Raising Angora Rabbits For Wool

Livestock that Produces the Softest Fiber in the World

Dec 27, 2008
Chris McLaughlin

English Angora Rabbit - Squish E

Angora rabbit wool is high in demand, and considered top drawer in the fiber production market.

Angora rabbits are known for their docile disposition, and calm nature. They make wonderful pets, and are gentle with children. However, they are most sought-after for their plush, and silky coats. It's one of the softest fiber used for garments in the world.

If raised primarily as a wool producing animal, angora rabbits are a no-kill livestock, which is very appealing to a lot of would-be rabbit farmers. That being said, commercial breeders may raise angoras for meat, fiber, and showing, tripling their investment.

The angora rabbit is thought to have originated in Ankara, Turkey, although the hard facts remain unclear. What is certain is that Europe has raised angora rabbits for their fiber for centuries. The French get the credit for making their wool popular around 1790, although North America wouldn't see angoras until 1920.

About The Wool

Angora wool can be sold either spun or raw, dyed or in their natural colors. Angora wool is so fine, that it's often blended with other fibers such as sheep’s wool, mohair, silk, and cashmere at a 30% ratio. The texture of angora wool alone is so fine that some spinners prefer a blend to hold the dense stitches of knitting. Angora fiber, being 7 times warmer than sheep’s wool, creates an extremely warm garment.

Wool is harvested by either plucking or shearing.

Plucking – Most angora rabbits have a natural molt 3 - 4 times a year. Breeders can take advantage of this by either plucking during this time, or plucking every 10-11 weeks. Currently, in some parts of the country such as California, modern show rabbits are being bred to hang on to their long coats and may need to be shorn rather than plucked.
Shearing – A breeder can also shear the wool off of the rabbit with scissors every 10 – 11 weeks, or any time of the year, depending on the desired wool length. In the case of the Giant angora, hand-shearing is the only way to harvest the wool as the giant doesn’t shed naturally.

Special Husbandry Practices

The wooled breeds come with some concerns all their own. Here are some special needs of the angoras:

Because they have a long coat, it’s impossible to tell if they are underweight. Angoras need to be picked up and felt to be certain they are getting the proper nourishment.
Whether wire-mesh, or solid flooring, their cage needs to be cleaned daily to prevent soiled wool and parasite infestation like fly strike. Fly strike is when flies are drawn to soiled areas of the wool and proceed to lay their eggs there. The maggots hatch and quite literally eat the rabbit alive. Fly strike is hard to notice at first because of the rabbit’s heavy coat. Once discovered, it could be too late to save the rabbit’s life.
Again, due to fur length, breeding can be difficult. Sometimes a doe’s tail needs to be held up while the buck mounts. Some breeders eliminate this problem by breeding after harvesting wool.
Papaya enzymes may to be provided either in pill form or in their natural fruit form and many angora breeders have been successful with this practice. Angora rabbits ingest a lot of wool while grooming, especially after wool harvesting. Papaya breaks down the material that holds hair together, and helps prevent ‘wool block’ in their stomach, another potentially fatal malady.
General rabbit pellets are not the best for angora rabbits. A commercial pelleted feed of 18% protein that’s also high in fiber must be sought for growing, and maintaining quality wool.

4 Angora Rabbit Breeds

English Angora – The English angora weighs 5 to 7 ½ lbs at maturity, and is the smallest of the angora breeds. It’s also the most popular angora for showing because of its unique face and ear ‘furnishings’. This angora benefits from daily grooming to keep the coat free of mats and debris, as it has more wool by percentage than guard hair. The fiber from the English wraps very tightly when spun.
French Angora – These guys weigh 7 ½ to 10 ½ lbs, and are the opposite of the English as far as wool/guard hair ratio. In this case, the guard hairs make up more of the coat instead of the wool, making the French a better choice for novice angora owners. A once-a-week grooming is all that is necessary. The extra guard hair (where most of the color is) also allows for more intense colors in the fiber. The wool is the undercoat, and is normally light or white.
Satin Angora – At 6 ½ to 9 ½ lbs, the satin has a very shiny, crystal – like coat. The wool is dense, and a pleasure to harvest. Spinners also find this fiber wonderful to work with because it’s easy to spin.
Giant Angora – The largest of the angora breeds. The giant weighs in at 10 lbs and up, and are also the highest fiber producer in the group. This angora breed doesn’t shed out naturally as do the other breeds, so the wool must always be harvested by hand shearing.

Benefits to Raising Angora Rabbits

As wool producers, angoras are a no-kill livestock, so go ahead and get attached.
There is no true ‘land’ necessary to raise them.
Inexpensive to feed.
Easy and fast to breed.
Harvesting the wool is relaxing, and pleasurable.
The rabbits can also be shown, making it a family venture.
Their temperament makes them great pet candidates.
The fiber can be sold raw; however, the breeder can also learn to spin, developing a new hobby.

Considerations

Any allergies in the family.
Daily cage cleaning.
Coat maintenance.
General livestock care.
While great with kids, this is not a breed for kids to raise. They require too much work for the average child.

An angora rabbit produces, on average, 15 ounces of wool each year per adult rabbit (this number doesn’t apply to a nursing doe). Fiber producers typically promote, and market their rabbit wool for the cottage industry and usually see very nice prices for their product. Selling angora wool works best as a complement to showing these unique rabbits.

Interested in learning more about angora rabbits? Go to The National Angora Rabbit Breeder’s Club.