High Desert Fiberworks
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Spun Buns Angora Rabbits
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I will outline a few of the most important fiber production tips I have been able to learn and find. After all, one of our main reasons for choosing to have an agora is probably to harvest their gorgeous fiber for use.

Hay, dirt, and debris have no place in your fiber. I find it's easiest to provide hay racks to my bunnies. Hay is important to rabbits as the chewing action helps wear down their teeth. Since rabbit teeth continue to grow throughout their lives, it is important they engage in this eating activity. Also, hay helps push any ingested fiber through their gut and keeps the rabbit healthy.

I cut a 4" x 8" piece of cage wire and trim any sharp points off so the rabbit won't be hurt by them. Then I bend it into a half circle and clip it to the inside of the cage. Usually it works best if it's attached to a corner as this secures the hay better and keeps it out of the normal living space of the rabbit's cage.

I also try to limit any time on the ground a rabbit has while in the 60-90 day growth period. Grass can stain your precious wool and rabbits love to dig. It doesn't take much time for your bunny to dig a beautiful hole. The creation of that hole usually throws dirt, sand, and vegetable matter deep into their fiber. Sometimes an animal blower (without heat) will be helpful in getting it back out, but it's so much easier to prevent it in the first place. Letting your bun hop around in a carpeted place, or in a clean place with supervision, is what I have found to be the easiest during the last 30 days or so.

Cheeks and cheeks at 45 days. Long, dense, almost mature fiber, including heat from the bunny, and continuous movement of the head back and forth can easily create mats in the neck area. Around 45 days after shearing I clip behind the ears, and any other matt susceptible areas. Some rabbits will matt more easily than others, so this procedure can be tailored for each individual. Most German angoras, and German hybrid individuals with German texture, will not matt much. However, they should be examined for any of these irritating clumps. Not only do they annoy your bunny, but they continue to entangle neighboring fibers and create an even bigger mess. Clipping large matted areas can be tricky, so I find it's easiest to try and prevent them from becoming a major problem in the first place. 

Another area that needs some attention at this time is the bum (or second cheeks location). Thick and long fiber can prevent a bunny from cleaning themselves well. It doesn't take much time for an accumulation of feces to start causing problems. Flies are attracted by moisture and feces, leading to the possibility of flystrike rather quickly in the summer months. I've never experienced this affliction first-hand, however, I have heard it is quite disgusting. For this reason, proper clipping of this region is essential to the health of your bunny. The small amount of fiber lost to this trimming procedure is more than worth the health benefits.

I also trim nails at shearing and 45 days. Since I am checking the bunny out anyway, it's easy to spend another couple of minutes trimming and checking nails at the same time. Rabbits can bleed profusely from broken nails, so I find regular trimmings prevent issues.

Mites are destructive little critters who are counter productive to the beautiful fleece you are trying to raise. Not only are they going to ruin your matt free fiber, they are annoying and can become debilitating to your bunny. Mites are easily transmitted to other rabbits, so take care when bringing new animals into your herd, attending shows, breeding animals, and try to keep handling/grooming equipment clean to prevent this.

The easiest way to check for mites is after shearing. Mites will cause dandruff flakes around the shoulders, behind the ears, and often times on the rump of the animal. They may also cause a sort of greasy/waxy feeling to the fiber. All of these traits make removal of mature coats difficult, and can make removal via clippers almost impossible. Fiber that seems sticky, clumpy, breaks easily, or a rabbit that seems intent on having you scratch it are all indications that something is amiss. Mites also weaken fiber and may be cause for disposal of an entire 90 day's worth of work! It is worth it to prevent and manage this issue closely.

Obvious itching by the rabbit is also a cause for concern. If your rabbit seems itchy when you touch or rub it then you may want to look even further for more signs of mite activity. Veterinarians can positively diagnose a mite infestation, but often even their collections and testing of various sites won't produce positive diagnosis.

I tend to take the preventative route instead of being reactive to an infestation. Mites are easily transported to other members of your herd through your touch, grooming brushes, breeding activities, showing and similar ways. I use Ivomec (1% ivermectin) for cattle on my bunnies. It is off label, since this has never been tested on rabbits, goats, and other animals. I use dosing recommendations suggested by other rabbit breeders and find that it has always worked well in my herd. I do not take responsibility for any adverse reactions you may experience and am only providing information here that works for me and my situation.

Be extremely careful when measuring out dosages for your bunnies. Ivomec is strong and can injure or kill your bunny if you overdose them. For cattle, Ivomec is dosed by cc's, but in rabbits, they are dosed by UNITS. The easiest way to do this is to weigh your bunny and then get an insulin syringe. Insulin syringes are calibrated by units. It's such a small amount for a bunny, that trying to estimate with a 3 cc syringe leaves a lot of room for error. Don't risk it!

I give 7 units of Ivomec per 5# of bunny. So a 10# rabbit would receive 14 units total. I have read that some people dose their bunnies orally; however, I choose to inject sub-q since this medication wasn't intended for oral use. Some people have reported esophagus irritation with oral dosing. Also, I'm not sure it stays in their system long enough to completely do its job when given this way.

When injecting, you want to make sure it's under the skin (sub-q) and not in the muscle. Ivomec is thick and can be slow to inject. If you can ask someone to help you by holding the bunny it really helps. Lift the loose skin over the shoulders and form a "tent". Inject into this tent. There are many websites and videos online that explain this procedure in more detail if you haven't ever given an injection before.

My bunnies get dosed with Ivomec after almost every shearing. Babies until 3 months are never dosed as they are too young. I usually shear and treat with Ivomec directly afterwards. I haven't had any issues treating does and then breeding on the same day. Other breeders I talk with do the same and haven't had any side effects. Nursing does do not receive Ivomec unless there is a need, as it is possible this medication would come out into the milk her babies would receive.
Fiber on the Bunny