so I can groom them every day LOL What a chore, having to play with baby angoras every day :cheesysmile: I definitely don't know how I could do this if I had a full time job!<br /><br />__________ Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:43 am __________<br /><br />As for showing and coat length, the minimum fiber length is 3" which is generally reached well before molting time ... it is timing the molt that can change show plans. I have a buck that I desperately want to get on the show table, but he has blown his coat a week before the 3 shows that are closest to me ... hopefully this year I can get him on to a show this year. I also have the 2 does I want to get on the show table too ... fingers crossed!

 

[skysthelimit]

Sky, you did pick the most opinionated angora breed :cheesysmile:

Gosh, I knew I should have asked before I jumped into it!<br /><br />__________ Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:27 pm __________<br /><br />

I would bet that it is her being grumpy over the move and if you have the time and patience to wait it out, you will end up with a very sweet, gentle doe. Especially if the others from the same breeder do not display this attitude.

Also, what size cage do you have her in ... if you can put her in a bigger cage for a bit, she may lose her aggression sooner.

Now, if you have a buck, you want to do the does first as that will definitely give the bucks something interesting to investigate while you are plucking :cheesysmile:

As for showing, you are right, many shows are in the spring and summer months. For that, I would move the EA into the airconditioned house to maintain the show coat,

__________ Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:43 am __________

As for showing and coat length, the minimum fiber length is 3" which is generally reached well before molting time ... it is timing the molt that can change show plans.

ok, so I will blend the hairs in with the Merino.

It's funny, she is a doll when I am carrying her around. Maybe I should just carry her around more?

Right now I had to remove her from the cage, the winds are too much outside, but the growout cages are 30 x36.

The bucks are english crosses, they seem to have more English fur, so I clipped them. They were unbelievably patient. I was really hoping she was a clipper not a plucker

This show thing is going to be interesting, I now have three fur/wool breeds, and keeping these coats is soooo hard. I don't have an air conditioned house, I am very heat tolerant and very seldom does it get that hot that a fan won't do it. There is a little widow unit in my bedroom, it's a tiny room not really suitable for more than one bun. Air conditioned buns would be a bit of a stretch.

Do Angoras age out of coat like Rex? Or do they show forever like Jersey Woolys?

 

[Oceanrose]

You can show them indefinitely as they're in coat. At the show I went to last month, a 2+ YO doe was BOB both days. She's had a couple litters too. I just pulled out the mom of my babies, she still has 3 in with her, but she is seriously in good enough coat and condition to show, with her 4th litter still nursing. The coats may get a little coarser, but that is all.

I started letting my bunnies out into yard runs today, and they were VERY opinionated about that, having fun, but alerting quickly to anything different - including when I walked up. I just don't think Angoras like change lol.

 

[skysthelimit]

Ok, then I will go with my showing plans. Rex has always been my primary breed, but usually don't show well past a year, and i don't have a line that gets it together after kindling. It's good to here that angora's will grow faster, show longer and make meat and fiber, though I can't see eating such a fiber gem

 

[lonelyfarmgirl]

Actually I have an EA who is a righteous bleep! She was born here and at 3 months old started acting like she was wanting to be bred aggressive, growling and attacking. I've popped her on the nose a number of times to no avail. What I did then was switch cages. I took her from the middle level and put her on the lower level next to a different rabbit. She instantly toned down some. IDK why. Ive also since bred her but her 'tude didn't change from that.

 

[AnnClaire]

Sky, I think you will find that the personable nature of the English Angora makes up for the diva attitude LOL

As for clipping vs. plucking, the EA is a very versatile breed and will tolerate shearing just fine! My avatar is my EA buck just after being sheared for the hot weather last spring. I have been spinning his sheared fiber as my first "practice" fiber and it spins up just fine! Shear or pluck ... do whichever you want or do both alternatively

As for the summer, I would think in your area, a fan to keep the air moving would be enough for a sheared/plucked angora.

LFG - I have a diva doe too ... she is the alpha female in the runout pen with the other senior does which is quite surprising as she is so laid back in the cage ... but in the runout pen, she doesn't hesitate to put any other bun in it's place ... baby, junior or senior! With me, she is all about the grooming and treats LOL