We have raised rabbits for years but are interested into branching out into Angora rabbits and selling their hair. I would be interested in hearing from anybody you has raised them concerning where they buy them, average costs, where they sell the hair, etc. Thanks for any information!!!

-- Suzy Lowry Geno (slgt@yahoo.com), March 07, 2000

Answers

I have raised english angoras for 10 years so I will try to answer some of your questions. #1 angoras are not a easy rabbit to raise , there bigest problems being heat and fly strike.But with good care exercise and a little fresh greens thay do alright.They are not a rabbit you can put in a cage and take out once a week. a screened in porch or area works best[keeps flys out]. you can buy them at a arba show[ or through a breeder] at a show you can see the 4 different varietys.A good one will probably cost around 45 dollars[depending on your area]. with the internet i see a large market opening up in the future. I wrote a detailed artical on angoras for countryside about 5 years ago but that issue is out of print now. A good book on angoras is completely angora by Kilfoyle and samson which covers just about anything you might run into raising them.In the future i would like to see angora raisers get together to market hair, stock and products hand made from there hair [gloves, booties, scarfs ect] and I would like to see the manure sold in plant shops [thay do it with bat droppings]. For any one thinking about raising them just remember they are a big resposibility do your home work before you decide to raise them.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), March 07, 2000.

Suzy, We raise animals for fiber and tried our hand at angora's. They are tough and unless you have time to spend grooming them I wouldnt suggest it. You can go to fiber shows to sell their wool. Most crafters prefer long hair, at least 3-4 inches. We chose a giant angora for this. Great pets, but time consuming. Good Luck. Tracie

-- Tracie Kwiatkowski (tstillwatersfarm@cs.com), March 07, 2000.

Thanks to all of you!!! I'm going to continue reading and investigating! Even tho I have a pretty busy schedule, my office is at home so that gives me more time to do things with the animals.

During the summer, we have fans on our other rabbits, would that work with the Angora's too????

Any other info would be greatly appreciated. (I am in Alabama)

-- Suzy Lowry (slgt@yahoo.com), March 09, 2000.

Hi Suzy, I raised French angoras for years. My last buck died of old age at 9 years. He was a sweet pet. They (angoras) are high maintenance, and are also prone to snuffles and hairballs. I discovered that constant grooming and a never-ending supply of clean rough hay (not good alfalfa but clean horse hay) kept their systems moving. They only got a little alfalfa each day , with rabbit pellets and a handful of sunflower seeds. The thing I like about them is that you don't have to butcher the animal for the fiber. Spinners much prefer the plucked fiber-it's longer and has no blunt ends. But it's very time consuming to do. You have to learn when the hair is "ripe", that is, ready to pull out easily. Some people just shear them. If you have a fiber arts guild in your area and not many angora raisers you may have a market for the wool. Keep in mind, however that any garment made with angora is extremely warm so that limits the items that can be worn comfortably. If you live in the south the market for angora sweaters is probably pretty slim. That's just a guess, though. All in all, they are delightful animals and if you are already used to rabbits and have the time, Go for it.

-- Peg (jnjohnsn@pressenter.com), March 09, 2000.

In california I keep a fan on a timer in my rabbit barn [we get 110 heat sometimes] and wet the floors and sides on hot days,my barn [shed ]gets afternoon shade. As for grooming they are like cats and groom themself any time you handle them[ cant throw up hair balls so that can cause a impaction]brushing once a day works or you can brush once a week and use a shop vac to blow thru the coat once or twice a week[ takes a while for them to get use to it but that way you get a good look at skin for pests, cuts also cuts down on dander].Rabbits with a lot of guard hair dont need as much brushing as fine coated ones do.Hay is essential! If they get woolblock fresh pinnapple can help them pass it.There is a angora breeder in calif who ships her rabbits to buyers as far as china,If you can make a area were they can run once or twice a week they stay healthyer[ mine run in my fenced bake yard were nothing can bother them] they can be trained to use a litter box[all rabbits can].Go to a few ARBA shows and look around, Its to bad you couldnt borrow one for a week or two.there is a society in calif [house rabbit society] which lets you adopt them when one is turned into them.check pounds they sometimes get them. If you are going to use them just for wool you can buy stock that cant be shown[wrong toenail cooler ect]which are cheaper and still produce good wool.just remember they take a lot of atenttion.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), March 09, 2000.

We have raised French Angoras for the past year. They started as a 4-H project but our kids have lost interest because they are too time consuming for them. If you are interested we are selling our buck and three does for $25 each. They are one year old and ARBA registered.We live near Knoxville, Tennessee. They are quality animals.

-- Tammy Straut (dcsbunny@yahoo.com), March 10, 2001.