ANGORA RABBITS

I keep Angora rabbits for their soft, lustrous fur, spinning it alone and with silk and/or first cuts of sheep's wool. Above is Honey, a French Angora  doe. I keep French, English and Continental Angoras. The English has the softest fur, which is also long over the face. The French and Continental have slightly less soft fur and "clean" faces. The continental is the largest. Angoras are not as prolific as most breeds of rabbits, and mature slowly. In England numbers are much lower than they used to be. From a commercial point of view, the introduction of  myxomatosis was more of a problem than it was to the meat rabbit trade, as they are slow maturing and actually produce higher yields of fur with age. Increased labour costs also took its toll, and for some years most angora yarn has been imported, but breeders still produce both fur for the hand spinning market, and highly prized specialist yarns.

The fur of the Angora rabbit grows continuously, and needs regular grooming and clipping or plucking to keep it under control. If the fur becomes too long or thick for comfort it will be shed, and at this point the loose fur must be carefully plucked to avoid knotting, matting and swallowed fur balls.

Angora rabbits are not that plentiful in the UK - their high grooming needs make them impractical as pets and too labour intensive for commerce. Breeders keep them for the high value of their fur and for their temperament. Angoras are calm, quiet rabbits that are - and need to be - easily handled. They enjoy being groomed, and are usually happy to be clipped several times a year. They are hardy ceatures, not as delicate as they may look, but it cannot be emphasised enough that they are unsuitable for children's pets!