Input please on the best choices for breeding a fiber fluffle

[manselej]

Hello, I'm new here and interested in raising wool fiber rabbits, that are also meaty enough (though I don't need to optimise size too much).

Here in New Zealand I think we have just English Angora and Jersey Woolies. What I really want is French Angora. I like the look of them with the clean face/feet, and the easy care reputation.

I suppose I'm thinking about breeding my own wooly fluffle, starting with Jersey Wooly (false dwarf) and crossing with Rex to improve size while maintaining coat density. A second generation crossing should produce 3/16th Wooly and one 1/16th Wooly-Rex. I'm not sure if Rex crossing will generally improve or worsen the wool. The wooly-rex combo could be quite interesting, possibly disastrous, possibly amazing. The only information I could find was from a 1950's publication, but it didn't really comment on the texture and quality of fiber. I'm excited by how interesting the experiment it might be. But if the goal is great fiber, should I instead just make friends with the English Angora or at least introduce some into the mix?

Note that the calcivirus is a real risk here so I don't want to over-invest. And the English Angora I've seen are expensive!

Any insights appreciated. Thanks!

 

[judymac]

I have never bred angora x rex, so I can't comment on that. I have raised and spun Jersey Wooly, and it worked fine for spinning. When you breed a non-angora x angora, the first generation is usually all non-angora. The second generation should produce about half longer haired rabbits. Usually, the fiber quality is not as good as angoras (which have been bred for generations for fiber quality). Keep breeding to angora, and choose the best-fibered rabbits from each generation. It won't take too many generations before you have just what you're looking for.

I've raised English Angora for more than four decades, and can definitely say that there is a ton of variation in the breed. You'll find some with clean faces and only a few tassels on the ears, and others with completely closed faces (the whole face wooled). Some are horribly prone to matting, and others rarely mat. I've been breeding towards angora that doesn't need all that grooming, with minimal matting, but still with soft crimpy coats. I still have rabbits crop up with poor furnishings (but you're looking for rabbits with clean faces, so those would be the ones you'd be saving as brood stock.)

English x Jersey Wooly will keep the recessive angora trait, and will introduce the clean face trait as well. Most English are small, but again, you can get some really large ones occasionally (I just worked with a junior today that was one and a half times the size of the other rabbits, no clue why other than a healthy appetite.) If you are choosing from show stock, the breeder may be delighted to sell a too-big bunny, here that would be a buck over seven pounds. More important would be the body conformation--English tend to be conformed more like bony dairy cows than meaty beef stock. There are always variations, simply select the next generation of brood stock from the kits that most closely meet your goal.

 

[manselej]

Thanks for the info, judymac. I'm thinking maybe I would introduce some 2nd generation Jersey/Rex into an otherwise English Angora breeding program. If I was to purchase an English Angora, what kind of things would I ask the breeder to ensure I got a good one? I think the ones I've seen are generally aimed toward the pet market and talk about needing frequent grooming, "are you up to it" kind of thing. What I have picked up from some of these threads here is that a well-bred English Angora should barely need grooming between moulting, is that right? Sounds ideal. But I'm not sure how I broach it. "Hi, I want to buy one of your rabbits but barely groom it, will any suit?" I think I'd be turned away as an unsuitable home. I've also never felt an angora's wool before. I would struggle to know what cottony felt like. The breeders might not know either.

 

[judymac]

I look at the litter of babies. They are generally two months old, perhaps a bit older. That means they are 2/3 of the way or more towards their first molt. They are all together, tumbling all over each other. Generally, most breeders around here are not grooming babies, so you get to see how their coat reacts to this situation. The ones I choose for breeding are the ones that despite the challenges (not being groomed, tussles with littermates, etc.), still have (mostly) mat-free coats. I don't take points off for a few cheek, behind-the-ear, above-the-tail, or between-the-legs mats. Those aren't usually places where I get prime spinning fiber, although I certainly give extra points for rabbits that have usable fiber in all those places.

