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Giant Angoras Family Album For Sale Tips and Tricks Basic Angora Care
Visit My Rabbitry Transport Information Upcoming Shows Links E-mail
The Four Very Different Breeds of Angora Rabbits
Before you purchase
an angora bunny, you have to understand the differences in the breeds
and understand that not all angoras are created equal. Each breed
has it's own size and it's own grooming and feeding requirements.
For the purpose of this article, I will cover the 4 breeds of Angora Rabbits that are recognized as such by the American Rabbit Breeders Assoc. and are showable at ARBA shows.
Each breed of Angora is bred for a specific type of hair. Angora owners call the long rabbit hair "Wool" or "Angora Fiber", and the wool's softness and feel is called "texture". Some breeds were bred to have a soft, fuzzy texture, while other breeds grow a texture of wool that is thicker, still soft, but less likely to matt. Some breeds of Angora have more guard hair then others. Guard hair separates the soft under wool and keep it from matting and webbing very easy. Guard hair in angora rabbits is not a bad thing and does not need to be removed prior to spinning. Guard hair also contains more color pigment, so a breed with less guard hair will have less color pigment in the wool while a breed with more guard hair will show more color in the wool.
Some breeds take more time to groom then others. While you may fall in love with the size or look of one particular breed, also consider the time that is necessary to keep your angora in good shape and the hours needed each week for grooming. If you have a busy lifestyle, it may be advisable to consider grooming requirements over the look of a particular breed or bunny.
There is nothing sadder then a 6 months old bunny that was purchased with good intentions but then was neglected by the new owner and returned to the breeder or turned in to a shelter for lack of time and grooming. Such bunnies can be matted to the skin, and can require extensive work to get the wool removed. On occasion, such bunnies have to be put down due to acquired health problems from lack of care and grooming.
I myself have always loved the French Angora. My first pet angora was a French Angora, and it remains the main breed in my barn. I have, at one time or another, owned all 4 Breeds of Angoras, and can offer an impartial opinion of all 4 breeds. For the beginner and pet owner, I would always recommend the French Angora as the preferred breed for the first Angora owned.
Here is a list of the 4 recognized Angoras and their breed specifics:
For the purpose of this article, I will cover the 4 breeds of Angora Rabbits that are recognized as such by the American Rabbit Breeders Assoc. and are showable at ARBA shows.
Each breed of Angora is bred for a specific type of hair. Angora owners call the long rabbit hair "Wool" or "Angora Fiber", and the wool's softness and feel is called "texture". Some breeds were bred to have a soft, fuzzy texture, while other breeds grow a texture of wool that is thicker, still soft, but less likely to matt. Some breeds of Angora have more guard hair then others. Guard hair separates the soft under wool and keep it from matting and webbing very easy. Guard hair in angora rabbits is not a bad thing and does not need to be removed prior to spinning. Guard hair also contains more color pigment, so a breed with less guard hair will have less color pigment in the wool while a breed with more guard hair will show more color in the wool.
Some breeds take more time to groom then others. While you may fall in love with the size or look of one particular breed, also consider the time that is necessary to keep your angora in good shape and the hours needed each week for grooming. If you have a busy lifestyle, it may be advisable to consider grooming requirements over the look of a particular breed or bunny.
There is nothing sadder then a 6 months old bunny that was purchased with good intentions but then was neglected by the new owner and returned to the breeder or turned in to a shelter for lack of time and grooming. Such bunnies can be matted to the skin, and can require extensive work to get the wool removed. On occasion, such bunnies have to be put down due to acquired health problems from lack of care and grooming.
I myself have always loved the French Angora. My first pet angora was a French Angora, and it remains the main breed in my barn. I have, at one time or another, owned all 4 Breeds of Angoras, and can offer an impartial opinion of all 4 breeds. For the beginner and pet owner, I would always recommend the French Angora as the preferred breed for the first Angora owned.
Here is a list of the 4 recognized Angoras and their breed specifics:
French
Angora : A large bunny at an average of 8 to 12 pounds in weight
at maturity, a good breeder and with good mothering instincts.
