Questions about angora rabbits *more questions first page*

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Honeybun

Honeybun

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I have had other breeds of rabbits in the past, and have lately been interested in getting a pair of Angoras for pets and fiber, and maybe to breed if I can find a market for the babies. I've read mostly through "Completely Angora" by Kilfoyle and Samson, and I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. But I'd like to hear what you guys say.

1. I'd like a brief comparison of the main breeds regarding wool quality, wool quantity, and feed to wool conversion. Is there anything else that might influence choosing a breed? I don't plan to show.
2. What is your favored system for preventing/curing wool block?
3. What is the best outdoor housing for a pair of Angora rabbits?
4. How can I protect them from temperature extremes? Mostly heat, but it does get below freezing in the winter.
5. Do you know of any Angora rabbit breeders in the North Alabama/Tennessee area, and what breed(s) of Angora rabbit do they raise?
6. Do you prefer to pluck or cut, and why?
ETA - one more - where do you get feed formulated for Angoras?
 
wool-block-info-t13801.html

best-wool-rabbit-t11982.html

These are good places to start.

I have French. English and German have more crimp and less guard hairs, French and Satin have more guard hairs, Satin has a shiny finish. Germans are the largest and for that reason produce more wool, English are the smallest.

I have never thought about feed to wool conversion, it seems pretty much the same, what seems to be the real difference is the individual line of rabbits.

I have a hay only day, no pellets, just hay and birdseed.

I like Angoras on the wire, the smallest 30x30 for a single rabbit.

Heat is the biggest factor, rabbits can withstand pretty cold temps. They just have to stay out of the wind. It's cold in Ohio and I don't heat my barn.

I will ask the Angora breeders on FB, I am sure there are quite a few in Tenn, French and English.

I prefer cut, to take it all off at once, plucking is very natural but tedious.

The Angoras eat the same thing as my other rabbits, but I do have two other fur/wool breeds. A little ShowBloom goes a long way. I don't have many choices, it's either TSC or a local guy that sells Penpals.
 
I pluck. It appeals to my meticulous nature. :) Plus my big monster doe LOVES it...she sprawls across my lap like a cat and naps when I do it.

I'm fond of the French Angoras. I know the wool isn't as "amazing" as the English but IMO they are easier keepers. I have had school and health issues this past month and haven't brushed Nosey (my doe) once...she's not at all matted yet. :p
 
I have English and Satin....the English wool always make me feel like I have spiderwebs on my face, it's so fine and clingy. The Satin require less grooming after the junior coat shed out. I feed Heinhold Wool Blend, that is manufactured here in Indiana. http://www.heinoldfeeds.com/Rabbit%20Products.htm
If you read the ingredients, there are a lot of things that should help to prevent woolblock in the feed itself. If you don't have a dealer nearby, try ordering the Rabbit Enhancer product.
 
I have French and I pluck them. I don't mind that it comes out over the course of a week every three months or so. I just hate the sheared wool for spinning because of the blunt edges and second cuts it leaves behind.

Others have covered English and German, but it is going to come down to your personal preference on wool type. I have a friend with English and I dislike the cottony feel of the wool. Maybe ask a few breeders in your general area for a tiny wool sample so you can decide for yourself.
 
SarahMelisse":ngdu0qry said:
I have French and I pluck them. I don't mind that it comes out over the course of a week every three months or so. I just hate the sheared wool for spinning because of the blunt edges and second cuts it leaves behind.

Others have covered English and German, but it is going to come down to your personal preference on wool type. I have a friend with English and I dislike the cottony feel of the wool. Maybe ask a few breeders in your general area for a tiny wool sample so you can decide for yourself.
Click to expand...

That too. I like English wool but it's so super-fine I actually prefer my French Angora's wool. :)
 
Thanks for all the help! I've been looking at the characteristics of the different breeds and I want...one of each. LOL, not really! I can't decide!
 
Asking for fiber is a great idea. I actually sell a sample of Satin Angora fiber on my website for that reason. I like to let people try it. I definitely don't make any money on that but I want people to try the fiber and fall in love :).

Breed is such a specific decision. I have Satins and English, and one German X (who should carry the satin gene). For pure fiber production, Germans can't be beat - BUT they do take a lot of food. My Satin Angoras, I love their fiber and spinning it. It's addicting. English is finer, and you get a longer staple too. English has more crimp in general, and because of that is slightly easier to spin.

Look for a breeder who keeps fiber records. Also realize that how much fiber you get off is largely due to care. The upkeep of the coat, is a major part of fiber production. So is diet. I feed a quality food, but I am experimenting with supplements on a regular basis. I started my guys on a new one 2 weeks ago, I'm hoping to be able to tell a difference in their coats in another 2 weeks, though most are molting right now :)
 
More Questions

Thanks everyone! I have decided that I want either German or Satin.