As to texture--"cottony" is the descriptor used for fiber with little guard hair, that tends to web together and mat. Personally, I prefer the super-soft English fiber with little guard hair, but detest the matting. So, my rule of thumb is to see how those babies are holding their coat, as above. For more adult stock, when you blow into the coat, does the fiber flow free, so you can see down to the skin, or are the fibers interwoven ("webbed")? I forgive webbing if weather or other emergencies have delayed fiber harvesting, and the coat is still holding and usable, but a little webbed. If it still comes apart easily when harvested, I'm okay with that, for example, it wasn't the rabbit's fault the temps stayed well below freezing for weeks on end, or that a family member was dying. If they can pull through the emergency with us, they surely get extra points for that, along with a loving treat and hug and all our thanks.

French type fiber will be coarser, generally darker in color. There will be more guard hair, which is what makes that big angora halo in the yarn. When you choose fiber with less guard hair, the yarn won't fluff out as much, but it will feel scrumptiously softer. When you run your hand through the rabbit's coat, is your first impression "oooh. . .so, soft. . .", or does it feel more like sheep's wool? The coarser fiber spins quick and easy, and fluffs out beautifully. Coarser is still soft by wool fiber standards, and it's lovely. But you can feel the difference with a soft English coat.

I also raise Satin Angora. Not only is the sheen lovely, but the fiber so SO silky soft, even softer than English. I've had Satin Angora test as fine as 9 microns, that would make it even with the world's finest fiber, qiviut. There is a price for that, though. Since French Angora starts at 18 microns, that means that you're getting a lot less fiber quantity per hair follicle in the satin fiber. They eat twice what my little English eat, and produce half the fiber. I keep thinking that this is silly, to have the fiber cost me that much more than the English. . .but then I put my hand in the bag of satin fiber, close my eyes and just sigh. . .there's nothing like it, you can feel the difference blindfolded (I tried it, sat out German, English, French and Satin Angora bags, and tried to tell them apart just by feel. The German fiber was nice but had a little more of a fine sheep's wool texture (and the easiest of the group to spin, tested that, too), the French wasn't as soft, the English super soft, but then the Satin surpassed it with silkiness as well as softness.

Having said that, I've met breeders with French as soft as my English that won national awards, and Satin Angoras that looked and felt more like French. Even now, after decades of raising English, I still get throwback bunnies with little furnishings and coarser coats, and bunnies with totally wooled faces and cottony coats. There's a lot of variation within a breed, even within a litter. My mentor hoped for one good rabbit in a litter, that equaled or surpassed their parents in quality. It's funny how often you get opposites in a litter--one with deep color and a sibling with pale coat, one with coarser and one with finer fiber, one with great furnishings (all that wool on face, feet and ears) and a littermate with an open face.

As to what to ask a breeder:
1. How often do you groom? (A person that grooms often, doesn't mean their rabbits NEED to be groomed that often, but if they groom seldom and the rabbits still look good, that's a plus.)
2. What do you use to groom? (Blower, brush, comb?)
3. How do you harvest your fiber? (Pluck, shear, cut with scissors, brush out) Some show lines of English do not molt, and must be sheared/cut. Other lines are more like my old fashioned triple coated English, with a 3-6" outer coat that is molting, a secondary 1-1/2 to 3" coat underneath, and often a third coat just emerging from the skin. How to tell what type of coat a rabbit has? Blow into the coat. Agouti banding has a dark outer band (blue, black, lilac or chocolate), then a yellowish middle band, and then a gray to soft chocolate undercolor at the bottom, depending on whether the rabbit is chestnut, chocolate agouti, lynx or opal. How many times do you see this pattern repeated when you blow into the coat?

Here you can see the secondary coat as the darker inner circle of banding. This is a fault in shear-only breeds like German and Giant Angoras, because those shorter fibers are more likely to shed back out of the yarn, depending on length. They call the single-coated rabbits 'synchronous', and multiple coated ones 'non-synchronous'. For non-agouti rabbits, look for the fiber to be darker at the tip, then get a lighter shade of that same color as it goes down the hairshaft. If you suddenly get another darker ring partway down the hair shaft, you've probably got a rabbit with a non-synchronous multiple coat.

