CalicoKat Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 He's a German Angora rabbit. :)) I'm sure he's the beginning of a few "bad" habits and tons of laziness in my future. Spinning. Knitting. Spinning. Knitting. I'll post pictures on Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Yes yes! Pictures of rabbit! Can I hold it and love it...and can we live off the fat of the land? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Yes yes! Pictures of rabbit! Can I hold it and love it...and can we live off the fat of the land? :D sure going to try. I guess it's going to be "George." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 George?! I LOVE it! Angoras are wonderful critters. Enjoy him. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 We have an English Angora and a German/English cross. Congrats on your new baby!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 We have an English Angora and a German/English cross. Congrats on your new baby!! Do share what you do with their wool! I'm a knitter. I've tried some spinning and I loved it but I didn't have the space for it. Now I do. I've got other rabbits. But no fiber bunnies. So this is going to be somewhat different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Do share what you do with their wool! I'm a knitter. I've tried some spinning and I loved it but I didn't have the space for it. Now I do. I've got other rabbits. But no fiber bunnies. So this is going to be somewhat different. I've thought about spinning. Truly. I have. But right now I set it loose in the yard and the birds have the nicest nests in the neighborhood. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 What color is he? I've got a chocolate and a tortie. I had a blue boy but he died this summer. We're still dealing with it. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Do share what you do with their wool! Brush it. A lot. Some rabbits matt up very quickly. Others can take longer brushing breaks and be fine. We often keep the non-prime wool areas (legs, belly, neck) clipped very short. They usually matt the fastest. Matts are awful. Truly awful. I spin it... like to blend it with alpaca. You can also sell it at sheep and wool festivals. It goes quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 aaaawww, sweet!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Brush it.A lot. Some rabbits matt up very quickly. Others can take longer brushing breaks and be fine. We often keep the non-prime wool areas (legs, belly, neck) clipped very short. They usually matt the fastest. Matts are awful. Truly awful. I spin it... like to blend it with alpaca. You can also sell it at sheep and wool festivals. It goes quickly. How much do you sell it for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 What color is he? I've got a chocolate and a tortie. I had a blue boy but he died this summer. We're still dealing with it. :( He's a silver grey color. I think that's what's called blue, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 He's a German Angora rabbit. :)) I'm sure he's the beginning of a few "bad" habits and tons of laziness in my future. Spinning. Knitting. Spinning. Knitting. I'll post pictures on Monday. That is so cool. It must feel incredibly good to pet it! Now, if I could only market Golden Retriever Fur...:glare::D Me and Kidshappen could make $$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 How much do you sell it for. $9/ounce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Congratulations!!! We want pictures!!! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I am so jealous! I really wanted some, but I think it is just to hot and humid here during the summers. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Ooh! The spinner in me is turning green with envy! I'd love to have angora bunnies, but 1) we have no room, and 2) The poor bunnies would probably die young of heart attacks from having to coexist in a home with 3 herding dogs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Can't wait to see pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I goggled for pictures. Do they really get this big? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 That's a giant and some of them are well, GIANT. :001_smile: I've only seen one that big at a fair though. Mine are not that big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 I goggled for pictures. Do they really get this big? :w00t::svengo: I hope mine doesn't! Half that size would be sufficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 $9/ounce :D That ought to pay for it's toys and feed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I am so jealous! I really wanted some, but I think it is just to hot and humid here during the summers. :glare: They don't do hot and humid well. Friends of ours completely shave their angoras in the summer. We kept a fan on ours and gave them ice bottles (plastic soda bottles filled halfway and frozen overnight) to cool their cages. You don't want to do the ice if they haven't been clipped completely, though, b/c wet rabbits felt instantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 :D That ought to pay for it's toys and feed. It depends on the rabbit, but you only get a few ounces per shedding/shearing. So... unless you have a whole barnful of bunnies, it's just not a money-maker. We have had German and Giant Angora crosses. We were able to harvest their fleece between 3-6 times a year. Angora rabbits are a lot of work. If you live in a warm area, you have to be careful with them in the