PJ the hand reared angora rabbit

PJ was born on 14th November 2015. We were about to leave to visit Kew Gardens, Derek and our son in law to the Archives in search of ancestors and Orlanda and myself to wander around Kew Gardens. On doing a check on the rabbits, before I left, I found a smoke baby, born to Josca lying in the middle of the hutch cold and barely moving. As Josca is a real Prima donna, no fur or sign of nest building had taken place. So I removed it, brought it down to the house and put it in a knitted angora mitten on a hot water bottle and left for the day.

Read More

Richard Grindey

Richard Grindey

I started in Rabbits in 1998 and have nerver looked back since. As a junior I had one of the very best start ups with my stock originating from Yvonne Hobbs. She mentored me and guided me into keeping this precious and gorgeous animals. Since that time I have mastered the art of presenting these beauiful animals on the show table. Angoras captivated my mind from the first day I saw Yvonne doing her daily groom on one of her adult whites at the time and from that moment I have been hooked. There is no other breed that has the character and satisfaction as the Angora.

Read More

Posted by & filed under Members.

Remembering Mrs Pratley

One of the many key figures in angora rabbits was Mrs Barbara Pratley and here is a short article by Yvonne Hobbs Fothergill sharing her memories of Mrs Pratley.

Read More

Posted by & filed under Members.

Preparing Angora for spinning

Preparing Angora for spinning – by Mary Tomlin

When my Angora wool is delivered to me (I don’t have any rabbits now), it is greatly depressed into a plastic bag, all the air has been squeezed out. So, the first thing is to get the air back into the wool again. I tease the angora out and take out any debris and any double cuts of wool. I finish up with a mountain of wool, 4 to 5 times the original size.

Read More

Angora rabbit books

We would recommend two books in particular that are useful for Angora enthusiasts.

A Beginner’s Guide to the English Angora by Barbara Pratley & Yvonne Hobbs

This book covers purchasing, housing, feeding, exhibition grooming, exhibition, breeding, wool harvesting and health. 48 pages. Written by two well known and experienced exhibitors.

The Angora Rabbit. History, Science, Care and Crafts by Lesley Hordon 2014

This book covers the history and development of the English Angora rabbit, the colours of the English Angora and their genetics, as well as feeding, housing, breeding, grooming for wool and exhibition, clipping and health. There are chapters on the French and German and US Angora breeds. Other chapters of the book cover structure and production of Angora wool, with information on carding, spinning, plying and felting, and making your own drop spindle. 164 pages.

These two books are also on sale at the National Angora Club Stand at craft festivals and the Bradford and the London Shows

There are many general and useful books on all aspects of rabbit care in the Fur and Feather bookshop. If you come across “The Domestic Rabbit by John Sandford” it is well worth a read. However it is now out of print. Try abebooks.co.uk

Examples of Angora wool related books of interest

The Five Freedoms

 

These Five Freedoms were originally designed for farm animals but have been adopted by the British Rabbit Council for all rabbits, including the Angora and are given below.

  1. Freedom from hunger and thirst-by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
  2. Freedom from discomfort- by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
  3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease- by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
  4. Freedom to express normal behaviour-by providing sufficient space and proper facilities.
  5. Freedom from fear and distress- by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

Whilst the Five Freedoms sound simple, following them correctly needs a good level of knowledge about rabbit diet, housing, health and behaviour as well as a commitment to regular care and attention. Ask your breeder for information, read some of the excellent books on rabbit care available, and use the resources on the internet, and your rabbit will be well cared for.

Lesley Hordon (Copyright National Angora Club 2014).

Grooming tools

Grooming Angora rabbits

This can take some practice and a lot of experience in order to achieve a well groomed Angora rabbit particularly for show. There are a few essential items you will need in your tool kit to aid you with this and here is a brief run through of these items. If you want to know more contact your local Angora rabbit breeder or visit the National Angora Club stand at one of the rabbit shows for more guidance and advice.

Read More

Clipping tools

The basic tools for clipping an Angora rabbit are:

  • Apron
  • Decent sharp scissors with either round or pointed ends. Boots hairdressing scissors or Fiskars craft scissors are popular
  • Nail Clippers
  • Ivermectin mite drops (Beaphar antiparasite spot-on for rabbits) used every alternate clipping
  • Self seal heavy duty freezer bags to put wool in
  • Bag or bucket for waste wool for the compost heap