It’s no secret that the world’s softest garment fiber
comes from a docile and adorable animal called the Angora Rabbit. Quiet
and calm by nature, these animals have been used in fiber harvest for
hundreds of years, and are thought to have originated in Turkey. Turkish
fiber markets throughout history have also taken credit for the
origination of the Angora Goat (who produce fiber known as ‘Mohair’, not
angora) and the forerunner to the Persian cat breed.
Europeans have bred and
mass-marketed Angora wool for centuries, the French being responsible for
the popularization of it around 1790. North America would not see the
import of these ‘exotic’ rabbits until 1920. The North American
Angora market today is still relatively considered a “cottage industry”
with the bulk of fiber producers promoting and marketing their own
product.
Four distinct breeds of Angora
rabbits exist today: the English, French, Giant, and Satin varieties all
possessing their own unique breed characteristics.
*The “English” breed is
considered to be the smallest, at 5 to 7.5 pounds with a compact body
containing few guard hairs in proportion to the wool. The wool of this
breed wraps tightly when spun, and is the most popular breed for show
because of its amazingly prolific hair/fur on the face and ears. This
specific breed of Angora may require daily grooming to keep its fiber free
of debris and mats that can appear, causing the wool to lump up. These are
sweet and gentled natured rabbits, who are excellent around children, but
only with encouragement and parental supervision as to the daily care and
maintenance of the hair. This breed is not recommended for anyone who does
not have the time to spend in daily grooming.
*The “French” breed is a larger
breed than the English, at 7.5-10.5 pounds. This rabbit has more guard
hair ration to wool, which allows for more intense and varied colors in
the fiber. Most color on the body of a rabbit is contained in the guard
hair, rather than the under-wool that is normally light or white in color.
This French Angora breed is considered the “easy-care” breed of Angoras,
normally only requiring a once weekly grooming, and is the best choice for
novices or youths.
*The “Satin” Angora weighs in at
6.5-9.5 pounds and has a shiny, satiny quality to its wool fiber. The
hollow distinction to the fiber of these rabbits accounts for the
intensity of coloration available in the breed, which does also appear in
all white. Most spinners prefer this fiber for ease of spinning, and the
dense coat is considered a pleasure to groom and harvest.
*The largest breed of Angora
Rabbits is the “Giant” variety, weighing in at 10-20+ pounds! This breed
is distinctive as it is only recognized at show in the ‘non’ color -
White, and as it is the largest of all the Angoras, produces the most
fiber from its superbly dense coat. This breed does not molt, or shed its
hair naturally as do the other breeds, and so wool must be harvested by
hand shearing.
