Angora rabbit: photo, maintenance, breeding

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Angora is a group of rabbit breeds with fluffy long hair. For the first time, animals of this species began to be bred in Turkey, in the city of Ankara. Once this settlement was called Angora. Hence the name of these unusual fluffy animals.

Rabbits of this variety were first brought to Europe in the middle of the 18th century. The first to appreciate the beauty of the Angorians was the nobility of France. The rich people of this country, including the royal family, kept cute animals as pets. Later, farmers began to breed such rabbits to get fluff.

Exterior features

Recently, many artificial materials have been invented that can successfully replace natural wool. Therefore, today only meat rabbits are bred on farms today. But sometimes in the courtyards you can, of course, meet Angora animals. Such breeds are especially popular in China. In this country, downy rabbits are bred simply in huge quantities. Also, Angora animals are often kept in families simply as pets.pets.

The main feature of rabbits of this species is, of course, very long fur, 90% consisting of downy hair. From the wool of such animals, very high-quality, delicate and warm yarn is obtained. Angora rabbits don't grow too big. The weight of adults can vary between 2-4 kg, depending on the breed. But down from each such animal can be collected up to 1 kg per year.

The coat color of Angora rabbits (photos on the page confirm this) can be very different. On farms, animals of this variety are bred black, white, cream, etc. The body of such rabbits of most breeds is short, and the bones are thin. Therefore, outwardly, animals usually resemble a small fluffy ball.

What breeds exist

After the English rabbits were brought to Europe, they, of course, attracted attention, including breeders. Several breeds of animals of this variety were bred. Angora rabbits can be bred on farms today:

• French;
• German;
• giant;
• white downy;
• English;
• satin.

English Angorians don't grow up too big. Their weight can reach up to 3.5 kg. These animals are completely covered with wool - from head to toe. The muzzle of the representatives of the English variety is wide and flat. Only the nose and part of the paws peek out from under the wool of these rabbits.

The German Angora breed is different above allpure white fur. These rabbits can weigh up to 5 kg. A feature of the German breed is also the fact that its representatives rarely shed.

The French Angora rabbit, the photo of which is presented above, has an elongated body shape. Adults of this species weigh about 4.5 kg. The coat of this breed is very smooth. She does not require as thorough care as other varieties of downy rabbits. The muzzle and paws of these animals are not fluffy.

The weight of giant angora rabbits can reach up to 5 kg. The wool of such animals is most often white. Rabbits are very fluffy. But, like the German variety, they molt quite rarely. Among other things, these rabbits have long, spectacular tassels on their ears.

Satin Angora rabbits are easy to recognize by their wide forehead and fluffy legs, muzzle and ears. The coat of these animals can be white or colored. Its structure is very soft, and the hairs themselves look glossy.

White downy rabbits are characterized primarily by well-developed bones and the absence of dewlap. Also, these animals can be recognized by short ears with tassels. These rabbits were once bred in the USSR. And that is why farmers consider this breed to be the best adapted to the conditions of the Russian climate at the moment.

How to choose the right rabbits

When buying Angora animals for breeding, you should first of all pay attention to:

• the quality of their fur;
• conformity to breed standards;
• animal he alth.

The coat of a good Angora rabbit has the same density over the entire surface of the body. If the animal has bald spots anywhere, you should not buy it. Of course, rabbit fur should, among other things, look attractive, and the fur should be smooth, glossy and not too matted.

Of course, only strong and he althy pets should be purchased for a new farm. In order to determine if the animal is sick, you must first try to pick it up. A he althy active rabbit will definitely start to break free and try to escape. Subsequently, the captured animal must also be carefully examined.

The eyes of he althy rabbits are glossy, shiny, not foggy. The fur under the tail of a sick animal will never be smeared with feces. And of course, you should not buy emaciated rabbits for your household, with defects or any injuries.

What cells should be like

Of course, first of all, a farmer who decides to breed Angorians will need to think about arranging suitable "dwellings" for them. Ordinary rabbits on farms can be kept not only in cages, but also in aviaries. For Angora animals, this method of growing, unfortunately, is absolutely not suitable. Rabbits of this variety are most often caged one at a time.

The fact is that the character of Angora rabbits is just as cocky,as in representatives of smooth-haired breeds. In a fight, these animals often spoil each other's hair and tear out fluff. And this, in turn, can lead to losses.

Only young Angora rabbits, that is, those animals that have not yet reached puberty, can be kept together in one cage. Such animals are usually planted in 3-5 pieces. in one cell. At the same time, females and males are usually kept separately.

The room where the cages with the animals will be installed should be bright and ventilated. However, such rabbits should never be kept in a draft. Animals of the Angora variety are less he althy than representatives of meat breeds. Therefore, they should be protected from colds as carefully as possible.

Cages for Angora rabbits should be large enough. The advantages of animals of this variety include accuracy. In the toilet, for example, fur-bearing rabbits always go to the same corner. Of course, in addition to the "outhouse" in the cage of the Angorian, there should be enough space so that he can move freely, lie down and sit.

Puffy rabbits are very shy, so in no case should there be any sharp objects in their cages. Frightened, pets abruptly jump up or to the side. Running into a sharp object, the animal can not only be seriously injured, but even die.

