There are five distinct angora rabbit breeds currently available. Those breeds as as follows, in alphabetical order: English, French, German, Giant, & Satin.
Of course there are also numerous hybrids, crossbreeds and mongrels that arrive through various crossings of long haired, and even short haired, rabbit breeds. Rabbits that are purebred usually "breed true" or produce offspring with predictable results. Hybrids are when two different breeds (such as French and German) are crossed just enough to bring in some other blood, or specific traits, and then stabilized so that the offspring are predictable. A first generation "hybrid" is actually a crossbred animal, and offspring from that animal will most likely vary. You will see some young that look more French, and some that look more German. After a couple generations of putting these animals back to a purebred you will stabilize the line and get predictable results with future litters. Since German angoras were only available in white, until very recently when some purebred black animals were imported, Germans were frequently crossed with French to bring in some color.
Purebred animals are descendants of only that one breed. While ARBA only looks back through the three generations present on the pedigree paper as proof that the animal is purebred, regardless of what happened in the preceeding generations, IAGARB is strict about making sure purebreds really are from all German lines.
It is difficult to summarize all of the angora breeds, since we all have biases toward what we prefer. I will, however, attempt to do so with as much distance as I can. Please keep in mind I don't have any first-hand experience raising English, Satin, or Giant rabbits. My information comes from the more common knowledge available about those breeds and what I have learned from others.
We'll go down the breed list alphabetically.
There are also the Jersey Wooly and American Fuzzy Lop breeds that produce spinnable fibers, however, their small size doesn't produce much spinnable/feltable fiber. They are more of a pet with a bit of perk. If you are serious about getting a fiber producer, I'd stick with the actual angora breeds.
Your happiness, and that of any rabbit you bring into your life, will depend on getting the right animal for your needs. If you are looking for a superior fiber producer, and you end up with an animal that matts the instant you put it back in it's cage, you will not be pleased with the results. Take a few days to really think about what you desire in getting an angora. Write down a list of important things to you (be it rich color, fiber production, low maintenance, harvest method, etc.) and try to put them in order from most to least important. Then go through the above tables and see which breeds will fill your needs best.
It can be very difficult to walk away from someone selling a precious fluffy bunny, but it is much better if you do your research first and figure out which breed you'd like.
The hybrids and crossbred animals are often less expensive, and can be just as wonderful in the fiber production as some purebred animals. Ask the breeder what they are trying to achieve with their hybrid or crossbreeding program to determine if they are breeding responsively.
It is very difficult to figure out what you can expect from a rabbit that is a bit of this, and a bit of that. If you come across a cheaply priced animal that doesn't have a pedigree or is 10% Satin, 25% Giant, 15% French, & 40% English you have no idea what a mature rabbit will look or produce like. It's a gamble. We call an animal with that hodge podge breeding a mongrel. No different than a dog at the pound who was the result of happenstance. They might be wonderful pets, but they could also turn out to be a nightmare. Take caution in this situation.
Good luck and I hope you have found this information useful.
Breed Selection
Table 1
Size
Fiber Production (in oz.)
Shear/Pluck
Upkeep
English
5.5-7.5#
12-16 oz./year
Pluck (but some lines need to be sheared)
High, Matt prone
French
7.5#-10.5#
4-16 oz. or more/year Good lines will produce the higher weights.
Pluck (but some lines need to be sheared)
Medium
German
7-12#
11.5 oz. - 18 oz. per 90 day harvest. That's 3 to 5 pounds total per year!!
Shear
Low (Most animals are not matt prone)
Giant
No Max.
1-2 pounds/year
Shear
Medium-Low
Satin
8-9.5#
One of the lowest producers of fiber. You can expect less than 8 oz./year.
Very high as they tend to matt easily.
Table 2
Temperament
Fiber
Furnishings
Suitability for Meat
English
Amiable, funny.
Soft, low guard hair, crimp present
Heavy - on ears, face, cheeks, legs
Low, because of smaller size
French
Can be a bit more temperamental and/or cranky. Some are very sweet.
Described as "spikey" or "hairy". It has the most guard hair, but it is still quite soft. Good colors usually.
None- only wooled on body
Good
German
Very mellow and easy to handle. They have been bred for generations to be easy to handle since they are sheared. Most of them relax and become "rag dolls" while you're working with them. Bad temperament have been mostly culled from the breed.
Somewhere between English and French. Soft, silky, with obvious crimp. Prime fiber is often harvested from a large percentage of the animal.
Medium to Heavy. Extremely heavily furnished animals are frowned upon, but ear tassles, cheek fiber and leg furnishings are desirable.
Excellent
Giant
I don't know first-hand, but they were created from Flemish Giants and Giant Angoras so I would think they should be similar to those.
Varies by percentage of German, but similar to German.
Medium-Heavy
Excellent
Satin
Varies, though some lines are very high strung.
Lustrous, glistens with bright color. Soft & shines like silk.