Raising Angora rabbits -- anyone do this? Know someone who does??

[5wolfcubs]

I had the most wonderfully exciting idea the other day: invest in Angora rabbits, spin their wool and create beautiful things. My allergic-to-fur dh said yes (although it may have been a moment of weakness) and I'm dreamily charging ahead with my research. And trying to remember how to knit so I can actually create something when I have the wool.

 

Anyone have anything about Angoras, their wool, etc they can share? :D

 

And if this is terrible idea...let me down gently.

[astrid]

Well, I know a few things:

 

1. Angora rabbits are a lot of work. Daily brushing, etc. to keep the fiber in good condition.

 

2. Most yarns are not 100% angora; in fact the most I've EVER seen have been 50% angora, 50% wool/acrylic/alpaca/etc. Most are between 10% and 20% angora blended with other fibers, so if you're planning on knitting the angora, you'll have to ply it with other fibers as you spin it.

 

3. Angora rabbits are very cute! :001_smile:

 

Good luck in your research!

 

astrid

[suzf242]

Do you have room for an alpaca? I have the same idea with them, even have dh on board, but we just don't have the space right now. (I hear they make great pets, and they would make more wool.) :)

 

Take care,

Suzanne

[Chelle in MO]

Sign me up for a sweater! ;)

[5wolfcubs]

1. Angora rabbits are a lot of work. Daily brushing, etc. to keep the fiber in good condition.

astrid

My dds are looking forward to this part, thankfully. Thanks for the fiber mix info!

 

Do you have room for an alpaca?

No, I'm living in a subdivision...that is why this idea is so exciting to me! :)

 

Sign me up for a sweater! ;)

Thanks for the vote of confidence, although if you could see the square I'm attempting to knit you would look like this: :confused:

[zaichiki]

We have both angora rabbits and alpacas. Alpacas are easier to care for! Angora rabbits are less expensive. They are not hypo-allergenic. (I'm allergic to the angoras, which is really rotten, 'cause I have to groom them and I haven't been doing it enough due to the allergy.)

 

Two of our angora rabbits are sweethearts (read: submissive and will allow touching easily). Another is just a little devil-bunny. Friends have sweetheart angoras and awful biters, too. It's a toss-up: you don't know what you're gonna get until they hit maturity at 4 months old. (All of ours were handled a bunch as babies and received the same treatment/care.)

 

I have spun/used/seen/sold yarns that were 100% angora. Ditto for alpaca.

 

Feel free to ask any questions. I'll do my best to answer.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Do you have room for an alpaca?

 

Last year around this time I had the crazy idea of raising alpaca. I read about it for weeks, researching, dreaming of the day that I could head out to the "way-back-yard" (our back acre), knitting needles in hand, and knit right from my very own alpaca.

 

 

Then I saw the price.

 

 

It seems that unless you buy some sickly mangy one you really can't get one for less than $20,000. (and the majority of them were closer to $40K) :001_huh:

 

 

Aaaaaaaaand....that's when I headed down to my LYS and bought a hank of alpaca that someone ELSE raised/shorn/spun for me.

[zaichiki]

It seems that unless you buy some sickly mangy one you really can't get one for less than $20,000. (and the majority of them were closer to $40K)

 

That's not true. Our alpacas were each cheaper than my neighbor's dog.

[5wolfcubs]

We have both angora rabbits and alpacas.

Thanks for the info...I will pm you!

[Amy Jo]

I have a german/french mix angora, she is NOT friendly at all. Now I used to have a male 100% german angora, and he was a sweetheart. DH is allergic to rabbits so mine are outside. I'm in Montana, and it's hard to shear the hair off an animal in the winter (you are "supposed" to shear/pluck/harvest every 3 mos.). You might have the opposite problem of keeping them cool. (I put a 2L frozen bottle in the cage on hot summer days.)

 

Based on the wool from my animals, I'd go 100% German. The wool was nice, even and not fuzzy. They breed for production, not lofty breed standards which have nothing to do with wool.

 

Rabbit droppings are great for the garden though, and our rabbit loves willow branches in the Summer. I'd advise getting a good temperment above all.

 

Remember you have to buy the carders and such. I did see a spinning wheel made from PVC pipe and a bicycle tire once - that was cool.

 

Amy

[ThatCyndiGirl]

That's not true. Our alpacas were each cheaper than my neighbor's dog.

 

 

Wow, really?! (of course, wait a minute...how much was your neighbor's dog?!) I found some terribly expensive ones, I guess. :001_huh:

 

I'm still alpaca-friendly, but we've agreed not to get anymore outdoor animals (and one must assume that an alpaca wouldn't be an inside animal!) until we get a donkey. A coyote ate all of our cats, so no more animals until we have an animal who can protect them. (Could I possibly use the word 'animal' more times in that reply?!) :lol:

[Ann.without.an.e]

We made the terrible mistake of trying to have two...inside :confused: I had no idea that cute rabbits could be so disgusting. They were the grossest animals I have ever dealt with and they were in a cage, not left free roaming. Just know what you are getting into ;)