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The Angora
rabbit is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft hair.
The Angora is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating
in Ankara, Turkey, along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. The rabbits
were popular pets with French royalty in the mid 1700s, and spread to
other parts of Europe by the end of the century. They first appeared
in the United States in the early 1900s. They are bred largely for their
long angora wool, which may be removed by shearing or plucking (gently
pulling loose wool).
Angoras are bred mainly for their wool because it is silky and soft.
Most are calm and docile but should be handled carefully. Grooming is
necessary to prevent the fiber from matting and felting on the rabbit.
Because they are prone to hairballs, they should be groomed everyday
or every other day. A condition "wool block" is common in
angora rabbits and should be treated quickly Sometimes they are shorn
in the summer as the long fur can cause the rabbits to overheat.
Breeds
There are four different ARBA-recognized Angora rabbit breeds: English,
French, Giant and Satin. The German Angora is also common, but is not
ARBA recognized. It has its own association; the IAGARB.
English
* Weight: 5-7 1/2 lb.
* ARBA-accepted varieties: Ruby Eye White, Pointed White, Self, Shaded,
Agouti
Prior to the 1939, there was one breed of "Angora Wooler".
In 1939, ARBA reclassified "Angora Wooler" into "English
Type" and "French Type". In 1944, ARBA officially separate
Angora rabbit into two breeds: English Angora and French Angora.
Rabbits of this breed are adorned with "furnishings," growths
of wool on the ears and the entire face except the face immediately
above the nose, and front feet, along with their thick body wool. They
are gentle in nature but not recommended for those who don't enjoy grooming
their animals.
This is the smallest Angora rabbit of the four breeds recognized by
ARBA. This breed is more common as a pet because of the facial features
that give it a puppy dog or teddy bear look. If the texture of the wool
is correct, the maintenance is relatively easy; if the texture of the
rabbit is cottony, it requires a great deal of maintenance.
The English angora can be bred to have broken colors, (ex: the rabbit
is white with black spots.) This is not accepted by ARBA standards and
would lead to a disqualification when showing the rabbit. When showing
an English angora rabbit the toe nails should also be only one color,
the ears could be folded over at the tips, and the furnishings on the
face may cover their eyes. TOP
French
This breed has a preponderance of guard hair on the surface, with wool
as an undercoat. If the texture is correct, it requires less maintenance
than other Angora breeds. Ear tufts are allowed but not preferred by
breeders. The ARBA recognizes the same colors as with English Angora,
plus broken. The French Angora is one of the largest Angora breeds at
7 1/2 to 10 lbs, with a commercial body type. It differs from the English
and German Angora in that it possesses a clean face and front feet with
only minor tufting on the rear legs. TOP
German
This breed, while not ARBA recognized, is common in the United States
and Canada. It looks much like the Giant Angora, except it only comes
in REW*, ruby-eyed white or albino. Many spinners breed the German Angora
with another Angora breed for the bountiful German Angora wool in many
beautiful colors. These Angora crosses are called hybrids. Many German
lovers are trying to get ARBA to recognize this breed.
Giant angoras were created in the United States using imported German
angoras and also other large breed short haired rabbits. In a certain
sense, a Giant is a cross-bred German.
A separate club for German angoras exists in the United States, caled
the International Association of German Angora Rabbit Breeders, or IAGARB.
Instead of conformation showing, the emphasis is on the wool bearing
properties of the rabbit for commercial purposes. The rabbit must meet
objective standards and perform well on 90 day shearing tests in order
to be officially recognized as a registered German angora rabbit.
IAGARB, unlike ARBA, recognizes colored rabbits and a colored rabbit
may achieve merit-based registration if it conforms to the standard
and proves its wool bearing ability via the witnessed 90 day shearing
tests. IAGARB also recognizes the worth of the rabbit based strictly
upon its tests and judging, welcoming all breeds to test for registration
status. It does not require breed purity.
NOTE about the first paragraph: *Since IAGARB registration is independent
of parentage, the statemment that German Angoras come only in REW is
not exactly true. Any colored angora rabbit that meets the registraion
standards of the club can be registered as a German Angora. The notion
that they come only in white is a common misconception, as the rules
have only recently been changed to include colored angoras as well as
REW. Also many people confuse German Angoras and the similar ARBA breed,
the Giant angora, which are only recognized in REW. TOP
Giant
* Weight: 9 1/2 lb. or larger
* ARBA-accepted varieties: Ruby-Eyed White
The Giant Angora is larger than other varieties of Angora, having been
created to be an efficient wool rabbit on economical feed and housing.
It has three hair types in its wool: underwool, awn fluff, and awn hair.
This is the largest of the four ARBA recognized Angora breeds. It produces
more wool than the others in general. This breed may or may not have
furnishings on the face and ears. In addition to the underwool and guard
hairs, it has an "Awn Fluff" that does not exist in the other
three breeds of Angora. TOP
Satin
* Weight: 6 1/2 to 9 1/2 lb.
* ARBA-accepted varieties: Agouti, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Ticked,
Wide Band
The Satin Angora is derived from a cross between a Satin and a French
Angora. This breed is named for the extremely soft texture of its wool.
It has no furnishings on face, ears, or feet, and it is also easy to
groom compared to the English variety. Satin Angora's wool is said to
be stronger for spinning than other varieties of Angora.
Spinners love the wool and sheen of this breed. However, this breed
does not produce as much wool as other breeds of Angora rabbits. This
trait is being improved upon by selective breeding. The wool should
have a silky texture with good guard hair for ease of maintenance. TOP
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