Different bloodlines available dictate the size and wool growth, but
today's good quality French should be around 9 -10 pounds in weight and
should grow a very dense coat, with an average harvest of 5-11 ounces
of blanket (top and sides) fiber every 4-5 months, with a length of 3-6
inches in that time. Of course, harvest is greatly determined by
nutrition, grooming, and bloodlines. A baby can't be very much better
then it's parents, and genes play a large role in wool production.
French Angoras have 2 types of fiber: the straight, coarse and long guard hair, a coarser type hair which should be dispersed evenly in the entire coat. This fiber separates the softer undercoat and keeps it from matting/webbing. Guard hair carries the largest amount of color pigments, so French Angoras and other angora breeds with a good amount of guard hair will show colors extremely well.
Underneath the Guard hair grows the soft, downy fiber called the undercoat. This fiber is what gives Angora fiber the softness, the cloud like feel, and it is highly insulating. A good balance between both fibers is very important in a good angora, for wool production and for ease of grooming.
French Angoras have a face, ears, and feet covered with short, normal fur, and the wool covers the rest of the body . Small tassels of wool are allowed on the tip of the ears, also called tufting. Dense wool covers the entire body of the bunny, but for spinning, only the wool from the top and the sides is used to make yarn.
The body type of a French Angora is long and "commercial". The shoulders should be broad, the hip bones should not protrude, and the overall bunny should be long like a loaf of bread. Due to the size and body shape, French Angoras are excellent breeders, with an average litter of 8 babies. However, it can vary. I have had as little as 2 babies and litters as large as 11 babies.
French Angoras require a large cage due to the need for exercise, to prevent obesity and to allow for a clean bunny. I would recommend an all wire cage 30x36 inches large, with a minimum height of 18 inches. The door of the cage has to be 12 x 12 inches or larger, or the bunny won't be able to fit through it.
French Angoras are bred for commercial wool production, for rabbit shows, and for pet sales. Many breeders use French Angoras for meat production as well. French Angoras are available in many recognized, showable colors, and even more colors that are not showable but are beautiful anyway. Colors range from ruby-eyed white (Albino) to black, and include solid colors, agouti colors and shaded colors.
Feeding requirements of French and Satin Angoras are: 1 measuring cup of good quality, commercially mixed rabbit pellets. Adjust for growing rabbits, pregnant and lactating rabbits (need more), and for obese rabbits (need less).
French Angoras have 2 types of fiber: the straight, coarse and long guard hair, a coarser type hair which should be dispersed evenly in the entire coat. This fiber separates the softer undercoat and keeps it from matting/webbing. Guard hair carries the largest amount of color pigments, so French Angoras and other angora breeds with a good amount of guard hair will show colors extremely well.
Underneath the Guard hair grows the soft, downy fiber called the undercoat. This fiber is what gives Angora fiber the softness, the cloud like feel, and it is highly insulating. A good balance between both fibers is very important in a good angora, for wool production and for ease of grooming.
French Angoras have a face, ears, and feet covered with short, normal fur, and the wool covers the rest of the body . Small tassels of wool are allowed on the tip of the ears, also called tufting. Dense wool covers the entire body of the bunny, but for spinning, only the wool from the top and the sides is used to make yarn.
The body type of a French Angora is long and "commercial". The shoulders should be broad, the hip bones should not protrude, and the overall bunny should be long like a loaf of bread. Due to the size and body shape, French Angoras are excellent breeders, with an average litter of 8 babies. However, it can vary. I have had as little as 2 babies and litters as large as 11 babies.
French Angoras require a large cage due to the need for exercise, to prevent obesity and to allow for a clean bunny. I would recommend an all wire cage 30x36 inches large, with a minimum height of 18 inches. The door of the cage has to be 12 x 12 inches or larger, or the bunny won't be able to fit through it.
French Angoras are bred for commercial wool production, for rabbit shows, and for pet sales. Many breeders use French Angoras for meat production as well. French Angoras are available in many recognized, showable colors, and even more colors that are not showable but are beautiful anyway. Colors range from ruby-eyed white (Albino) to black, and include solid colors, agouti colors and shaded colors.