In any rabbitry, there will be variations in coats. So put your hands in and feel the coats of each rabbit. You don't need to be an expert in judging fiber, just let your hands talk to you, how does it feel? Also, temperament is huge in angoras, because you do need to handle them, at least at harvest time if not for lots of grooming. How does the rabbit react to being held on your lap. Is it squirmy, trying to escape, clawing, peeing. . .or it it sitting calmly, maybe taking a nice nap? Personality is inheritable, and working on a unwilling rabbit isn't pleasant for either of you. So pick up that rabbit, hold it. How does it react? A good English is really quite laid back, ideally, you should be able to pick up an English that has never been handled, and even if it scrambles a bit avoiding getting caught, should calm down and sit quietly in your lap. It may be curious, snuffle at your face, look over your shoulder a bit, but shouldn't be trying to make grand leaps away. I choose personality first, even before fiber quality.

 

[eco2pia]

I will say, I thought I wanted the clean face of the french also...but it is fur. you can just cut it.

I am convinced the English has possibly the best temperament in any rabbit and part of that is all the handling they get, part of it is how small they are. It is easy to hold them securely in any position. This is good for them and good for you. If you have ever held a struggling 12lb meat breed, you will have an idea that this can be a pretty big factor. I LOOOOVE my little guys. they are so gentle, but also so easy to maneuver. I can hold them on their backs and groom their bellies...at first they get nervous and wiggle, but it is ok, and over time they get used to it. Bellies have a lot of fur.

 

[manselej]

This is all really great information, thank you both! I've got a lot to ponder but that gives me some confidence in picking out rabbits. The nearest for sale I've seen are probably a 6 hour drive away bit I'll keep an eye out for anything closer. I don't think they're are rabbit shows in my immediate region, unfortunately (and I live in the capital! NZ is small afterall).

Can I ask what a business-as-usual (i.e. not crossbreeding) breeding program looks like? In terms of numbers, how related the rabbits are, how often you breed, how often you move on to new breeding stock (internal and external) and so on? I haven't seen much information on this on the internet.

 

[judymac]

Can I ask what a business-as-usual (i.e. not crossbreeding) breeding program looks like? In terms of numbers, how related the rabbits are, how often you breed, how often you move on to new breeding stock (internal and external) and so on? I haven't seen much information on this on the internet.

This would vary from breeder to breeder. Some choose outcrossing as their preferred method, where they periodically purchase a new buck (or sometimes a doe) for breeding. They might get a new buck every year or so. The advantage is that you can select a buck with traits that your herd is lacking, like longer fiber, better texture, better yield (more density), better conformation, a desired color, etc. The disadvantage is all of the hidden traits you are also bringing in, recessives that may interact badly with your herd, causing unshowable off-colors, white toenails (unshowable), Vienna markings (also unshowable), buck teeth, personality issues, etc. There is a risk with the reward of a trait you want.

Line breeding is the opposite approach. Instead of trying to introduce new genetics, the goal is to improve the chances of keeping the good genetics you already have. By culling out rabbits with poor traits, and selecting only the best with good traits, you will be producing a line with much less variation. They will develop a certain look unique to that line. When I went to goat shows, I could often tell the pedigree of the goat shown just by the way it looked, the way it carried itself, the shape of the head, the markings--linebred animals often have a stamp of their ancestors on them, carrying those same traits. Linebreeding means you can use the same buck on his offspring, or use his uncle, or his father--of course you'd only choose a buck with the traits you really want in your herd. Intensifying bad traits would be a nightmare. That's why you cull heavily in a linebreeding program, removing those bad traits from the gene pool as best as you can.

New stock doesn't always do well in your situation, while rabbits that you have bred for generations are the ones that did well for you, with your type of feed and your housing style. I've had new stock arrive that had no idea what to do with fresh greens or hay, which we depend on; or what to do with whole mixed grains instead of pellets. Some adjusted, others never did, and required a lot of special babying and special feed to keep them going. In the next generation, you select the ones that adapted to your herd. The show rabbit that did great on just18% pellets may not do well on the 16% (or less) pellets, whole grains or local greens available in your remote homestead. That's where the saying 'Breed to the feed' comes from. Select the next generation from the bunnies that do well in YOUR situation.

