Angora rabbits are special. They are beautiful animals and are generally mild natured, have super soft woollen coats and they are ever so adorable when they are babies. It is just as well that they continue to be adorable into adulthood, as they can live to the age of 10! Angora rabbits are fun, well domesticated, and, although care is time consuming, a pleasure to look after.
There are a good range of Angora rabbit shows throughout the UK including the Stock shows at Swindon and Coventry, the London Championship Show plus many other product shows and festivals.
The current list of Products Competition Judges is:
Furnishings all the way down the back legs on an English Angora rabbit (Sooty fawn)
Lets start with the legs. The furnishing on the legs of an Angora should go all the way along the length of both the back and front legs. This is crucial if you are looking to show your Angoras in an exhibition or competition. For more information on the breed standard see each separate post on the requirements of each colour or white.
Front leg furnishings on an English Angora rabbit (Sooty fawn)
If you are breeding Angora rabbits you will need to decide on names for the babies and there are recognised prefixes used for the various colours. So for example if the baby’s name is to be Bradley then it would be named as follows depending on the colour and also your stud name if you have one.
Three important diseases, myxomatosis, RVHD1 and RVHD2, are present in the wild rabbit population, and can be spread to domestic rabbits very easily. Whilst wild rabbits have developed some immunity over the years, domestic rabbits haven’t, and vaccination against all 3 is essential to protect them.
Rabbits are herbivores and therefore need green vegetation in their diet. The amount fed varies, usually complementing their dried food and hay. Too many unaccustomed greens can lead to upset stomachs, and regular small amounts are better than too much in one go. Rabbits enjoy their greens, and greens are a healthier treat than the sugary snacks found in pet shops. Greens should be fresh. If shop bought greens are not fit for you to eat then they are not fit for your rabbit! Rabbits enjoy grass, but should not be given lawn mowings which ferment rapidly and cause stomach upset.
Congratulations to Sally May of Bourne Stud Angoras for winning the Best Fancy with her Sooty Fawn doe ,Sooty Bergil of Bourne at the Three Counties Show, with Derek Medlock Judging. Born on 19th April 2017 she is only just over five months old, but well developed.
The birth of babies is an anxious time. Once the doe has given birth, lift her out carefully if she will let you. Remove any dead babies, and return warm stragglers to the nest. Chilled babies found out of the nest can be picked up with hands rubbed in the doe’s litter and warmed carefully. They can be returned to the nest if they survive. If there is not much nest, add wool clipped from the doe, or some you have saved from her from a previous clipping. This should be in short lengths as long pieces of wool can tangle around babies’ necks and limbs, strangling them or cutting off their circulation. Some does will not let you inspect the nest. They become overprotective, rushing to the nest and this can risk trampling the babies. In this case, if all appears well, it may be wise to wait until the next day before a detailed inspection of the nest is done.
It is important to remember that Angoras can have large litters. Six- eight babies are not uncommon. Before breeding think carefully about what you would like to breed for, and where the potential babies will find good homes.