Feeding requirements of French and Satin Angoras are: 1 measuring cup of good quality, commercially mixed rabbit pellets. Adjust for growing rabbits, pregnant and lactating rabbits (need more), and for obese rabbits (need less).
Satin Angora :
A beautiful bunny, very similar in size and overall look to the French
Angora, the Satin Angora was developed by crossing a French Angora with
a satin rabbit of short fur. The result is a shiny, glass like fiber
that reflects the light. Satin Angoras have a very fine diameter in
wool and due to that require more grooming then a French Angora. I
would recommend to groom a Satin at least twice a week.
Satin Angoras average a smaller harvest in fiber, and grow wool slower then a French Angora at this point. They still need a good amount of dedicated breeders to develop the breed further. Satin Angoras were developed just recently and also come in a wide variety of colors.
Satin Angoras average a smaller harvest in fiber, and grow wool slower then a French Angora at this point. They still need a good amount of dedicated breeders to develop the breed further. Satin Angoras were developed just recently and also come in a wide variety of colors.
Giant Angora :
The Giant Angora is a very rare and new breed to the U.S.A. and has
been accepted for showing in ARBA shows in 1988. Currently, Giant
Angoras can only be shown in ruby-eyed white (albino), however,
purebred Giant angoras in some colors are available from several
dedicated breeders. Currently, the Giant Angora is the second rarest
Breed of ARBA recognized Rabbit Breeds in the U.S.
according to a survey conducted among Rabbit Breeders.
The Giant Angora is a heavy and large bunny with a long body, similar to the French and Satin Angora body, with broad shoulders and hips. The animal should range from 9 to 12 pounds for females, a bit less for males, when fully grown at 2 years of age. Giant Angoras mature rather slow and seem to gain weight all the way into the 2nd year of life. Giant Angoras have 3 types of wool: the under coat we are now familiar with, the guard hair we know from the French and Satin Angoras, and the third type of hair known as the Awn fluff. Both guard hair and Awn fluff are rather straight fibers, with a wave to the hair. They are a bit thicker hair that separate the undercoat and create a beautiful halo over a finished coat. Giant Angora wool is very dense. A Giant Angora will, and should produce the highest amount of yield in wool harvest of all 4 breeds. Of course, grooming, nutrition, and bloodlines of each animal plays a big role in yield and the breeder should strive to breed for ultimate density in wool. The owner should strive to provide the best feed (nutrition), the best housing, and the best grooming to allow the animal to reach it's potential.
Giant Angoras carry long wool all over the body, and have varying amounts of wool growth on the ears, from the tip down to the base of the head. ARBA allows a variance in ear tassels, but they are required. Facial wool, also called "facial furnishings", include side burns of long wool that cover the mouth partially and need special attention with grooming. Long wool should grow on the forehead of the bunny, creating a sort of bangs that hang into the face and often over the eyes. Again, ARBA allows for some variance in the amount and length of facial wool. Some Giant Angoras have very little facial wool, while others have a heavy furnished face. Wool also has to cover all 4 feet, from the toes on upward to the leg. This wool can reach great lengths. Some of my Giants have 2-3 inches of wool on their feet, and special care has to be given to all of this extra wool in delicate places to prevent matting and soiling.
Giant Angoras require a good grooming every week if you plan to show, with special attention given to the areas that will matt more: the feet, the face, the ears, and the belly. Most breeders use a special blower to groom the very dense and long wool of the Giant Angora. It allows for good separation of the fiber and helps speed up the grooming time. Face, ears, mouth, and feet will still need to be brushed by hand, at least once a week if not more. If the owner does not plan to show the giant angora, clipping the wool that is NOT used for spinning ( feet, tail, belly, face) once a month will keep the grooming chore down to a minimum.