 

[judymac]

In terms of numbers, how related the rabbits are, how often you breed

Numbers are simple-- the number that you want/can afford to take care of, with the space, time, and finances available to you. The reality of what you SHOULD raise often conflicts with what you would like to do, in terms of space, time, local regulations, and money.

Linebreeding is easier when you have a larger population to choose from. There are articles on this at https://rabbitsmarties.com/line-breeding-rabbits, https://tigerlilyrabbitry.weebly.com/line-breeding.html, https://mcgreenacres.com/blog/rabbits/rabbit-breeding-system. Not everyone agrees on any of these methods, and often situations arise (illness or death in main brood stock, illness or other emergencies in the owner's life, weather related destruction of habitat, etc.) that require major changes.

As to how often I breed--I am not raising rabbits for meat (although we do eat our culls), my hands are no longer good enough for doing a lot of butchering. Rabbits sent to the nearest small animal meat auction often only go for $2 each, less their 25% commission and two hours of driving (fuel, wear-and-tear on vehicle, value of my time). I only have room for so many animals, I only have so much time for harvesting fiber, and I'm not really interested in the pet market. Angoras are special, I am delighted to send them to a home that understands the needs of the breed, but I'm not trying to flood the market with pets. Just my choice. I don't show anymore, which has the advantage of lessening herd exposure to various diseases, but the disadvantage of isolating me from other breeders who may wish to purchase stock. Everything is a balance, and the balance that I've chosen may be totally wrong for your situation.
I know people here who do not show, but sell all their offspring through Facebook posts, at $150 and more per rabbit. I'm not on Facebook, so I mainly breed for my own use. I learned the hard way not to wait for several years before deciding I want replacement stock--the does wouldn't breed by that age, and I lost several very valuable lines that way. I generally breed now twice a year, once in the spring when even the cranky-about-breeding does are in the mood, and again in the early fall after the buck's summer heat-sterility (3 days over 90 degrees F or 5 days over 85 can cause a month-and-a-half's sterility for the boys). I breed the does that I want to save offspring from, there are some fiber-only does with great coats for spinning, but not the traits I want in the next generation. Eventually, those does get replaced with better stock, it's a case of making the best use of what you have in the way of time, space, and money.

I see breeders here advertising on CraigsList on the internet, charging $250 to $400 per just-weaned bunny. There are people on Etsy selling all their fiber, or handspun yarn. I do several historical-themed shows each year, selling fiber/yarn/handknit angora items--it's how I pay for my rabbits. I do occasionally sell breeding stock, but I'm more likely to charge $50, not $250. Again, that's just me. When I started with rabbits more than four decades ago, we charged $25, and that was a lot for a rabbit back then. I realize that prices have gone up ten times that since then, so $250 would be the equivalent price today, but my head is too old to wrap around that.

So, grow your business as you go. As you develop customers for bunnies/fiber/finished goods, you'll know what sells best for you, and what you need more of. Or how much you want to handle just for your own needs. It's all up to you.

 

[Mef4]

Numbers are simple-- the number that you want/can afford to take care of, with the space, time, and finances available to you. The reality of what you SHOULD raise often conflicts with what you would like to do, in terms of space, time, local regulations, and money.

Linebreeding is easier when you have a larger population to choose from. There are articles on this at https://rabbitsmarties.com/line-breeding-rabbits, https://tigerlilyrabbitry.weebly.com/line-breeding.html, https://mcgreenacres.com/blog/rabbits/rabbit-breeding-system. Not everyone agrees on any of these methods, and often situations arise (illness or death in main brood stock, illness or other emergencies in the owner's life, weather related destruction of habitat, etc.) that require major changes.