1. Which fiber is there generally a better market for? (I don't spin but I want to sell to spinners.)

2. Which breed of rabbit is there generally a better market for? (I will probably be doing some breeding and sell the babies.)
 
Angora is pretty much expensive no matter what breed. Maybe English because it has more crimp and no/less guard hairs, but I'd say French has more bloom. Because they are all sought after, don't base it on the market, but which is more appealing to you and which one fits your lifestyle. English is too much grooming for me and German is too big and would require a different cage set up.
 
skysthelimit":1phwwudo said:
Angora is pretty much expensive no matter what breed. Maybe English because it has more crimp and no/less guard hairs, but I'd say French has more bloom. Because they are all sought after, don't base it on the market, but which is more appealing to you and which one fits your lifestyle. English is too much grooming for me and German is too big and would require a different cage set up.
Click to expand...

Everything Skysthelimit said. :) I had an English doe, she was awesome, I actually gave her to someone who wanted her for a youth project but I'd have another. However I can't handle too many English...if you miss a brushing you are outta luck. My French Angora is a LOT less high maintenance.

I also know some people who keep crossbreds...they sometimes have the perfect wool quality for what you want to do with it. :) I had planned to put my English doe to my French buck for nice crossbred kits. :) Alas my cutback happened first, LOL.
 
skysthelimit":1u1nk43i said:
Angora is pretty much expensive no matter what breed. Maybe English because it has more crimp and no/less guard hairs, but I'd say French has more bloom. Because they are all sought after, don't base it on the market, but which is more appealing to you and which one fits your lifestyle. English is too much grooming for me and German is too big and would require a different cage set up.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:<br /><br />__________ Sat Apr 06, 2013 9:39 am __________<br /><br />We get temps from 15*F to 100*F here in the California mountains. I keep everyone in a shed I built with two walls latticed 1/2 way down with wooden panels that can go up when it is too cold (or down when I need the air circulation in the heat). I have a cheapo fan in there during the summer and everyone is clipped down to their skivvies for our hottest months (July and August) and each rabbit gets a frozen 2-liter water bottle (sometimes twice a day). I don't worry about the cold, snowy, freezing months too much unless I have a litter... then I have a heat lamp for night-time use. I figure they are much more comfortable in the cold than the heat anyway.

I don't feed an angora formulated feed since it is hard enough to get the most basic of rabbit pellets around here. I feed 6% of their body weight in sprouted barley fodder, orchard grass hay, and 1/4 cup of black oil sunflower seeds daily.
 
I feed my Angora the same as all my other rabbits, pellet-brand-wise. I do tend to load her up with more hay cubes than the others, and she is the only one who gets our "kitchen waste" (like the ends of celery, carrot greens, stuff like that) which I think helps keep her more hydrated and less likely to get impacted from hay. :)

Gonna harvest her tonight or tomorrow, wooooo!!! I'm expecting a LOT since she's overdue. ;) I just didn't have the heart to make her naked when it's still so cold out...but it's a lot nicer now. ;)
 
I have had French and English, prefer the french wool type since brushing can be time consuming and the french wool is much more forgiving (doesn't tend to mat as much) not sure about the crosses as the ones I tried were either had the french type wool or the english type wool, although I have one doe who looks very french except is teensy.

I think with Angoras it is vital to keep hay in front of them at all times. I only ever lost one from wool block and that was my darling doe Rosie, she had just kindled and in hindsight I wasn't giving her enough hay although she had plenty of pellets.

My friend has one of my angoras from my last litter as a house bunny and he is a character, he likes to sit on the window sill and watch the dogs in the yard.
 
I have giant, english and satin. I do have one french wooler doe. The english are high maintenance. If you dont have a blower, dont bother with english, but their fur is the softest by a long shot. Satins are the prettiest, but they make the least wool. Germans and giants make the most, but colors are limited. French and satin shed their coats, the others must be cut off by hand.

For production, germans, but they are bigger. Also, you cant show germans in ARBA, so raising germans takes your babies out of the possibility of selling to the show crowd. French are the least expensive to purchase.

You dont find a pedigreed angora in Wisconsin for under 100$ usually. Wooler price is normally 40-50.
 
It depends more on the line than the breed, I think as for molting tendancies. I have an English buck that doesn't blow coat no matter how long I wait....and my two new does molt in two days, perfect for spinning straight from the rabbit. My Satins from Ohio tend to hold their coats longer than the IN line...and it isn't a full blown molt, even then, just enough shedding to matt from the skin out...grrrr.
 

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