Features of keeping the Angora rabbit

In order to grow he althy downy animals on the farm with high qualitywool, the farmer needs:

• develop a suitable diet for your pets;
• periodically comb out the fluff of rabbits;
• carry out disease prevention;
• clean cages daily;
• provide animals with clean drinking water.

To successfully breed rabbits, you need to choose good sires and properly care for pregnant and lactating females.

What to feed

The diet of Angora rabbits is not much different from the menu of ordinary smooth-haired ones. Since such animals are not grown for meat, they are usually given a little less barley or oatmeal, as well as boiled potatoes. But dried grass or hay, as well as root crops, such animals should receive plenty.

A feature of Angora rabbits is that woolen congestion can form in their digestive system. The fluff of such animals is long, and when they lick themselves, they often swallow it. Downy rabbits cannot bring wool plugs out (as cats do, for example). The formation of congestion in the gastrointestinal tract often leads to the death of the animal.

To prevent this from happening, rabbits should be given more food containing fiber. It can be, for example, hay or carrots. Also, experienced farmers, in order to avoid death due to wool plugs, recommend adding dandelions to the menu of angora rabbits.

Due dates for collecting fluff

The fluff of Angora rabbits grows backpretty fast. From adults, it is usually collected once every two months. Moreover, it is allowed to remove fluff from animals all year round. The only thing is that in winter it is usually not completely collected from rabbits. Otherwise, the animals may catch a cold and get sick.

In any case, it is supposed to collect fluff when the hair on the body of the animal stops growing. This usually happens at the moment when the length of the fur of the animals reaches 6 cm.

On fur farms, down from rabbits can be collected in two ways: shearing and pinching. In this case, the second method is most often used. Down, collected by pinching, has a large length. Therefore, it can also be used for spinning.

Collecting fluff with a pinch

When using this technique:

• Angora rabbit being put on their knees;
• comb wool to remove litter;
• take a comb and pinch a small strand of fluff between it and the thumb;
• make a slight jerk in the direction of hair growth;
• repeat the procedure with the next strand.

They usually begin to pinch the fluff from the front paws. Then move on to the back and stomach. At the final stage, the fluff is carefully collected from the rump and hind legs.

Rabbit Grooming

This procedure is performed using sharp scissors. When using this technology, it is allowed to remove even hair that has not finished growing. Therefore, sheared fluff is usually uneven in length. Remove hair fromangora rabbits when applying this technique as follows:

• cut parting down the back from tail to head;
• perform a haircut to the right and left of the parting, moving along the sides to the stomach.

To grab with scissors when using this technology, you need small bundles of animal hair. On the heads of rabbits and legs, the fluff in most cases is not cut.

Cage care

Dirt in the "dwellings" for Angora rabbits, of course, should not be in any case. First, it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Secondly, the presence of dirt in the cages will definitely cause a deterioration in the quality of animal hair.

It is better to make floors in cages slatted. In this case, less dirt will accumulate on them. Cleaning in the cells is supposed to be carried out at least once a day. At the same time, once every few weeks, it is also desirable to disinfect the “dwellings” of Angora rabbits.

Breeding

Only the strongest, most active and he althy animals without breed defects and with good hair are used as producers on the farm. Queen cells are installed in the cages of rabbits selected for breeding.

The first mating of Angora females and males is usually carried out at the age of 5-8 months, after the second or third haircut. At the same time, the rabbit is placed in a cage with the rabbit, and not vice versa. After two weeks, the procedure is repeated for reliability.

During pregnancy, rabbits are given more concentrates and vegetables. During childbirth, they must be placed in cagesadditional water containers. After birth, the nest is checked for the presence of stillborn cubs. The rabbits are usually weaned from the female at the age of 1.5-2.0 months.

Care for young animals

Baby Angora rabbits begin to feed on their own at the age of about 2-3 weeks. They come out of the queen cell and try to taste what the rabbit eats. Therefore, at this time, it is advisable not to put food in the cage with the female that can cause diarrhea. These can be, for example, beets, raw potatoes or a large amount of undried grass.

Concentrates and carrots to rabbits, like their mothers, can be given ad libitum. Hay and grass should be checked before being thrown into the cage. Even a small amount, for example, nightshade, that has entered the stomach of a baby, can cause severe poisoning and death.

It is desirable to separate Angora rabbits from their mother in several stages - in batches of 2-3 pcs. with an interval of several days. This will help the rabbit and cubs avoid severe stress. Groups of young Angora rabbits are kept for a maximum of 4.5 months. Then the animals are seated in separate cages.

Domestic breeds

Angora downy rabbits look very impressive. That is why they are sometimes kept simply as pets. Very often, people buy pygmy angora rabbits at pet stores. The exterior of such animals is practically no different from the appearance of animals bred on farms. The only exception is their even smallergrowth.

The weight of an adult dwarf decorative Angora rabbit is usually 2.5-4.0 kg. There is also a mini-variety, bred in Russia, whose body weight does not exceed 1.5 kg.

In any case, care for decorative downy rabbits at home should be carried out no less carefully than on a farm. That is, the animal needs to be well fed, combed out periodically and keep its cage clean.