As to how often I breed--I am not raising rabbits for meat (although we do eat our culls), my hands are no longer good enough for doing a lot of butchering. Rabbits sent to the nearest small animal meat auction often only go for $2 each, less their 25% commission and two hours of driving (fuel, wear-and-tear on vehicle, value of my time). I only have room for so many animals, I only have so much time for harvesting fiber, and I'm not really interested in the pet market. Angoras are special, I am delighted to send them to a home that understands the needs of the breed, but I'm not trying to flood the market with pets. Just my choice. I don't show anymore, which has the advantage of lessening herd exposure to various diseases, but the disadvantage of isolating me from other breeders who may wish to purchase stock. Everything is a balance, and the balance that I've chosen may be totally wrong for your situation.
I know people here who do not show, but sell all their offspring through Facebook posts, at $150 and more per rabbit. I'm not on Facebook, so I mainly breed for my own use. I learned the hard way not to wait for several years before deciding I want replacement stock--the does wouldn't breed by that age, and I lost several very valuable lines that way. I generally breed now twice a year, once in the spring when even the cranky-about-breeding does are in the mood, and again in the early fall after the buck's summer heat-sterility (3 days over 90 degrees F or 5 days over 85 can cause a month-and-a-half's sterility for the boys). I breed the does that I want to save offspring from, there are some fiber-only does with great coats for spinning, but not the traits I want in the next generation. Eventually, those does get replaced with better stock, it's a case of making the best use of what you have in the way of time, space, and money.

I see breeders here advertising on CraigsList on the internet, charging $250 to $400 per just-weaned bunny. There are people on Etsy selling all their fiber, or handspun yarn. I do several historical-themed shows each year, selling fiber/yarn/handknit angora items--it's how I pay for my rabbits. I do occasionally sell breeding stock, but I'm more likely to charge $50, not $250. Again, that's just me. When I started with rabbits more than four decades ago, we charged $25, and that was a lot for a rabbit back then. I realize that prices have gone up ten times that since then, so $250 would be the equivalent price today, but my head is too old to wrap around that.

So, grow your business as you go. As you develop customers for bunnies/fiber/finished goods, you'll know what sells best for you, and what you need more of. Or how much you want to handle just for your own needs. It's all up to you.

Judymac, Thank you so much for all this wonderful information! I recently had an accidental breeding of a Satin Angora with my Champagne d'argent buck. I thought it might be interesting to see the result since Champagnes have such lovely thick fur. So I'm curious about how your project turns out, manselej!

 

[ingers]

I'm sorry to be late to this conversation, because it's so relevant to my little herd! It sounds like you have all you need, manselej, but a few small points to add.

I do have a long-haird (f3) rex x french angora rabbit. She's amazing (she's the one in my profile photo). Her fur is incredible. I thought for a while it might be both rex & long-haired (as in rrll) but the whiskers don't bear it out and her fur does not curl.

Anecdotally, though there are many people working on plush coats with rex on non-rex breeds, and "reza" coats which are satin & rex (ssrr), true rex x long-haired (rrll) can be a nightmare. Very prone to matting to the point of interfering with quality of life.

Meanwhile, my long-haired rex-the-breed x french angora doe has the most amazing fur that never mats and stands out from her body like a beautiful little bunny fro. Never falls flat. Her fur is short, though, averaging less than 3 inches (less than 8 cm). And sadly, she doesn't seem to molt much. As a hand-spinner, I wish she would.



It's also anecdotal, but she's rare... Though the line of french angora x rex was very productive on the farm she came from (not mine) with litter sizes of 9 and up and good health, she was the ONLY one among several litters with long hair, even though the genetics were there.

The other rabbits were used for meat & pelts & breeding the next generation so that matches what you're looking for. Your experience might be different, but I would be a little careful (and ask for more stories) about the rex x long-haired mixes, even though I adore mine and think the world needs more like her!

I also have a buck who is a jersey wooly x french angora (purebred parents). He's stunning, in my opinion, and looks just like a smaller french angora, which was what I was hoping for. Pet & fiber market for me. The ears are long and the head shape has no hint of jersey wooly mug head (nor did any of his siblings.) His coat is spectacular. It is a bit cottony, but better now that he's senior age and getting a senior coat. He DOES molt which I appreciate and the fur length is very good. (I wish it was darker off the rabbit, but that's another post!)



