The Angora rabbit is a group of breeds raised for fluff. The resulting material is used for the production of the famous Angora wool. The animals are unusually beautiful, so they are often kept for decorative purposes. We will learn how to breed and maintain the Angora breed - at home and on a farm.
Origin history
Downy Angora rabbits first appeared in Turkey - in any case, the first mention of them is found here. It is also believed that the name of the breed comes from the capital of this state - Ankara.
Fluffy rabbits came to Europe thanks to sailors. Here they began to be bred as beautiful pets - outlandish animals were kept mainly by aristocrats. Over time, the breed spread to the whole world. In Russia, the Angora rabbit has been bred since the 19th century.
Today the largest producer of Angora rabbit fur is China. More than 8,000 tons of raw materials are obtained here.
Description and characteristics of Angora rabbit
Breeding Angora rabbits is preceded by the purchase of livestock. If the breed is supposed to be bred, it is especially important to acquire healthy animals corresponding to the exterior.
General features of the breed:
- Rabbits of all Angora subspecies have a shortened cylindrical body and a large head. The muzzle can be blunt or elongated, depending on the breed.
- The ears are small, with fluffy tassels at the ends. The “hairstyle” depends on the breed, but most have long hair.
- Claws grow very quickly in all subspecies of rabbits. They are sharp - the animal can firmly cling to the roots of trees and shrubs. Because of this, the claws of rabbits are sheared 2 times a month.
- The wool closes the eyes, so you have to comb it thoroughly. Fluff should not close your eyes.
Pet choice
Features of the choice of angora rabbit:
- The rabbit must be over three months old. By this time, the rabbit ceases to be fed with milk, acquires sexual and pedigree characteristics, the emotional-physical connection with the mother ceases. By the age of 3 months, the animal completely switches to adult food.
- It is recommended to buy young animals in special nurseries or from breeders specializing in breeding thoroughbred rabbits.
- The animal should jump from place to place merrily, eat food with appetite. Rabbits prefer to rest, lying on their side.
- The anus, eyes and nose should be clean.
- The coat should be soft to the touch and shiny. Coloring - according to the breed.
- The back is rounded, not overwhelmed or humped.
- Bite - the top row of teeth should hang slightly over the bottom row.
- Appearance and weight must match the breed. The standard weight of an animal, depending on the subspecies, can range from 2 to 6 kg.
When buying a thoroughbred rabbit, be sure to check the documents confirming the breed, as well as the availability of vaccinations.
Downy rabbit fertility
Angora rabbits bring two offspring in the first year. About 10-14 rabbits are obtained per year. Every year, the frequency of okrol increases. The total offspring given by one rabbit is more than 40 cubs in 3-4 years.
Color
The color of Angora rabbits depends on the breed. He can be:
- snow-white;
- black;
- fiery red;
- dark brown;
- silvery;
- chocolate - this is the rarest color.
It is believed that a purebred rabbit should be of the same color, several colors in a color are considered a defect. Each color has its own color of eyes and claws. So, for example, a snow-white rabbit has only red or blue eyes.
Character
Angora rabbits, as befits the entire rabbit family, are shy. Being near the animals, you must not make noise and move abruptly. The animals are silent, they make almost no sounds. This is especially true for ornamental varieties. Rabbits of this breed also have a friendly and playful disposition.
In the video below, the breeder talks about the nature of the Angora rabbits:
Life time
The average life expectancy of an Angora rabbit, with good care, is 6-8 years. The life span of animals in cages is longer than in pits or in the field. Animals on farms are usually rejected at 5-6 years. The life span of rabbits is even less - 4 years. After 4 years, the productivity of the female decreases, it becomes unprofitable to keep her.
Angora rabbit breeds
Breeders have bred several breeds of Angora rabbits, differing in size, body structure, length and coat color.
