Other angora breeds may more closely meet the particular needs of many angora rabbit breeders and spinners. The guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat mother. This book is chockfull of information on how to locate, feed, house, handle and groom these endearing animals. Homesteaders here have either alpacas, sheep or goats for raw wool spinning. There are commercial breeders that raise angoras for meat, fiber, and showing, tripling their investment. This is true for all rabbits, but our experience has led us to follow the thinking that our angoras nails grow faster than our lionhead rabbits. But if youre new to breeding rabbits, or want to know everything we know about breeding rabbits, we put every bit of what we know into the 108 page rabbit reproduction e book and illustrated it liberally. Feb 29, 2016 well, that would depend in part on the breed of rabbit you are raising.
The satin angora rabbit produces the strongest, soft textured wool. Raising rabbits for profit all you need to know about. Surprisingly, fiber called angora is only from angora rabbits. Here are the basics of raising angora rabbits for wool homestead. As an animal primarily used for wool production or on the show table, angora rabbits are a nokill livestock, which can be very appealing to a lot of wouldbe rabbit farmers. They require love and attention, shelter from the elements, a clean habitat, and plenty of food and water. Booklist rise and shine rabbitry raising meat rabbits. The guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat.
Aug 09, 2019 the guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat raising rabbits is one of the simplest things you can do on your homestead. The best thing youre going to do with backyard meat rabbits is to feed yourself and your family. Raising animals for fiber is a great introductory book for anyone that wants to get started with these animals or with shearing and creating wool products. Prime members enjoy free twoday delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, tv shows, original audio series, and kindle books. Theres nothing like the novelty of raising a fiber animal from the comfort of your own apartment. Mini english angoras can be found in every color the standard english angora comes in, and size can reach a maximum of 2 kg, or a little under 4 12 lb. Angora goats originated in turkey and are productive fiber growers, yielding from 8 to 16 pounds of lustrous mohair each year.
He has served as the editor of rabbits magazine, has been a contributing editor to countryside magazine, and is the founder of domestic rabbits and a past director of the american rabbit breeders association. Here are the basics of raising angora rabbits for wool. The rabbit care section serves all who have rabbits. Inside raising animals for fiber comprehensive guide to raising sheep, goats, angora rabbits, and alpacas practical information on housing, fencing, feed, grooming, shearing, plucking, basic health care, breeding and birthing. This group is for general interest in angoras, sharing information, pictures, stories, brags and helping other angora. Includes english, french, giant, satin and german breeds. An ancient rabbit breed that produces ample quantities of wool, the english angora is one of the smaller angora rabbit breeds, weighing in at 5 to 7 pounds. Rabbit reproduction e book yes, we offer quite a few pages of free information right here on raisingrabbits. Beautifully illustrated with color photography, this guidebook covers everything you need to know to succeed. Meat rabbits raising rabbits lop eared bunny angora rabbit moving tips down on the farm pet food pet stuff livestock. My wife and i are interested in raising fiber rabbits as a side hobby, and wed like to know what expenses go into it before we get started. If a rabbit refuses food for more than three or four days, and has been clipped, a trip to the vet should be in order.
Angora rabbits produce extremely soft, luxurious wool that continually grows back after harvesting, similar to the concept of shearing a sheep. Raising mohair goat breeds for fiber backyard goats. Bob has written a few books on raising rabbits all are worth reading and will eventually all be listed here. The biggest is the giant angora weighing in around 1012 pounds when full grown, they can produce up to 2.
In the summer, it is wise to place frozen water bottles in the hutches with the rabbits to help keep them cool. You should know is that their nails need to be trimmed often. Raising angora rabbits is a different experience compared to raising another breed like the mini rex. Breeding your angora bunny dolly rock farm and fiber. Raising angora rabbits for wool pet rabbit, angora rabbit. Your doe could give birth to as little as two or three or as many as 15. I have been raising them for over 10 years and found the following works well. While many kept rabbits for their meat and fur, angora rabbits were also popular companions for 18th century aristocracy. The nervous new owners guide to angora rabbits by suzie sugrue. Ive been raising rabbits since i was a kid, starting out with pets, then graduating to 4h show rabbits, then finally to meat rabbits, which i.
That includes researching and sourcing the best books and products to. Keeping rabbits by elisabeth downing, got this book at the same time as the backyard rabbit farming book, also for only 4. The nervous new owners guide to angora rabbits is a howto manual for anyone interested in owning angora rabbits. You can even sell the manure for fertilizer to other gardeners. Sep 14, 2015 labeled as being the ultimate guide to raising and showing rabbits, raising rabbits 101 is an essential how to guide that every modern rabbit raiser should have on their shelf. Keeping angora rabbits for fibre by phill and judy osborn on 8th may, 20, filed in livestock, other livestock in this country rabbits are generally considered to be a childrens pet and for many they are the first real experience of caring for an animal. There are rather obvious forms of abuse such as inadequate housing, unclean conditions, cages that are too small where the animal cannot move about naturally, lack of human interaction, etc. Raising rabbits for meat and fur is a good way to make money but only if you do it on a large scale, and it should be done as supplementary income only. Let me start by saying that i do not advocate making your rabbits a fulltime business or getting into rabbits for the sole purpose of making money. Angora rabbits can live a long and healthy life if they are properly taken care of. Youll also find advice on how to work with their exquisite wool. He loves film, music, and art, playing games, spending time with his son, playing with the dogs dexter and sinister literally means right hand and left hand, and constantly runs thought experiments.
