Whether you’re interested in raising Angora rabbits as pets or for wool production, you should do some research first to find out which breed suits you best. To help you do so, we’ve made a list of five Angora breeds that are recognized by either the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) or the International Association of German Rabbit Breeders (IAGARB), so read on to learn more.
5. English Angora
Thanks to its unique face and ear ‘furnishings,’ English angora, which is the smallest of the angora breeds, is quite popular for the show table. It usually weighs around 5 to 7 ½ lbs at maturity. They can produce 10 ounces to 1 lb of fiber per year. This angora has more wool percentage than guard hair.
4. French Angora
When it comes to wool/guard hair ratio, French angora rabbits are quite the opposite compared to the previous – the guard hairs make up more of the coat instead of the undercoat. For that reason, this breed is more suitable for novice Angora owners. These rabbits weigh from 7 ½ to 10 ½ lbs and they can produce up to 1 lb of wool per year.
3. Satin Angora
This breed, which is said to have been created through a cross between Satin and French angora, has a unique quality of fiber scales, which allows for an incredible coat shine. The rabbits usually weigh 6 ½ to 10 lbs. They can produce about 1/2 lb of wool per year, which is not that much, but the wool is dense and easy to spin.
2. Giant Angora
Giant Angora weighs at least 9 1/2 to 10 lbs and is of German decent. More precisely, it was created by breeding German Angoras with Flemish Giant or some other breeds. Being the largest of the angora breeds, it can from produce 1-2 lbs of wool per year, which has to be harvested by hand shearing as these rabbits don’t shed naturally.
1. German Angora
Even though they are not accepted by the ARBA, these rabbits do have their own association and shows through the IAGARB. They weigh around 7 lbs to 11 1/2 lbs and are among the highest wool producers as they can produce to 4 1/2 lbs of wool per year.
If you need more information on any of the five breeds, check the ARBA or the IAGARB website.