Weight and annual amount of fluff in popular Angora rabbit breeds:
Breed | Annual amount of fluff from one individual, g | Adult rabbit weight, kg | Wool length cm |
English | 450 | 2-3,5 | 5 |
Satin (Satin) | 400 | 3-4,5 | 9 |
French | 550 | 3 | 6 |
Germanic | 1500 | 4-5 | 5 |
Giant | 1200 | 4-5 | 8 |
Downy | 500 | 2,5-4,5 | 9 |
Russian dwarf | 350 | 1,5-2 | 6 |
Other features of the breed:
- English. The muzzle is flat, the head is wide. The body is completely covered with fur. Every 3 days combing is required.
- Satin (satin). There is no hair on the face, paws and ears. Wool is of a higher quality than other breeds - it is more durable.
- French. On the ears are tassels. There is no fur on the face and paws. The coat is not as whimsical as that of other breeds - it does not require careful maintenance.
- Germanic. They have snow-white fur and red eyes.
- Giant. Down is only white. On the ears - tassels. Very fluffy rabbits, shedding a little. In purebred individuals, the color is only white.
- Downy. Coloring - black, smoky, blue. There are tassels on the ears. Wool 92–96% consists of down, the rest is the rest of the hair.
- Russian dwarfs. The case is firmly knocked down. The head is wide. The ears are short. Wool is white, black, black and piebald, blue, red and red and piebald. Brought out on the territory of the USSR.
English “Angora rabbit”
satin (satin) “Angora rabbit”
French “Angora rabbit”
German "Angora rabbit"
giant "Angora rabbit"
downy "Angora rabbit"
Russian dwarf "Angora rabbit"
Pros and cons of the breed
Benefits:
- High wool yield. Angora rabbits - participants of agricultural exhibitions, fairs, festivals.
- Decorativeness. Animals are kept at home for fun, just like a pet.
- Calm behavior. The animal makes a minimum of sounds, is not aggressive, does not scratch.
Disadvantages:
- The animals are pretty small. They seem large because of the fluffy fur. Due to its low weight, this breed is not profitable to breed for meat.
- Careful care required. Animals tend to hurt when poorly maintained.
- With home keeping, the problem of marking the territory by a male arises. Castration or cage solves the problem.
- The animal must constantly grind its teeth, as they grow throughout its entire life. Because of this, domestic rabbits can nibble on furniture and wallpapers.
Home maintenance
Fluffy rabbits look like large downy balls. Many people, fascinated by the beauty of the Angora breed, start them as pets. Before bringing an animal into the house, it is useful to learn about the features of its maintenance.
Angora rabbit care
Care features:
- Angora rabbits are regularly combed - once a week.
- Animals are washed with special solutions - they are sold in veterinary pharmacies. Rabbits do not like water procedures.
- Animals are sheared every 3-4 weeks. It is allowed to dry the wool with a hairdryer - at the same time, dead hairs are blown out.
- Care tools - metal combs, slickers and scissors.
- At home, the rabbit is kept in a cage, which must be cleaned regularly. Remains of feed and feces are washed and cleaned. If you keep an animal in the mud, it will certainly get sick, picking up some kind of infection. It is difficult, long and expensive to treat rabbits.
- A bowl for food, a drinking bowl, a hay compartment, a toilet are placed in the cage - the animals love to relieve themselves in one place, a rug and toys. You can put a box in the cage - the animal will hide in it with pleasure.
- The cage is ventilated daily for half an hour. Stale air is harmful to rabbits.
- Humidity is recommended low so that the animals do not develop pneumonia and other diseases of the respiratory system.
Feeding
Feeding rules and principles:
- The main food is concentrated feed mixtures, hay, vegetables. It is also fashionable to give crackers and dairy products. Seasonal fruits, herbs, and juicy roots should be present in the diet every day.
- Rabbits need to be fed on time, otherwise they will chew on inedible objects.
- Greens are given only in a sluggish state - it should lie down a bit. Rabbits are happy to eat alfalfa, reeds, hogweed.
- Together with the food, the animals can receive vitamin and mineral supplements.
- It is forbidden to give moldy bread to rabbits.
- There should always be a drinking bowl of a special design at the feeding site - such that the rabbit cannot contaminate it with food or its own feces.