Naturally, I'm hoping he and Charlotte, my rex/angora will fall in love and produce stunning babies with amazing fur. Stay tuned... and I hope you'll update us on how your breeding goes!

 

[ingers]

I'm not sure if Rex crossing will generally improve or worsen the wool. The wooly-rex combo could be quite interesting, possibly disastrous, possibly amazing. The only information I could find was from a 1950's publication, but it didn't really comment on the texture and quality of fiber. I'm excited by how interesting the experiment it might be. But if the goal is great fiber, should I instead just make friends with the English Angora or at least introduce some into the mix?

One more note on this -- there is a name for rex & long-haired rabbits: opossum. Still tricky to do an internet search for, but that's the accepted name. I think it's a bit unfortunate given the animal opossum's negative reputation in this country (the US). But as far as I know, there are no opossums in New Zealand. (Plenty of possums though.)

 

[manselej]

One more note on this -- there is a name for rex & long-haired rabbits: opossum. Still tricky to do an internet search for, but that's the accepted name. I think it's a bit unfortunate given the animal opossum's negative reputation in this country (the US). But as far as I know, there are no opossums in New Zealand. (Plenty of possums though.)

Indeed! Possums are like the devil here. Major introduced pest. I have a backyard trap that's very productive when I remember to set it. I should probably collect the fiber before I bury them. It's probably on par with Angora.
That's useful info on the breed name, thanks!

 

[manselej]

I'm sorry to be late to this conversation, because it's so relevant to my little herd! It sounds like you have all you need, manselej, but a few small points to add.

I do have a long-haird (f3) rex x french angora rabbit. She's amazing (she's the one in my profile photo). Her fur is incredible. I thought for a while it might be both rex & long-haired (as in rrll) but the whiskers don't bear it out and her fur does not curl.

Anecdotally, though there are many people working on plush coats with rex on non-rex breeds, and "reza" coats which are satin & rex (ssrr), true rex x long-haired (rrll) can be a nightmare. Very prone to matting to the point of interfering with quality of life.

Meanwhile, my long-haired rex-the-breed x french angora doe has the most amazing fur that never mats and stands out from her body like a beautiful little bunny fro. Never falls flat. Her fur is short, though, averaging less than 3 inches (less than 8 cm). And sadly, she doesn't seem to molt much. As a hand-spinner, I wish she would.

View attachment 45151View attachment 45152View attachment 45153

It's also anecdotal, but she's rare... Though the line of french angora x rex was very productive on the farm she came from (not mine) with litter sizes of 9 and up and good health, she was the ONLY one among several litters with long hair, even though the genetics were there.

The other rabbits were used for meat & pelts & breeding the next generation so that matches what you're looking for. Your experience might be different, but I would be a little careful (and ask for more stories) about the rex x long-haired mixes, even though I adore mine and think the world needs more like her!

I also have a buck who is a jersey wooly x french angora (purebred parents). He's stunning, in my opinion, and looks just like a smaller french angora, which was what I was hoping for. Pet & fiber market for me. The ears are long and the head shape has no hint of jersey wooly mug head (nor did any of his siblings.) His coat is spectacular. It is a bit cottony, but better now that he's senior age and getting a senior coat. He DOES molt which I appreciate and the fur length is very good. (I wish it was darker off the rabbit, but that's another post!)

View attachment 45150

Naturally, I'm hoping he and Charlotte, my rex/angora will fall in love and produce stunning babies with amazing fur. Stay tuned... and I hope you'll update us on how your breeding goes!

Ah now this is really specifically helpful. I was really hoping rex density and hair size would be compatible. I think I did manage to find someone mentioning that long-haired rex-coated fur "matted like a felters dream". So maybe I'd aim for the llRr or llRR offspring. I guess I wondered with Jersey Wooly having more prominent guard hairs than maybe the French angora, if the llrr would strike the right balance.

That's interesting about the molting (or not). So that's genetically separate from the wool length and came from the rex? And that means you can't pluck the wool? Would shearing work?