The angora is said to have originated in ankara historically known as angora, in presentday turkey, and is known to have been brought to france in 1723. Everything you want to know about angora rabbits and more. You may have been considering raising chickens, geese, ducks, goats, sheep or other small livestock for meat, but once you learn how easy it is to raise rabbits, youll never consider another animal for a primary meat source. Do you ever wonder if you have what it takes to raise livestock and profit from it. The german angora rabbit has the lowest percentage of bristle. Raising animals for fiber chris mclaughlin 9781620083246.
Not only do they require little attention, but they also provide a. Ive wanted a copy for a while, as the bible of angora raising, completely angora, is out of print. I personally raise rabbits for a couple of reasons. This book gives a great deal of information about the angora rabbit and the pros and cons of raising them. These pellets are filled with protein and will help add the necessary weight to your rabbits in a short amount of time. If you ignore the grooming and fiber harvesting, caring for angora rabbits is just like caring for any rabbit. See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. Well be sure to look into our options for professional groomers for them in the future. Raising your own angora rabbits for wool can not only elevate your personal spinning and knitting projects, but it can also be fairly lucrative. Chris easily gains your trust as a reader with her conversational style of writing and her firsthand accounts. The big question is, do you have enough space and time. Show rabbits, pet rabbits, and livestock rabbits, breeders and pet owners alike. The rabbit book gathers information about showing many different kinds of rabbits at fairs and events, including fancy, angora, and commercial meat breeds.
When it comes to angora rabbits, there is much more work involved. Rabbit reproduction raising rabbits ebook on breeding rabbits. Mar 24, 2020 its good to know that fiber rabbits need to be groomed regularly to keep their fur growing in good condition. Keeping angora rabbits for fibre pocket farm magazine.
They take up little space, are easy to care for, and are relatively inexpensive to house and feed. Storys guide to raising rabbits by bob bennett, great book. The same characteristics that make rabbits good backyard pets also make them good to raise for meat. Because they are a long haired rabbit, they have a few special needs. Sep 10, 2019 the book goes through great detail about four fiberproducing animals and how to care for them in your backyard. If youre a fiber artist who doesnt have the space or ability to raise sheep or angora goats, consider a much smaller fiber producer angora rabbits. Angora rabbits produce supersoft wool that can be harvested again and again, year after year, just as is the case with the shearing of sheep.
Raising rabbits for meat is a good solution for homesteaders with limited space looking for a way to raise their own food. This invaluable resource contains everything you need. My family loves rabbit meat, and i raise a few meat rabbits for extended family members, too. Raising meat rabbits is one of the most space efficient means of growing livestock for meat. Angora sweaters became popular in the 1920s, more than 200 years after european sailors first brought angora rabbits from turkey, where the breed originates, to france, where they were raised as livestock and kept as pets. The guide to raising and breeding rabbits for meat raising rabbits is one of the simplest things you can do on your homestead. Nov 19, 2018 angora rabbits are more sensitive to both heat and cold. An angora rabbit needs a secure and ventilated housing, which is at least three times the size of the animal. Mclaughlin gives comparison charts between the different animals sheep, alpacas, angora rabbits, and angora goats to show which ones might be easier to care for and pros and cons of each. Storeys guide to raising rabbits, by bob bennett rabbit housing, also by bob bennett the new rabbit handbook, from barrons.
This is a page for angora rabbit lovers in the new hampshire area to share information. Apr 06, 2017 now lets talk about the 5 ways that you can make money with backyard meat rabbits. Raising multipurpose angora rabbits takes this aspect of preparedness to the next level. Here you will find a number of rabbit raising books for both the rabbit fancier and commercial rabbit raiser. How much of an investment would it take to begin raising angora rabbits for their. Angora rabbits are adorable little wool producing machines, but how much does it cost to raise angora rabbits. The angora rabbit became a popular pet of the french royalty in the mid18th century, and angoras spread to other parts of europe by the end of that century. Leslie is the owner of greenberry house yarn, book and vintage gift shop in. The last few books i have read, are from great britain and are really good on the idea of raising rabbits with a natural feed diet, for the economic reason and the health of the rabbits. Raising rabbits for profit backwoods home magazine.
We have experienced angoras pulling their hair, and getting stuck in their nails. The reason that i went with wool rabbits was ultimately because rabbits scream like a small child when you kill them and i figured i just couldnt handle that. Breeding your angora rabbits or any rabbit for that matter takes a bit of preparation and planning before the breeding ever occurs. Raising rabbits can potentially bring in extra income if you sell the offspring or the meat you have left over. This book was written after 23 years of the authors experimental work with breeding, feeding, and managing a herd of rabbits at the us rabbit experiment station. Giant angora rabbits are also endangered as a breed, according to the rabbit geek.
