Because there are too many rabbit breeds at present, and most of the rabbits on the market are hybrid, it is difficult to distinguish their breeds and pedigrees. Rough estimates are about 60-80 varieties. So far, the AMERICAN RABBIT BREEDERS ASSOCIATION has certified only 49 rabbit species.
Among these 49 varieties, the following methods can be used to classify them;
1. Follow the weight and body type of the rabbit
2. Rabbit hair length
3. Rabbit use
4. Color
The Angora rabbit is a world-famous breed of woolly rabbit, native to the United Kingdom, now distributed in many parts of the world, and its large size is a significant feature of the angora rabbit. After long-term breeding and breeding in various places, the angora rabbit has formed many varieties of outstanding varieties, including the Ashkenazi angora rabbit and the French angora rabbit
The Angora rabbit can be roughly divided into five species – Britain, France, Germany, Sardinian and giant Angola
1) Angola, United Kingdom
Scientific name: English Angora (English long-haired rabbit)
Type and weight: It is a fur rabbit, but it can also be used as a pet rabbit, with a standard weight of 5-7.5 kg, which is a medium-sized rabbit.
Introduction: It is said that the angora rabbit originated from Angola, the capital of Turkey, because there are many long-haired animals, such as the angora cat also came from there, and later the angora rabbit was brought to the United Kingdom to breed, and it developed into an English long-haired rabbit.
Features: Except for a small part of the face, their whole body is covered with very thick silk-like hairs, the ears are V-shaped, with tassel-like hairs at the top, and the eyes are round and large.
2) Angola, France
Scientific name: French Angola (French long-haired rabbit)
Type and weight: it is a fur rabbit, but also a pet rabbit, the standard weight is 7.5-10.5 kg, is a large rabbit.
Description: Their history is similar to that of English Anglora, which was brought to France by Turkey to breed, and thus developed into a French breed of long-haired rabbits, which appeared earlier than English Anglora and were larger than them.
Features: Their ears, eyes and feet below the joints are not full of hair, and the hair is rougher and not as smooth as other angora rabbits.
3) Angola, Germany
Scientific name: German Angola (German long-haired rabbit)
Type and weight: It is a fur rabbit, but also a pet rabbit, with a standard weight of 7-12 kg, which is a large rabbit.
Introduction: Their body size varies greatly, they are the most docile and obedient of the angora rabbits, so it is easier to shave with them, and they can produce about 36-64oz of hair in a year, which is 4 times the yield of other angora rabbits.
Features: Their hair is thick and erect, but it does not shed hair as often as other angora rabbits do, and the texture is more tough
4) Large Angola
Scientific name: Gaint Angora (large long-haired rabbit)
Type and weight: It is a fur rabbit, but also a pet rabbit, with a standard weight of 8.5-10 kg, which is a large rabbit.
Description: They originated in the eastern U.S. state of Massachusetts and were developed by Germen Angora and recognized in 1988.
Features: Their hair is very thick, like The Angora in England, only the face is hairless, and their hair has three different textures!
5) Satin wool Angolan
Scientific name: Satin Angora (satin long-haired rabbit)
Type and weight: It is a rabbit with fur, but it can also be used as a pet rabbit, and the standard weight is 6.5-9.5 kg, which is a large rabbit.
Description: They originated in Canada and are made from the satin wool breed and the French Angolan breed, which was recognized in 1987.
Characteristics: Their fur is shiny and soft, and has a personality compared to other angora rabbits.
6) Jersey long-haired rabbit
The body is strong and petite, the head is large and the eyes are round and well-defined, the shoulders are wide, the whole body is covered with long hair, the hair is even covered with four feet, like a large teacup that is reversed, the ear is about 2-3 inches long, the nose is flattened, the head and body are almost the same height, and there is a small amount of loose hair like a hat on the top of the head in front of the ear, with a variety of coat colors and markings. Weight: About 3 pounds on average
The rabbit was bred by Bonnie Seeley in New Jersey, USA from 1970 to 1980, as an angora rabbit and a Dutch pygmy rabbit, and was recognized by ARBA in 1988. Origin: United States
How is angora rabbit hair produced?
Angora rabbit hair is a soft fiber derived from the angora rabbit. This wool is very different from the angora goat wool, known as mohair. Angora rabbit hair is from 47 species of domestic rabbits officially confirmed to be capable of producing "Angolan" fiber. These breeds include the English Angora rabbit, the French Angora rabbit, the Great Angora rabbit and the satin angora rabbit. Angora rabbit hair is the third most abundant natural animal hair in the world, after wool and mohair. The manufacture of this wool originated in Turkey.
The production process of angora rabbit hair
Angora rabbit hair is harvested three times a year. People harvest both by shearing their hair and collecting the naturally shedding hair of the angora rabbit. This means that the entire harvesting process is harmless to the angora rabbit. These harvested wool fibers are very easy to form felt, so they must be collected carefully, and the breeding rabbits must be in a suitable environment to avoid felt formation. High-quality angora rabbit hair can be obtained either by collecting or by shearing it more easily and faster. The tail end of the angora rabbit hair is blunt, so the fabric produced at the end has an irregular pattern.
After the rabbit hair is harvested, sometimes people will comb the hair, but this is not a regular process, because the angora rabbit hair can be spun directly, depending on the quality of the hair. Low-grade rabbit hair is usually combed to remove substandard hair and improve quality. These hairs are then woven into loose yarns wrapped around the yarn shaft, which are then dyed and woven into fabric. Since this fiber is very fine, spinning is very difficult.
90% of the world's Angolan gross wool is produced in China, with Chile being the second largest producer. Like cashmere and other animal hairs, angora rabbit hair also has soft fluff under the protective fur. These protective hairs are coarse and hard and basically cannot be used. Angora rabbit hair is produced from the bottom layer of fluff.
Characteristics of angora rabbit hair
Soft and fluffy
The thin fibers mean that the angora rabbit hair is very light
Has a silk-like structure
Since rabbit hair is hollow fiber, it is much lighter than wool
There are many natural colors available, from white to gray, dark gray, brown and black
Easy to become felt
The fabric application of pure angora rabbit hair is not very much. When the fabric is pure angora rabbit hair, this fabric is only used for specialty clothing. The appearance and organization of such fabrics resembles fur
Good warmth
There is no elasticity, due to the lack of natural curls like other animal hairs
Angora rabbit hair is often blended with wool to enhance its properties
Commercial textiles usually use 30%-50% angora rabbit hair
Excellent thermal insulation
Hollow fibers mean that there are pores in the fibers and have a floating feel
durable
The heat storage capacity is very good
Anti-static
It has 6 times the warmth performance of cotton
More combing than other animal hairs
Easy to dye
The end use of angora rabbit hair
High-end luxury clothing
undergarments
sportswear
Sweaters or suits
spinning
Felt making
Baby clothing
Is the angora rabbit more furry than a plush doll, with flawless fur all over its body, do you think you want to own one?