Giant Angoras are a rather new Breed here in the US and are somewhat sensitive. Many Breeders in the US had tried to raise Giant Angoras and lost the initial investment rather quickly. Giant Angoras require extra nutrition, extra care, and special attention since the current bloodlines available in the US seem to be sensitive to illness if neglected, are very sensitive to heat and humidity, and require a fairly large cage to be comfortable. Breeding these lovely creatures has proven to be a challenge for some. The pure gene pool we currently have to work with needs improvement in some areas, and breeders work hard in doing so. But, in my opinion, they are worth the extra attention. Feeding requirements for a Giant Angora can vary from 1 to 1 1/2 cups of pellets daily. You'll have to adjust the amount depending on how much your Giant Angora will need to maintain weight and density. My own Giant Angoras eat 1 1/2 cups of pellets daily while growing, but will cut back to 1 cup of pellets when 10-12 pounds in weight.
The Giant Angora is a heavy and large bunny with a long body, similar to the French and Satin Angora body, with broad shoulders and hips. The animal should range from 9 to 12 pounds for females, a bit less for males, when fully grown at 2 years of age. Giant Angoras mature rather slow and seem to gain weight all the way into the 2nd year of life. Giant Angoras have 3 types of wool: the under coat we are now familiar with, the guard hair we know from the French and Satin Angoras, and the third type of hair known as the Awn fluff. Both guard hair and Awn fluff are rather straight fibers, with a wave to the hair. They are a bit thicker hair that separate the undercoat and create a beautiful halo over a finished coat. Giant Angora wool is very dense. A Giant Angora will, and should produce the highest amount of yield in wool harvest of all 4 breeds. Of course, grooming, nutrition, and bloodlines of each animal plays a big role in yield and the breeder should strive to breed for ultimate density in wool. The owner should strive to provide the best feed (nutrition), the best housing, and the best grooming to allow the animal to reach it's potential.
Giant Angoras carry long wool all over the body, and have varying amounts of wool growth on the ears, from the tip down to the base of the head. ARBA allows a variance in ear tassels, but they are required. Facial wool, also called "facial furnishings", include side burns of long wool that cover the mouth partially and need special attention with grooming. Long wool should grow on the forehead of the bunny, creating a sort of bangs that hang into the face and often over the eyes. Again, ARBA allows for some variance in the amount and length of facial wool. Some Giant Angoras have very little facial wool, while others have a heavy furnished face. Wool also has to cover all 4 feet, from the toes on upward to the leg. This wool can reach great lengths. Some of my Giants have 2-3 inches of wool on their feet, and special care has to be given to all of this extra wool in delicate places to prevent matting and soiling.
Giant Angoras require a good grooming every week if you plan to show, with special attention given to the areas that will matt more: the feet, the face, the ears, and the belly. Most breeders use a special blower to groom the very dense and long wool of the Giant Angora. It allows for good separation of the fiber and helps speed up the grooming time. Face, ears, mouth, and feet will still need to be brushed by hand, at least once a week if not more. If the owner does not plan to show the giant angora, clipping the wool that is NOT used for spinning ( feet, tail, belly, face) once a month will keep the grooming chore down to a minimum.
Giant Angoras are a rather new Breed here in the US and are somewhat sensitive. Many Breeders in the US had tried to raise Giant Angoras and lost the initial investment rather quickly. Giant Angoras require extra nutrition, extra care, and special attention since the current bloodlines available in the US seem to be sensitive to illness if neglected, are very sensitive to heat and humidity, and require a fairly large cage to be comfortable. Breeding these lovely creatures has proven to be a challenge for some. The pure gene pool we currently have to work with needs improvement in some areas, and breeders work hard in doing so. But, in my opinion, they are worth the extra attention. Feeding requirements for a Giant Angora can vary from 1 to 1 1/2 cups of pellets daily. You'll have to adjust the amount depending on how much your Giant Angora will need to maintain weight and density. My own Giant Angoras eat 1 1/2 cups of pellets daily while growing, but will cut back to 1 cup of pellets when 10-12 pounds in weight.
