RHVD is a serious issue for rabbits. There are two forms of the virus. RVHD1 arrived in Britain in the 1990s. It is highly contagious and can spread from rabbit to rabbit and on footwear and clothing. RVHD1 usually only affects rabbits over 2 months old. Symptoms include sudden death, bleeding from orifices, fits and difficulty breathing. There is a very high mortality. Vaccination is the best prevention (see Vaccinations)
1. You will need to join the British Rabbit Council (The BRC)
2. It is recommended you purchase Fur and Feather Magazine, winkley publishing as this will give you details of all shows held in the uk.
3. Buy your English Angora rabbit from a breeder that is an exhibitor and can advise you on how to go about showing an angora.
4. The Angora rabbit should be wearing a BRC ring, and the breeder should give you a transfer sheet. You will need to pay the fee to the BRC to get the Angora rabbit transferred into your name. It is usually about three weeks before you can then show the Angora rabbit in your name. If the Angora rabbit does not have a ring, you will not be able to get a ring on to it as the rings are put on their legs before they 8 weeks old.
5. Your Angora rabbit baby should ideally be about 9 or 10 weeks old and will need to go into a hutch with a wire floor, this is to stop the feet and the skirt getting soiled. These are usually made from weldmesh about ¾ squares and cut to shape, and bent to fit hutch and no wood is necessary.
6. You will need to examine your baby Angora rabbit every day for knots and soiling. The knots should be teased out with your fingers. You need to leave the ‘tips” this is the ends of the guard hairs. Angora rabbits that are to be shown need to be spotless and free of hay, and food. Your Angora rabbit baby can be shown after it is 14 weeks old, but 16 weeks is a better age for angoras.
7. If you decide to go along to a local show, check on the closing date for entries and contact the secretary. They will advise you what classes you can enter. If there is no Angora class you can enter in to any other variety fancy. You just need to tell the secretary the breed, age, and sex and they will do the rest. You will need to take a wire for the Angora rabbit to sit on so check what size the rabbit pen will be. You will need a water bottle, hay in a loo roll or tied up and a small ceramic feed dish. If the rabbit has a toy you can take that as well.
8. You must check the time of the show and be there about an hour before to allow for you to find the secretary, your pen number and groom your Angora rabbit if necessary. No grooming is allowed after judging has started, so make sure you are ready.
9. When you have shown your Angora rabbit up to the age of five months, it then is shown in adult classes. It is ready for the adult class when it is five months old on the day of the show not the day you entered it. Angoras start to moult at that age and there will be a moult line just above the nose, so the judge will know if it is over its five months, you could be disqualified.
10. If you are lucky enough to win a CC (championship certificate) you can collect these and make a BRC champion. If you join the National Angora Club (NAC) you can enter stock shows and the National Angora Club champions are more difficult as you will need to have a breeder or panel judge amongst your ccs.
The British Rabbit Council (BRC) two star show is at Coventry for the rabbit and cavy club on Sunday 26th November 2017. It is being held at Wyken Community Centre, Westmorland Road, off Belgrave Road, Wyken, Coventry, CV2 5PY. The BRC offers 128CCs, 18 Best of Breeds (BoBs), Ros for Best in Show (Bis) & Jun.
Also entertaining National Angora Club three star stock show to be judged by Mr Simon Whincup at 11am. AGM to be held at 1pm. Any proposals to Chris Hamilton or Lesley Hordon. Contact details on our website.
a BRC one star show judged by Mr G Moss ( fancy and lops) Miss L Berry (fur and Rex) at 10.30 am
a Midland CNTS Dutch RC two star show, judge Dr A Churchman at 10.30am plus a members adult stock show , judge Mr D Ball .
Willowcot Stud is the Angora stud of Yvonne Hobbs- Fothergill.
My love of Angora rabbits began when I became my grandmother’s apprentice at the age of two. She kept quite a large zoo in her spacious garden comprising birds, fish, reptiles, primates and mammals of all kinds, but the Angora rabbit were the ones that really captivated me. Due to the South African climate she kept them in very large wire cages on the north facing back verandah of her house. I was the only one of her eight grandchildren who was permitted to touch them.
A good English angora rabbit should cost around £30 – £60 if it is for exhibition, however some breeders charge as much as £100. It is up to you if you are prepared to pay this much, but if it is your first rabbit you should think twice about it. If you are looking for an exhibition english angora rabbit also check the breed standards to make sure the rabbit you are looking to buy conforms to the breed standard to be able to show it.
Angora rabbits which are only suitable for their wool (i.e.spinning) should cost anything from £15 – £20. Like every breed of animal, not every baby in a litter is going to reach exhibition standard and meet the breed standard but will have excellent coats for spinners.
Domestic rabbits need their nails clipping regularly. The rabbit is held firmly in the lap and the paw stretched gently out. The nails are clipped one by one. It is important to clip only the clear area at the end of the nail. Clipping the pink area of the nail nearest the foot would be painful for the rabbit, and would cause bleeding. In white rabbits it is easier to identify the correct area for clipping, but in coloured rabbits it can be harder. If in doubt, get an experienced rabbit keeper to show you or ask your vet for help. Some find it easier to clip the nails with the rabbit laid on its back in the lap.
Simon Whincup judging at the London Show 2017
I started in rabbits in 1992 with my first breeds being dwarf and cashmere lops. I carried on to have numerous successes with these breeds. I was lucky enough to have mentors like Bill Webb, Jean Thompson, Maureen and Walter Faint and Jane Bramley. I have also been influenced in the fur and rex fancy by Meg Brown, Judy Le Marchant, Ken and Viv Watts, which in turn has given me a passion for the rare variety section.
Bourne Stud is the angora stud name for Sally Mays angora’s. Here is a brief profile of how Sally got started as a breeder of Angora rabbits.
The first question a responsible breeder will ask you is “Why do you want an Angora?” The three reasons are usually exhibition, wool or pet.
When you become a member of the National Angora Club (NAC) you will receive the bi-annual year book. This will contain a range of useful information on keeping angoras, shows for the coming year, details of show winners and contact details for breeders and other NAC members.