Angora Care
Housing Angoras can be kept in 30 by 30 by 18 inch cages but the larger the cage the better. With all that wool Angoras can get extremely hot in the summer so we do not recommend keeping them in outdoor hutches unless the rabbit is kept clipped all summer. It is best to keep them in a barn or garage. Our bunnies are kept in a special insulated barn, built just for them. If you plan on breeding angoras we do NOT recommend keeping them in outdoor hutches as baby bunnies can get too cold very eaisily and there is always a chance of danger from wildlife or dogs. It is best to keep them in a secure building when they have a litter. In the summer, to keep our rabbits cool, we use frozen two liters for them to lay against and we have fans to blow on them. Angoras do quite well in the winter. We just provide them with plenty of hay for them to burrow in and we use heat lamps for any babies or litters to keep them nice and warm.
Food and Water Angoras are prone to something called wool block, so they must have unlimited access to timothy hay or grass hay. Hay is important because when a rabbit cleans itself it will often digest some of its wool which can build up in its intestines or stomach causing the rabbit to die. Hay helps prevent this from happening. If you suspect that your rabbit has wool block take it to a vet immediately. We have used the Hendricks County Animal Hospital and they do a good job. But I really recommend Dr. Darcy Crook at the veterinary clinic in New Ross. She is super helpful and an amazing vet! For pelleted food we use a non-gmo feed called Kalmbach Complete Balance. This particular brand is wonderful and the bunnies do really well on it, however it is expensive and a hard feed to find. I have also used penpals in the past and thought it was a good feed as well. I also feed Calf Manna performance Supplement which can be found at Tractor Supply. I put a spoonful of this in their pellets each day. If you cannot find the feeds listed above try petsmart or Tractor Supply. Angora rabbits should be fed a higher protein diet which is a 18% feed (A 16% will also be ok as long as you supplement.) The most important aspect of a feed is that the first ingredient is Alfalfa. Many pet stores try to sell feeds with ingredients like dried fruit, corn, or food colored pellets. These feeds are NOT healthy for your bunny as they have a high sugar content and should not be used. Allow your rabbit unlimited access to clean water.
Grooming Angoras require lots and lots of grooming. We use a blower on all of our rabbits who we plan on showing within the month as this really fluffs up their coats for show. Blowers are not necessary and they can be rather expensive, so a hair dryer on a cold setting or a shop vac on reverse will work great as well. English Angoras require much more matenince than the Satins as their wool is much softer and mats easier. Satin Angoras also have normal furred faces, ears, and feet which is another reason they require less work for grooming. We brush our rabbits coats about twice a week which is how we prevent matting. We use a slicker brush for dogs and cats which you can find at pet stores. We also clip nails once or twice a month with a pair of nail clippers for cats. Angoras can sometimes get something called Wool mites, you can tell if your rabbit has mites if you see white flaky stuff in the rabbit's wool. Mites can be treated in a number of different ways, but we recommend Ivermectin. You can also take your rabbit to a vet to have the mites treated. Please note though, that mites are very contagious between rabbits, but people cannot get them. Make sure to separate your rabbit from other rabbits if you think it has mites also wash your hands before you touch any of your other rabbits.
Shearing Angora rabbits must be sheared or clipped every three to four months to minimize the chance of getting wool block or mites. Angoras can be sheared or plucked. We shear our english angora rabbits with a pair of scissors in the summer so that they are more comfortable. For prime spinning fiber we also choose to "pluck" our rabbits. Plucking is a process by which the old dead wool is carefully removed from the rabbit by gently pulling it away from the new wool growth. When done correctly plucking should in NO way harm the rabbit. For our Satin Angoras we choose to pluck only as they have a different fur type that would better benefit from plucking vs shearing. We save all our wool for spinning and felting purposes.
Questions If you have any questions about angora bunnies feel free to contact me at any time. My email address is treenacresfarm@gmail.com I will be happy to answer any questions you might have!
Food and Water Angoras are prone to something called wool block, so they must have unlimited access to timothy hay or grass hay. Hay is important because when a rabbit cleans itself it will often digest some of its wool which can build up in its intestines or stomach causing the rabbit to die. Hay helps prevent this from happening. If you suspect that your rabbit has wool block take it to a vet immediately. We have used the Hendricks County Animal Hospital and they do a good job. But I really recommend Dr. Darcy Crook at the veterinary clinic in New Ross. She is super helpful and an amazing vet! For pelleted food we use a non-gmo feed called Kalmbach Complete Balance. This particular brand is wonderful and the bunnies do really well on it, however it is expensive and a hard feed to find. I have also used penpals in the past and thought it was a good feed as well. I also feed Calf Manna performance Supplement which can be found at Tractor Supply. I put a spoonful of this in their pellets each day. If you cannot find the feeds listed above try petsmart or Tractor Supply. Angora rabbits should be fed a higher protein diet which is a 18% feed (A 16% will also be ok as long as you supplement.) The most important aspect of a feed is that the first ingredient is Alfalfa. Many pet stores try to sell feeds with ingredients like dried fruit, corn, or food colored pellets. These feeds are NOT healthy for your bunny as they have a high sugar content and should not be used. Allow your rabbit unlimited access to clean water.
Grooming Angoras require lots and lots of grooming. We use a blower on all of our rabbits who we plan on showing within the month as this really fluffs up their coats for show. Blowers are not necessary and they can be rather expensive, so a hair dryer on a cold setting or a shop vac on reverse will work great as well. English Angoras require much more matenince than the Satins as their wool is much softer and mats easier. Satin Angoras also have normal furred faces, ears, and feet which is another reason they require less work for grooming. We brush our rabbits coats about twice a week which is how we prevent matting. We use a slicker brush for dogs and cats which you can find at pet stores. We also clip nails once or twice a month with a pair of nail clippers for cats. Angoras can sometimes get something called Wool mites, you can tell if your rabbit has mites if you see white flaky stuff in the rabbit's wool. Mites can be treated in a number of different ways, but we recommend Ivermectin. You can also take your rabbit to a vet to have the mites treated. Please note though, that mites are very contagious between rabbits, but people cannot get them. Make sure to separate your rabbit from other rabbits if you think it has mites also wash your hands before you touch any of your other rabbits.
Shearing Angora rabbits must be sheared or clipped every three to four months to minimize the chance of getting wool block or mites. Angoras can be sheared or plucked. We shear our english angora rabbits with a pair of scissors in the summer so that they are more comfortable. For prime spinning fiber we also choose to "pluck" our rabbits. Plucking is a process by which the old dead wool is carefully removed from the rabbit by gently pulling it away from the new wool growth. When done correctly plucking should in NO way harm the rabbit. For our Satin Angoras we choose to pluck only as they have a different fur type that would better benefit from plucking vs shearing. We save all our wool for spinning and felting purposes.
Questions If you have any questions about angora bunnies feel free to contact me at any time. My email address is treenacresfarm@gmail.com I will be happy to answer any questions you might have!