English Angora
: Every time you see an Angora in a book, it's most likely an English
Angora. Having been around for quite some time, this little Angora is
the smallest of all 4 breeds. It has an average body weight of 6
pounds. Maximum weight for a adult female for showing is 6 ½
pounds. They look similar to the Giant Angora as far as facial
furnishings go, wool covering most of the face. Some have more wool in
the face and on the ears then others, it varies.
These Bunnies have a short and cobby body. When correctly bred the body resembles a round ball. English Angora wool has few guard hairs, and the fiber is mostly undercoat. For that reason, colors are rather pastel in the body wool and show darker on the face where there is short fur. A black English Angora will have dark gray to light gray body wool. English Angoras of some bloodlines can grow wool for up to a year. Some breeders have found ways to prevent the natural molting cycle of the fiber and some show English Angoras that carry up to 14 inch wool that has been grown for up to 12 months. This is for showing, and is not practical for home bunnies at all. English Angoras sport facial furnishings and ear tassels, plus wool on all 4 feet, much like the Giant Angora. Basically, the only differences in both English and Giant Angora is body type, body weight, and texture of wool. Due to the lack of guard hair in English Angoras, grooming time is greatly expanded. A bunny with more than 1 inch of wool will need to be groomed 2-3 times a week, especially in those areas where friction will increase matting. The longer the wool grows, the more often you will have to groom. High humidity, heat, dirty cages, and insect infestation all increase the need for more frequent brushing.
English Angoras are available in white and many different colors, much like the French Angora. English Angoras make very nice pets due to the small size, but the owner has to be aware and willing to brush these bunnies very frequently, or clip them down once a month to keep them free of matting. Too often do I see a pet English Angora that has not been brushed properly due to the owner's lack of grooming time. Some of these poor bunnies had to be put down due to health problems associated to the lack of grooming.
Most English Angoras are very laid back and would rather lounge then run around. English Angoras do not require a large cage since they are smaller in size. They do well in a cage 30 x 30 inches. I know some folks that keep them in 18 x 30 or 24 x 24 inch cages. However, I wouldn't recommend to keep any Angora(or any larger rabbit for that matter) in cages that small. English Angoras require less feed then the other 3 breeds. They do well on 3/4 cup of rabbit pellets once at senior weight.
These Bunnies have a short and cobby body. When correctly bred the body resembles a round ball. English Angora wool has few guard hairs, and the fiber is mostly undercoat. For that reason, colors are rather pastel in the body wool and show darker on the face where there is short fur. A black English Angora will have dark gray to light gray body wool. English Angoras of some bloodlines can grow wool for up to a year. Some breeders have found ways to prevent the natural molting cycle of the fiber and some show English Angoras that carry up to 14 inch wool that has been grown for up to 12 months. This is for showing, and is not practical for home bunnies at all. English Angoras sport facial furnishings and ear tassels, plus wool on all 4 feet, much like the Giant Angora. Basically, the only differences in both English and Giant Angora is body type, body weight, and texture of wool. Due to the lack of guard hair in English Angoras, grooming time is greatly expanded. A bunny with more than 1 inch of wool will need to be groomed 2-3 times a week, especially in those areas where friction will increase matting. The longer the wool grows, the more often you will have to groom. High humidity, heat, dirty cages, and insect infestation all increase the need for more frequent brushing.
English Angoras are available in white and many different colors, much like the French Angora. English Angoras make very nice pets due to the small size, but the owner has to be aware and willing to brush these bunnies very frequently, or clip them down once a month to keep them free of matting. Too often do I see a pet English Angora that has not been brushed properly due to the owner's lack of grooming time. Some of these poor bunnies had to be put down due to health problems associated to the lack of grooming.
Most English Angoras are very laid back and would rather lounge then run around. English Angoras do not require a large cage since they are smaller in size. They do well in a cage 30 x 30 inches. I know some folks that keep them in 18 x 30 or 24 x 24 inch cages. However, I wouldn't recommend to keep any Angora(or any larger rabbit for that matter) in cages that small. English Angoras require less feed then the other 3 breeds. They do well on 3/4 cup of rabbit pellets once at senior weight.
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