High Desert Fiberworks
Spin some bunny...
enjoy a little luxury!
enjoy a little luxury!
Spun Buns Angora Rabbits
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A super quick introduction to the breed.German angoras are fiber producing work horses. Good producers can give you anywhere from 10 to 18 ounces of fiber per 90 day harvest! Other breeds may only produce 1 to 6 ounces of fiber during that same 90 days. However, they will consume almost as much feed, and usually require more time on your part, since their fibers tend to matt more easily. Germans, with correct texture, usually don't require brushing between shearings.
These rabbits are sheared, since they do not shed like other Angora breeds. All 100% Germans, most of the higher percentage German hybrids, and even some of the English and French lines do not shed. They are not harmed in the shearing process. It is similar to you getting a hair cut or trim, and is crucial to their health.
German textured fiber is easy to care for on the bunny as it is virtually non-matting, and a majority of the fiber harvested is prime (at least 2.5" long), or useable second grade (1"-2") lengths. German Angora fiber also mills well and is luxurious to hand spin. It felts into a soft and very warm fabric as well.
The IAGARB (International Association of German Angora Rabbit Breeders) organization follows the standards and guidelines that have been used in the development of the breed. German angoras aren't automatically registered just based on their lineage. This breed is registered based solely on the production and conformation of the individual rabbit itself. If a rabbit can produce at least 325 grams of fiber in a 90 day growth cycle (or 1300 grams per annum), and scores enough points with the judge, it can be registered with IAGARB. The judge checks conformation, condition, weight, wool density and length, wool uniformity and texture, and furnishing quality. If the rabbit scores at least 80 points in all these areas, and has the wool production to qualify, it passes the test and is IAGARB registered.
German Angoras have been bred over many generations to have wonderful temperaments and extraordinary fiber. I think they are the perfect fiber animal since they don't eat much, they can be raised in a relatively small area compared to the larger fiber animals, are relatively quiet, and produce lots of lovely luxury fiber. They produce a mature coat for harvest every 90 days, so it doesn't take long before you have plenty of homegrown luxury fiber.
German Angora Fiber
After coming across some postings by people who thought that German fiber was "prickly", and of poor quality, I decided to add this little section on the fiber from German angoras.
We all have different preferences, and that is the beauty of being able to choose the animal that best suites your needs and desires.There are people who prefer the extreme softness of the English angora breed, the furry look that comes with the French Angoras, and there are others who enjoy the luxurious sheen found in the Satin angoras. I am one of those who prefers the low-maintenance care, density, crimp and luxuriously soft fleece grown by the German angora rabbit.
All five angora breeds (Engish, French, Satin, Giant, and German) have something special and unique to offer the hand crafter. To call one breed inferior simply because it isn't what you prefer, or worse you are judging an entire breed by one bad representative, isn't really fair. There are examples of well bred and poorly bred animals in every breed. I personally will not keep (and definitely not breed) any animal who doesn't show excellent fleece production and closely resemble what is called for in the breed standard. However, there are many individuals out there who are breeding pet/wooler grade animals simply because they want to experience raising a litter or they are hoping to make a few quick bucks. Neither of these reasons help improve the breed.
Correctly textured animals will never show too many guard hairs or have coarse feeling fiber. I find my Germans produce very free-flowing and lovely handspinning fibers. I am positive it is soft enough to be worn next to the skin, because of it's fineness and softness, since I personally use my fiber in my own handspun/handknit garments. I find the yarn produced from my German and German/French hybrids is creamy, warm, and produces a beautiful halo.
I am planning to do some micron testing on my animals soon and will be happy to post the results once I get them back. There is supposedly a "prickle" factor number once the micron level hits 22-30. At that diameter the fiber can prickle your skin and cause a reaction in sensitive people. Most fine merino comes in around 15 microns, so any fiber around that number will be soft. After asking about the testing results some other German angora breeders have gotten back on their animals it seems interesting to me anyone would thing Germans wouldn't produce next-to-the-skin-soft fibers. The mean was 15.4 on one lady's testing of her animals, with a deviation of 4.1 micrns. This is very far from the magic "prickle" factor number of 22 or 30. I am curious to see the results of the samples I send away for testing.
German angora wool might "feel" coarser than that of an English angora simply based on the fact that the Germans have guard and awn hairs, while English angoras have very few. This doesn't mean that well-bred Germans have coarse fiber, as their underwool is still very fine and soft, it merely means you will feel the slightly thicker hairs and it will feel differently.
Those guard hairs do serve a very important role, however, in preventing matting in the fiber. Micron test results on an English angora would almost surely be lower than that of a German angora, however, their lack of protective guard hairs usually result in a much more matt prone animal. This ultimately leads to less usable fiber from the animal. Micron testing averages out the entire sample of hairs. So, a German angora sample will have the underwool, awn, and guard hairs' thickness averaged out. The majority of fibers are underwool, while the minority are composed of the slightly thicker awn and guard hairs.
My best advice to someone looking to bring an angora into their life would be to really figure out what is important to you. Do you want to have a large or small rabbit? How much fiber do you want to get off of that animal? What personality would you prefer? Do you like the look of an angora with fur on it's head, ears, and legs, or would you prefer one with those areas clean of wool? Do you want to harvest by plucking or by shearing?
The five breeds are there because everyone will answer those questions differently. If you take the time to decide what you want the most BEFORE you bring home a rabbit you will usually be much happier in the end.
Good luck in locating the perfect bunny and happy spinning!
The German Angora