summer. (We know people who move all of their bunnies to an A/C basement in summer.) We had one that matted when she breathed. We got to a point where we just had to keep her clipped. Her fleece could never be long enough to use. :( Actually, I have a couple of friends who have had this issue. Another thing to consider if you're getting a boy (buck): they spray. It's nasty. It gets in their wool if you're not right on top of it. If you're getting a girl (doe), you should be aware that some of them turn aggressive at maturity (about 4 months). We had one who was a sweetheart until she hit 4 months. Just about overnight she started biting, growling, and attacking our hands when we opened the cage door. (She had never been mishandled or scared by us or the children. We learned that this sometimes happens with girls.) Thankfully we did have two that were pets and remained sweet and cuddly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I keep ours shaved most of the year!!! Actually, I was just eyeballing both and thinking of starting on them again. My female is mostly English Angora. Her fur mats like there is no tomorrow. One hop through the yard and she's a mess. My male is 100% German. His coat isn't as soft as my female's but it takes a lot to get it tangled up. Our female is spayed because I don't want the possibility of more ever. The boy is going in to get neutered at the end of January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I feel like a killjoy... but I think it's important to be aware of all that is involved. Too many people purchase angora rabbits as a quick decision b/c they're so cute and so soft. The babies are amazingly cuddly! Our first angora rabbit purchase was like that. Sigh. I've since decided never to have them again. Don't get me wrong: there are good things about having them. I don't think I was aware of all that was involved, though. The breeder just gently and quickly glossed over the fact that the brushing/matting is constant. She never told us about the spraying in the males or the possibility of aggression with mature females. I truly feel like she just wanted our money. Before you buy -- check out your breeder's references. A friend of mine purchased from a different breeder and had little to no matting issues. Turns out that the bunnies *can* be bred for excellent fleece production with little matting. Her bunny came from stronger genetic stock, too. (We found out, after purchasing, that our breeder's animals frequently ended up with dislocated hips, which is death to a bunny. And yes, we ended up with 2 rabbits from her lines with dislocated hips. We learned that the tendency is genetic, due to shallow hip sockets. It was very sad. And I was angry.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 I feel like a killjoy... but I think it's important to be aware of all that is involved. Too many people purchase angora rabbits as a quick decision b/c they're so cute and so soft. The babies are amazingly cuddly! Our first angora rabbit purchase was like that. Sigh. I've since decided never to have them again. Don't get me wrong: there are good things about having them. I don't think I was aware of all that was involved, though. The breeder just gently and quickly glossed over the fact that the brushing/matting is constant. She never told us about the spraying in the males or the possibility of aggression with mature females. I truly feel like she just wanted our money. Before you buy -- check out your breeder's references. A friend of mine purchased from a different breeder and had little to no matting issues. Turns out that the bunnies *can* be bred for excellent fleece production with little matting. Her bunny came from stronger genetic stock, too. (We found out, after purchasing, that our breeder's animals frequently ended up with dislocated hips, which is death to a bunny. And yes, we ended up with 2 rabbits from her lines with dislocated hips. We learned that the tendency is genetic, due to shallow hip sockets. It was very sad. And I was angry.) Thanks for your words of caution. Breeder was a recommended. I hope we don't run into the genetic issue you mentioned. The care of my new bun is very much on my mind. I've been thinking, reading, planning this for a long while so I can say that it's not an impulse buy. I hope I've learned enough to do right by this bunny. I'll just keep asking questions though because the learning never stops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderchica Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 The behavior/health/personality problems mentioned as bunnies mature can be helped greatly (usually solved) by spaying or neutering. Spaying is more expensive, I got my Netherland dwarf mix neutered for $90 total. Helps with litter box training as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 The behavior/health/personality problems mentioned as bunnies mature can be helped greatly (usually solved) by spaying or neutering. Spaying is more expensive, I got my Netherland dwarf mix neutered for $90 total. Helps with litter box training as well. We have had bunnies who were self-litter box trained and never spayed. I've had friends with spayed/neutered bunnies who didn't litter train. I don't think spay/neuter could have done a darn thing about the hip dislocation that plagued us. Yes, spay/neuter fixes spraying and I'd guess it would help with the aggression in mature females (if you spay before maturity). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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