How to care for your angora rabbit i started raising angora rabbits because i wanted a source of fiber for my spinning projects. Most of the time, rabbit raising involves similar animal husbandry practices independent of the purposes those rabbits serve, whether meat, fur, fiber wool, or pet. Angora rabbit wool is prized for its silkiness and warmth. The initial costs in settingup is small, rabbits breed quickly and frequently, they have large litters and grow to a good marketable size in a very short time. What we know for sure is that europe has raised angora rabbits for their fiber for centuries and the french are credited for making their wool popular around 1790 although north america wouldnt see the luxury fiber until 1920. Completely angora 2nd edition, by sharon kilfoyle and leslie b. But it is also an excellent book for anyone looking for good, complete and accessible information for raising any type of rabbit. The angora rabbit is not ready for breeding until about 6 months of age. Nov 15, 2017 angora rabbits can be both a fun and rewarding pet, or the gateway animal towards a small homestead and selfsufficiency.
Once again, this is a tiny version of the english angora using netherland dwarfs to shrink the rabbits frame. Rabbit reproduction raising rabbits ebook on breeding. If youre already thinking about raising rabbits, heres 5 reasons to consider raising an angora. Whether you are looking for general rabbit raising info, angora rabbit info.
Bob bennett is the author of six books on rabbit raising, including storeys guide to raising rabbits and rabbit housing, as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles. Because rabbits do not possess the same allergycausing qualities as many other animals, citation needed their wool is an important alternative. Sheep were out of the question, but i thought i could handle a rabbit. If you have a cold winter, they need an indoor climate controlled housing. For photos of my past and present bucks and does as well as photos showing the various colors of english angora rabbits scroll down this page past the bunnies i do or do not have listed for sale. But if youre new to breeding rabbits, or want to know everything we know about breeding rabbits, we put every bit of what we know into the 108 page rabbit reproduction e book and illustrated it liberally let us guide you carefully through the whole process, so you will feel. Angora rabbit breeding, buying, care, cost, keeping, health.
But other alternatives to raising livestock to eat are raising them to use their fibers to sell, or spin. These pellets are filled with protein and will help add the necessary weight to. There are several breeds of angora rabbits that are typically raised for their silky soft angora fibers. Find out what you should be feeding your woolly angora rabbits to keep them in tip top shape. However, the quantity of wool produced by this type is very less, when compared to the other three breeds. We raise english angora rabbits, holland lop rabbits, continental giant rabbits, skinny guinea pigs, baldwin guinea pigs, and do our own small animal transport.
Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. Raising angora rabbits for fiber practical self reliance. Rabbit reproduction ebook is entirely focused on reproducing rabbits, walking you through the process of mating, and then covering the entire season of a rabbits life from conception to teenagehood, so you will be able to avoid many of the typical losses. Rabbits are indeed the most efficient of domestic livestock. If you want beautiful fiber, you are going to have to tend to it, almost daily. Now you can avoid the common problems with raising rabbits, and learn all the interventions you can employ to avert disaster with bucks, does, and kits. When raising rabbits for meat there are many options for food. Angora wool and rabbits, from early history to today, with pictures and. Our 87page e book covers all aspects of rabbit reproduction from mating, to pregnancy, kindling, care of the rabbit kits, weaning, sexing, and rebreeding. Angora rabbits are more sensitive to both heat and cold. It was a good help in my process of deciding what type of rabbits we will eventually raise on our hobby farm.
In general, raising rabbits is a reasonably easy task for those interested in animal husbandry. Whether you live on a full blown many acre homestead, or on a town lot in the burbs, rabbits are a viable option in your selfsufficiency and survival planning. The angora rabbit is thought to have originated in ankara, turkey, although the facts remain unclear. Angora rabbits, the complete owners guide, includes english. The german angora rabbit has been selectively bred for its wool and body, not its reproductive ability. Sep 27, 2017 homesteaders here have either alpacas, sheep or goats for raw wool spinning. The book was written specifically for anyone involved with or looking to get started raising rabbits for show, meat and or pets. For instance, i think i could raise a goat for milk and chickens for eggs, but ask me to kill one for the meat and id probably rather turn to panhandling on the streets. The ideal angora feed based on studies done in europe, where angora rabbits were raised commercially for their wool, is listed in leslie sampson and sharon kilfoyles book completely angora 1988. Surprisingly enough, breeding angora rabbits can be a bit difficult. Rabbits are extremely hot natured so it is important to place their shelter in a shaded area.
I raise angora rabbits now after much research about wool and meat rabbits a german with giant genetics, 3 satins and a non angora blue dwarf. Care, breeding, wool, farming, lifespan, colors, diet, buying, facts, are all covered. Rabbit reproduction e book yes, we offer quite a few pages of free information right here on raising rabbits. How to care for your angora rabbit the joy of handspinning. I cant imagine how many rabbits you would have to sheer to get enough wool to knit a sweater. Raising rabbits for meat, fiber and more mother earth news. Nov 18, 2015 previous survivalblog articles have focused on raising meat rabbits as part of a wellprepped homestead. The angora is perhaps the most common fiberproducing goat.