Food bowls should be ceramic so that the rabbit does not chew them.
Training
Although rabbits and timid, they lend themselves to training. In order for the animal to get used to the person, it is often necessary to stroke it in the coat. Feeding with all sorts of goodies also contributes to domestication. Rabbits have a keen sense of smell, so they remember the smell of their owner, and react positively to it.
Angora rabbits stand out with their intelligence and ingenuity among their own kind. They are capable of executing simple commands. However, training requires patience and regular training from the host. The rabbit must be released from the cage every day. But you can’t leave him unattended - he will definitely gnaw something. Electric wires are especially dangerous - animals, gnawing them, are struck by electric current.
It is recommended to walk domestic rabbits in the fresh air; for this purpose, a special leash is bought.
Do they get along with other pets?
Angora rabbits are peaceful, they easily get along with other animals - cats, dogs and others. If you raise a puppy and a rabbit together, they will definitely be friends.
Rabbits love an affectionate attitude, therefore, before starting a fluffy ball, you should evaluate your capabilities - whether there is enough time and desire to take care of the pet.
Aviary content
When breeding rabbits on a farm, sheds with outdoor enclosures are equipped for them - they are fenced with a netting net. A pit method of keeping for downy rabbits is unacceptable. When keeping down rabbits, the main thing is to keep the fluff clean. And its brilliance and beauty depend on the completeness of the diet.
Young animals are kept separately from adults. Animals are kept in small groups, divided according to gender. Fighting rabbits are housed in separate cages.
Is it profitable to grow?
Unlike rabbits bred for meat, downy breeds cannot be kept in pits. They need clean, dry enclosures that cost money to build, and wool prices are always fluctuating. Ten years ago, they fell so low that the owners of angora rabbits no longer benefited financially from their breeding.
After another crisis, rabbit breeding in Russia was practically destroyed. In recent years, the breeding of downy rabbits is experiencing another rise. But Russian rabbit breeders have a major competitor - China, and a lot of Angora wool is also produced in Europe.
The down rabbit breeding business cannot be called super profitable - it requires material investments and careful care of animals. But since rabbit breeding in Russia is now in decline, the one who engages in the down business will certainly find a market and will not be left out of the way.
Appointment
Products made of rabbit down are pleasant to the touch, they are soft and silky. They are hypoallergenic, and even have a certain therapeutic effect - they help with neuralgia and radiculitis.
There are very few things made of Angora wool on sale today, but abroad they make jackets, knitwear, felt, velor, etc. from it. Rabbit fluff products are equal in value to vicuña, alpaca and cashmere. In contrast, rabbit fluff does not need expensive processing - washing, drying, etc., it can immediately be put into processing. And this is another reason for the development of the down business.
The video below describes the purpose of the Angora rabbit fluff:
Terms
Downy rabbits are kept perfectly clean. Their cages are regularly cleaned, cleaned and washed - this is the only way to preserve the high quality of the wool. Where the animals live, there should be no garbage, even the traditional bedding of hay or sawdust is not thrown here - so that the excrement immediately falls through and the wool is not smeared. The inside of the cage should be perfectly smooth so that the rabbit does not get caught or hurt.
Feeding
How to feed Angora rabbits:
- The Angora breed is fed according to the same norms as ordinary rabbits of the meat-skin direction. The only difference is in the rate of digestible protein. The daily norm for adults is 19-24 g. Therefore, Angoroks are fed with meal, cake, meat and bone meal, skim milk, legumes and special compound feeds.
- The animals do not require any special food, except for preparations for dissolving wool in the stomach.
- To spend less grain and concentrates, increase the proportion of succulent and green fodder.
- Up to six months, the animals are fed unlimited granules and hay. After six months, decorative rabbits are limited in food - so that there is no obesity. Fat is also contraindicated for animals bred for fluff, since excess fat reduces productivity - the wool becomes shorter.
- In order for the wool to grow well, the animals are fed with granules with a high protein content - 18%.