Ah I do wish we had the French here but this gives me good encouragement for mixing JW and rex. I'm excited to get started but have agreed with my husband that we better finish the reno first. It's only been 4 years! But we're nearly there!

 

[ingers]

Indeed! Possums are like the devil here. Major introduced pest. I have a backyard trap that's very productive when I remember to set it. I should probably collect the fiber before I bury them. It's probably on par with Angora.
That's useful info on the breed name, thanks!

Yep - here's one of many articles on how amazing possum fur is. I wish I had some to work with -- I have felt a hat that's made with 20% possum fur. Super warm! https://www.ecowool.com/naturally-unique-new-zealand-possum-merino

 

[ingers]

Ah now this is really specifically helpful. I was really hoping rex density and hair size would be compatible. I think I did manage to find someone mentioning that long-haired rex-coated fur "matted like a felters dream". So maybe I'd aim for the llRr or llRR offspring. I guess I wondered with Jersey Wooly having more prominent guard hairs than maybe the French angora, if the llrr would strike the right balance.

That's interesting about the molting (or not). So that's genetically separate from the wool length and came from the rex? And that means you can't pluck the wool? Would shearing work?

Ah I do wish we had the French here but this gives me good encouragement for mixing JW and rex. I'm excited to get started but have agreed with my husband that we better finish the reno first. It's only been 4 years! But we're nearly there!

I actually think it's the rex guard hairs that are affecting how incredibly silky her coat is more than the French Angora. But anyway, since Jersey Woolies are originally derived from French Angora & Netherland Dwarf, you have a good start toward your French Angora dreams with a Jersey Wooly involved. This is my pure french angora. She's delightful. Just big for a pet market.



I realize I don't know about the genetics of molting or not! @judymac do you know? I know even within a purebred line, some individual rabbits molt more than others. I have two Jersey Woolies who never molt (unfortunately, because their fur is lovely) and another JW (different line) who seems to molt every two months. His son is the mini-angora we kept and luckily, he also molts like a gift to handspinners.

I do get some wool just from brushing the rex x angora doe, and she's just turned six months so maybe she'll still pull off a molt.

 

[manselej]

Yep - here's one of many articles on how amazing possum fur is. I wish I had some to work with -- I have felt a hat that's made with 20% possum fur. Super warm! https://www.ecowool.com/naturally-unique-new-zealand-possum-merin

Shall I go set the trap and post you some? Looks like overseas letters only cost a few dollars.

 

[ingers]

I won't hold you to it, but if you wanted a little swap, I could send you some angora fiber and some from the rex x angora doe so you could track how close your rabbits are getting!

 

[manselej]

I won't hold you to it, but if you wanted a little swap, I could send you some angora fiber and some from the rex x angora doe so you could track how close your rabbits are getting!

Let's do it! I'll ask your address once I've got some ready. I better go ask google about harvesting the fur.

And if anyone else wants a similar swap, possum fur for a little spinning-quality angora, let me know. It'll just help me know what to look for in the rabbits I might buy or breed. I've not done spinning so I don't otherwise know.

 

[ingers]

Awesome! I'm excited. I have some tips about shipping internationally to make sure we fit within what counts as a letter... otherwise the shipping costs are quite high. But you're right that sending a letter across the globe is actually not expensive.

When you're ready (no rush, could be weeks hence) send me an email (It looks like there's an option to do so from this forum in the top bar). It's still the internet, so I'm very happy to send you my postal address but not to post it live. I'm sure you thought of that, but mentioning it just in case someone runs across this later.

 

[kusanar314]

Indeed! Possums are like the devil here. Major introduced pest. I have a backyard trap that's very productive when I remember to set it. I should probably collect the fiber before I bury them. It's probably on par with Angora.
That's useful info on the breed name, thanks!

Lol, Opossum is a totally different critter than a Possum.

The Possums you have are cute cuddly things with soft fur that came from Australia.

Our Opossum from North America is our only marsupial but they are... kind of similar to a lizard rather than a normal mammal? Like a course coated rat with an iguana head? Basically Australia got our marsupial and we got theirs...