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Dating back to Roman times the Angora rabbit is believed to have originated in the town of Angora (Ankara) in Turkey along with the Angora goat. The fibre was first known in England in 1723 and was recorded as being used in garments in 1780. In fact the English held a jealously guarded monopoly on the fiber although the rabbit itself was smuggled into France where Angora proved an important part of the peasant economy. Also the animal itself became a much-loved pet amongst nobility of the French Court. In New Zealand the Angora rabbit was imported in the early 1980's in order to create large commercial rabbitries with a long-term goal of exporting fibre to Europe. However, the new boom industry soon disappeared when the market was flooded with inferior fibre from China with a resulting loss in lucrative contracts. The remaining rabbits became part of a small cottage industry although this has been adversely affected by the introduction of RCD or the Rabbit Calicivirus Disease. The cost of the vaccine needed to protect the Angora from this dreadful disease has meant that many rabbit breeders have had to cut back their numbers. There are several types of Angora rabbit: · The French Angora has a longer body and short-haired face. The higher percentage of guard hair in their coat makes them easier to keep as they require little grooming. They weigh 8 ˝ Ibs. · The German or Giant Angora is the largest breed and the most suited to commercial production as it produces a large amount of matt free fibre with very little guard hair. This breed usually is white and averages 10 lbs in weight. · The Satin Angora is similar to the French but the difference is their wool which resembles silk in its depth of color and lustre. · The English Angora is the rabbit I have bred and kept for eighteen years. It is the smallest of the angoras weighing in at only 6 ˝ lbs. It has heavy wool "furnishings" on its face, feet and ears giving it a cute appearance but also making it prone to matting so it has to be groomed more frequently than the other types. It comes in many beautiful pastel colors and its fibre makes a soft spun yarn. The English, French and Satin Angora come in lovely colors ranging from a soft honey or apricot to golden fawn, blue, chinchilla, chocolate, and lilac through to smoke or black. In fact there are many variations in shade and a basic knowledge of genetics is useful when undertaking a breeding program although you still can be in for some exciting surprises. White can also be dyed to extend the range of colors. Each rabbit has two types of hair: an outer coat of coarse guard hair and a soft undercoat. These are moulted naturally three of four times a year which is when the fibre is harvested by either shearing or hand plucking. This is then sorted into four grades: · 1st Grade - clean matt free fibre 6 cm in length · 2nd Grade - clean fibre under 6 cm but over 3 cm long · 3rd grade - clean matted second cut · 4th grade - any dirty stained fibre The Angora rabbit has very few grease producing sebaceous glands and the fibre itself has anti-static properties which actually repel dirt. This makes it exceptionally clean with little to no smell which means it can be spun without any washing, combing or other processing. There is minimum waste and a little of the fibre goes a long way. Angora is one of the finest animal fibres with only the South American Vicuna (a member of the llama family) matching its fineness. Each hair measures 10 microns in diameter compared to 16 for Cashmere, 17 for the Merino sheep, and 32 for Mohair from the Angora goat. It is this fineness that gives Angora its heat retentiveness. It is eight times warmer than sheep's wool. And not only does it have thermal qualities, it also has anti-rheumatic properties, which makes it invaluable for use in both thermal underwear and garments for arthritis sufferers. Like other rabbits Angoras can be fed on a diet of pellets and water but they also must have hay to provide fibre in their diet to prevent wool block which occurs through swallowing their own wool. They also enjoy fruit (pineapple, carrots, bananas, apples etc) and greens although these should never be fed to them frosted in order to prevent stomach disorders. Fresh water should be provided at all times through a bottle attached to the side of the cage although in larger rabbitries a more complicated watering system can be set up. Rabbits are susceptible to draughts and damp so these factors should be taken into account when designing housing. I keep my rabbits in an open-ended shed sheltered with shade-cloth with wire cages suspended about 3 feet above the ground. These are easy to keep clean and therefore prevent disease and also keep their fibre from getting dirty. It is important to have a free-flow of air through your rabbitry as this prevents a build-up of ammonia from the rabbits' urine which can lead to an extremely contagious respiratory disease called "snuffles" (this illness can also be caused by stress). Also, as angora is so warm it is important that the rabbits don't suffer from heat stress in the summer. This can kill a young rabbit in a matter of hours. A hot cross bun is not a happy sight! Alternatively, you can train your bunny to live inside with you. They will soon learn to use a litter tray but you will have to make sure that they can't chew electric wires or anything else that may cause them harm.Rabbits mature at five months of age although it is better to wait until they're eight months old before breeding them. As they're rather territorial it is customary to take the doe to the buck's cage for mating. I remember a breeder once told me never to leave them alone but to supervise, making sure that the buck in his excitement didn't get the wrong way round as he once had one accidentally castrated by an angry female! Gestation lasts for a month. Towards the end of this time the doe may go off her food and be slightly restless. It is necessary to provide her with a nest box which is cut down at the front to allow easy access although this shouldn't be so high that the doe will knock herself when she hops in to feed her babies or low enough to let the babies to tumble out when they're very young. When she is due to "kindle" the doe will pluck fibre from her stomach and line the nest box which should also be filled with fresh hay. It is unusual to see rabbits give birth as they prefer to do this alone in the quiet of night. Plenty of water should always be provided as a lack of this can lead to cannibalism. Litters of angoras usually average seven in number, the young being known as "kits" or "kittens". At first they are born naked, blind and deaf resembling rats but within a few days it is easy to see the color of their fibre coming through and at ten days their eyes open and they become much more alert. Within three weeks the baby angoras resemble Persian kittens and are developing their own personalities. From then on their growth is phenomenal and it is a rather grateful mother who is separated from them when they're eight weeks of age! Finally, a word of warning. It is very easy to develop "rabbit owner's disease". This occurs after you have owned your first rabbit for only a few days. Symptoms include boring everyone with interminable stories about your bunny and the uncontrollable urge to collect more of them! ©Jen Longshaw 2001-2005 Please do not copy in any manner, print or electronic, without permission from the author. MORE
ARTICLES BY JEN LONGSHAW
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If
a New Zealander asks if you're feeling crook should you be insulted
or touched at his consideration? And why is going to bed with a hottie
no reason to get excited in the Land of the Long White Cloud?
