Interesting Facts About Angora Rabbits

5 out of 5 (1 Vote)

angora giant

Angora giant | wikipedia.org

The Angora rabbit is a valuable breed of rabbit, which is specially bred for its long fur, from which the so-called angora wool is obtained – a woolen fabric that is very soft to the touch with a characteristic delicate pile.

The world leader in the production of fur from angora rabbits is China (up to 8000 tons annually). Among European countries, the leaders in the production of wool from fur rabbits are France, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.

Angora wool, for which rabbit breeders breed them, is obtained by cutting, combing and plucking hairs from animal skins. In most breeds, wool is obtained by combing and plucking, which makes the process quite laborious and requires only manual labor, which explains the high cost of products made from angora wool.

Depending on the breed, the weight of Angora rabbits can range from two to six kilograms. The life span of Angora rabbits is 7-10 years, and the fur of animals becomes usable from the age of seven months.

Angora rabbits are much more difficult to care for than their short-haired counterparts – their coat requires brushing at least twice a week. The length of wool in adult animals is from 15 to 25 cm.

Angora rabbits are very active, playful and social and therefore are a fairly common pet in Europe.

Interesting fact

In a number of countries there are national associations of Angora rabbit breeders (for example, the American Rabbit Breeders' Association in the USA), which are engaged in decorative breeding and exhibition organization.

English angora rabbit

English angora rabbit | wikipedia.org

English angora rabbit

English angora rabbit | flickr.com

Short story

Angora rabbits are one of the oldest breed groups of rabbits. Their breeding was started in Turkey, and the original name of these animals was given by the name of the Turkish capital of Ankara, formerly called Angora (similar to Angora goats and cats). In Europe, these animals appeared in France in the middle of the 18th century, where they quickly became very popular, and by the beginning of the 19th century, angora rabbits spread throughout almost the entire continent. Initially in Europe, Angora rabbits gained popularity as pets among the nobility, the applied breeding of these breeds began later.

In Russia, Angora rabbits appeared much earlier – in the 9th century, although then they were called "Arctic Fox rabbits", the name "Angora rabbit" was assigned to fur rabbits much later. Interestingly, in the middle of the 20th century, Russian scientists bred downy breeds of Angora rabbits that can live in a cold climate without constantly heated rooms.

English angora rabbit

English angora rabbit | flickr.com

Sheared angora rabbit

Sheared angora rabbit | wikipedia.org

Breeds of the angora rabbit

There are more than a dozen breeds of angora rabbit. The following 7 breeds are the most famous among them (the names of the breeds are indicated under the photo of rabbits).

English Angora Rabbit – These rabbits require brushing every three days. They do not have long hair only on the nose. Animals of this breed weigh about 3 kg, and from one rabbit a year you can get up to 450 grams of fluff.
Angora satin (satin) – this breed has the lowest productivity in terms of the volume of wool obtained. They gained popularity for the special softness and strength of the wool. The weight of rabbits is from 3 to 5 kg.
White downy rabbit – in animals of this breed there is practically no guard hair (its content is less than 7%). The weight of the animal is about 4 kg, and from one rabbit you can get up to 500 grams of fluff per year.
Angora giant – animals have a weight of up to 6 kg, due to which they are the most productive breed in terms of the amount of fluff obtained. They have tufts on their ears. Up to 1,2 kg of fluff can be obtained from one animal per year.
French Angora rabbit – The breed is characterized by unpretentious care, their hair practically does not fall off, which makes it possible to comb out these animals rarely. The weight of animals is up to 4,5 kg, from one rabbit you can get up to 550 grams of fluff per year.
German Angora rabbit – a feature of the breed is that fluff from these animals can be obtained by shearing. You can cut rabbits of this breed every 2,5 months. From one rabbit of this breed per year, you can get up to 1,5 kg of fluff, they weigh up to 3,5 kg.
Dwarf angora rabbit – rabbits of this breed are the smallest representatives of angora rabbits and weigh no more than 2 kg. They are most popular as decorative pets. Within the breed there is a variety of fold (lop-eared rabbit).