- Angora rabbits are fed:
- hay - alfalfa, timothy, meadow herbs;
- concentrates - polnoratsionny granules;
- compound feedconsisting of oats, barley, wheat, corn;
- succulent feed - root vegetables, vegetables, fresh grass.
- White cabbage is better not to give. From fresh leaves of cabbage in rabbits, bloating occurs due to fermentation in the stomach. The nuisance is often fatal.
- Drinking bowls use nipple - of which animals can drink without wetting their wool. If the hairs get wet, dust, dirt will stick to them, the wool falls into tangles that will have to be cut.
Succulent feed is given with caution, monitoring the condition of the intestines of rabbits. If fluffy animals start diarrhea, their coat will be smeared. And bathing rabbits is undesirable.
To avoid wetting and contamination of the hair, it is cut in particularly vulnerable places - near the anus and muzzle.
Breeding the breed
Compared to other breeds, Angora matures late. Females happen at the age of one year, other breeds - at 6 months. At a time, the rabbit gives birth to 8 cubs. The pregnant rabbit is kept in comfort, maintain favorable humidity and temperature. Their sharp drops should not be allowed.
70% of females contain for the sake of fluff, 30% are used to obtain young animals, which are quickly replaced. After the female gives two generations, she is used in the future only as a puffer.
Mating occurs on the territory of the male. Often a "date" is not enough. The female can be aggressive. If several males participate in the cover - at different times, the offspring will be more numerous. If the female does not accept the rabbit, then conception has occurred. Rabbits are born in a month.
Tips for choosing a rabbit
How to choose a rabbit for breeding down:
- You need to buy livestock only in the nursery... Outbred rabbits can be sold on the market.
- Check the health of the animal... He should not have parasites, his eyes are clear, not blurred.
- Do not think that the high price is evidence of purebred... Carefully study the signs of the exterior of a particular breed, and when buying animals, carefully compare them with the original.
When buying a pet, the main thing is to consider your decision - do you have time to care for a restless pet. If you take two rabbits of different sexes, but are not going to breed them, immediately contact the clinic to neuter the animals.
Vaccinations and diseases
Rabbits are prone to intestinal and gastric diseases, so they are shown to the veterinarian every month. Fluffy animals, having swallowed wool - especially during the molting period, can be lethargic, they lose their appetite.
Vaccinations for Angora rabbits are done more often than other breeds:
- the first - in 1.5 months;
- the second - after 3 months;
- the following are repeated every six months.
After vaccination, the animal may be lethargic and refuse to eat - this is a normal reaction. Vaccinations do not save you from all diseases, rabbits can still get sick. At the first alarming symptoms - discharge from the nose, eyes or anus, immediately contact the veterinarian.
The most common diseases:
- Encephalozoonosis. This is a parasitic disease that affects the nervous system and internal organs.
- Myxomatosis. Infectious disease, affects the skin.
- Cataract. Blurred eyes.
- Coccidiosis Infectious disease, affects the liver and intestinal mucosa.
Reviews
Valeria, 27 years old, Yeisk. I got the Angora rabbit without documents - he, or rather her, was simply thrown out at the dacha, having played enough. Over time, the animal ceased to be afraid of me, ate out of hand, learned to walk into the tray. Never bit or scratched. There is nothing complicated in keeping a rabbit if you feel warm feelings for it.
Vasily K, amateur rabbit breeder, Tula region Several years ago I bought an English Angora with great difficulty. Cool breed. There are subtleties of the content, but not critical. For example, hay was constantly entangled in the fluff, but the problem was solved by switching to grass flour. The fluff of the English Angora is long, but did not roll. I didn't have to comb it, just cut it regularly. Wool was also cut under the tail - for cleanliness and hygiene.
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In order for the down-rabbit breeding business to be profitable, it is necessary to correctly organize the process, ensuring both livestock reproduction and a high gross product. Growing angora requires care and attention to the animals from the breeder, if you are not ready to delve into the nuances of rabbit life, this activity is not for you.
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