Angora Rabbit Breeds

Choosing an Angora

Angora rabbits are generally raised for their fiber as it is wonderful for spinning into yarn, which is soft and warm. Angora fiber is 7 times warmer than sheep wool without the itch that wool tends to have making it

wonderful for use in baby garments. Angora fiber can be plucked as the rabbit sheds, or clipped with a very sharp set of scissors.

They do need a little extra care from other typical rabbits. Angora rabbits should be brushed at least once a week to keep their coats in optimal condition and matt free. There is no cleaning process of their fiber like there is on other fiber animals making them a very desirable fiber animal to raise.

There are a few breeds from which you can choose depending on your preference or time you have to devote to their care. You have the French Angora which has a shorter coat than the other breeds and is the easiest breed to care for its coat. It has no fur on its ears, face, ears or front feet and looks more like a typical rabbit. It has more guard hair to its undercoat and shorter overall hair than the other angora breeds which is why the hair is easiest to care for.

Your English Angora's have extremely long, heavy fur that covers their entire body including the head, ears and front feet. Kind of resembling an overgrown mop with little guard hair where it will spin tighter than other angora fur. They really are an adorable breed of rabbit worthy of consideration. When you think of an angora rabbit it is usually the English Angora you envision in your mind.

The German Giant is the largest of the Angoras and comes in white, where colored versions are considered cross-breds. At mature weight they come in at 9 to 12 pounds where the other breeds are closer to around 8 pounds of mature weight. They have a double undercoat making them the densest fiber of the angoras.

Satin Angoras have a beautiful shiny sheen to their coat and like the French Angora does not have hair on face or ears. They do require more grooming due to their fur being less dense and an overall lighter fur. Their fiber is a wonderful texture for spinners to work with and adds a wonderful sheen and sparkle to the yarn.