Angora Rabbit Breeders
There are four types of Angora Rabbits recognized by the Angora Rabbit Breed Association (ARBA) – English, French, Satin and Giant, although Angora Rabbit Breeders also mention German, Swiss, Chinese, Finnish and other varieties. Angora Rabbits are excellent pets with docile and people-oriented temperament. They produce high quality wool, which is very valuable on the global wool market. The Angora Rabbit originated in Turkey, and it became widely spread in Europe by the turn of the 19th century. Angora Rabbits were introduced in America in the early 1900s.
The English Angora can be identified by thick hair on the face and legs. This hair gives the rabbit a unique dog-like appearance. English Angoras are smaller than other Angora varieties. Its hair has a characteristic cottony texture, which requires daily maintenance. The ARBA standard accepts white English Angoras, and disqualifies broken colors. However, many Angora Rabbit Breeders raise parti-colored English Angoras, because they can be valuable as a source of wool.
The French Angora is large in size, averaging 8.5-9 lbs in weight. Unlike the English Angora, the French variety does not have facial hair or profuse hair tufts on the legs. French Angoras are famous for their sweet temperament, and their coat is easier to care for than that of the English Angora. The ARBA does accept broken colors in this variety, so French Angora Rabbit Breeders have less difficulty putting their rabbits for shows.
The Giant Angora is renowned for its size and exceptional quality fur, featuring three types of hair in its wool: underwool, awn fluff and awn hair. This formation is not typical of other Angora breeds. Giant Angoras produce more wool than any other Angora variety. The Satin Angora is genetically related to the French Angora. Satin Angoras have very soft and shiny hair, which is highly valued by spinners. Although they do not produce much wool, Angora Rabbit Breeders show particular liking to this breed.
Because Angora Rabbits have fine quality wool, they should be kept under healthy conditions. They are better off indoors, safely away from drafts. However, they should not be exposed to heat either, because their long and profuse coat makes them prone to overheating. Angora Rabbits require daily grooming to keep the coat in decent condition. They should be groomed in such a way as to prevent matting. Please, do not allow your rabbit to groom himself, because this may lead to a hairball growing inside its stomach, as rabbits cannot vomit. Angora Rabbit Breeders, when familiarizing buyers with the basics of rabbit care, lay a strict emphasis on this point, because this may have serious consequences.
