Speciality fibre production

Find the extensive notes at www.angorarabbits.co.za.

Angora wool is one of the most expensive and desired fashion fibres. Due to its thermal properties the wool is also widely used to manufacture garments worn for the effective relief of pain from arthritis and rheumatism. Angora wool is lightweight and extremely soft, making it ideal as a garment that can be worn close to the skin. It adds a luxurious quality when blended with other fibres such as silk, alpaca, or lamb’s wool.

Although not an easy fibre to master, its beauty and rarity lends well to hand-spinning, knitting, and weaving. The wool can be dyed using either acid dyes or natural dyes. Because of the smoothness of the fibre, angora does not absorb dyes as readily as mohair or sheep wool, but the colours can be both intense and very beautiful.

Angoras are not slaughtered to yield their primary product, and because they are not intensively bred they live longer productive lives during which both their well-being, and the quality of the wool they carry on their bodies, need to be tended. As a consequence farming methods differ in some ways from those used to produce animals for slaughter. Nevertheless their nature and needs demand the same considerations that should be afforded to all rabbits.

Once a farmer has reached optimum herd size only the top animals should be bred in order to replace ageing or inferior stock, and to sell stud stock to a developing market. Those animals that are selectively culled can be consumed on the farm, or supplied to a pre-arranged market. Systematic record keeping and management are essential to sustaining continual improvement.

Feeding varies, depending on the type of Angora rabbit. A diet over-rich in protein causes a build up of fat deposits resulting in conception and health problems, but a lack of protein will lead to a drop off in production. Yolanda Buhr uses an 18% protein feed, especially made for her Angoras. A good proportion of roughage (fresh vegetables, good hay etc.) is vital. Top quality hay keeps the gut healthy.

A common (and lethal) error made by most rabbit farmers in the past in order to reduce costs has been the tendency to limit the individual space allowed for each rabbit, in terms both of height and floor area. All rabbits need to be able to stand on their rear feet and stretch upwards, and to lie at full stretch to help move intestinal gasses, but angoras more so because of their longevity and high-bulk diets.

Cage or pen flooring for angoras should be made of spot-welded galvanised wire mesh that is comfortable to be on but allows droppings to fall through. Floors should be kept free of shed wool and fallen feedstuffs so that spoiled food is not eaten, coats are kept clean, and floors are not blocked.

One expert says that it is possible to run 4 or 6 in a raised pen provided they are all of the same age and gender and have enough space for each to be able to claim its territory. Another expert advises against this, saying that Angoras housed together can lead to their eating hair off each other with devastating losses from hair balls developing in the stomachs. Certainly housing each rabbit individually allows you to assess them on production, quality of wool etc. Separation should be done by the time they are 3 months old.

Whether housed in suitably protected outdoor hutches, or in buildings, good ventilation and cleanliness are essential practices. Ammonia build-up under cages or hutches causes nasal, chest, and eye irritations. Angoras shed fibres that settle despite good ventilation, and this should be periodically removed by blowtorching or scrubbing.

There are two methods of harvesting wool:

• Plucking: Preferred by most hand-spinners. Done monthly, or more frequently, by pulling loose wool from the skin. Requires skill to avoid pain or follicle damage. This is laborious, and there is the risk of injury, for large scale production
• Shearing: Preferred for intensive production. Shorn 3 or 4 times a year per rabbit. Performed with very sharp hair dressing scissors, or with electric shears. Ensures even wool growth and simplifies management. Assists maintenance of accurate wool-yield records. Requires care.

Yolanda Buhr suggests that caution is required. If English Angoras are clipped, for example, the wool will felt during the next shedding causing huge losses. If German Angoras are plucked, the wool is torn out by the roots and injury is done to the rabbit. There is a large section on the different harvesting methods at www.angorarabbits.co.za.

Source: Karoline and Tjaart Steenekamp