High Desert Fiberworks
Spin some bunny...
enjoy a little luxury!
enjoy a little luxury!
Spun Buns Angora Rabbits
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German angoras, and German hybrid angoras, must be sheared since they do not shed. Plucking is NOT a method of harvest for these breeds as it can damage their follicles and also causes them pain. It is highly recommended they be sheared on a 90 day growth cycle for many reasons. First, they are more prone to overheating and wool block at that point. Secondly, fiber can start to matt and prevent the animal from cleaning itself effectively. Third, fiber production also decreases around this time, so it really doesn't do any good to leave it on the bunny for any longer than this. There are more risks to the health and well-being of the bunny, without much benefit for leaving it on.
I shear babies around 8 weeks old, and then every 4-6 weeks after that until they are about 4 months old. This helps to stimulate their maturing hair follicles to produce more fiber in addition to allowing the baby to avoid overheating. On young rabbits (less than 9 months old), I might shear before 90 days if their fiber is starting to web. Baby fiber is more matt prone since it is so fine. I don't try to spin with it because it is usually short stapled and super slick. Their fiber is great for felting, however, and I do use it for that purpose with excellent results.
A rabbit will have a mature coat when it is around 9 months old. I find 6 month old coats are often spinnable, but their true mature coat won't be apparent until they are about 9 months old.
Harvesting Fiber - Shearing Tips & After Care
Hay, dirt, and debris have no place in your fiber. I blow out my bunnies with an animal blower before shearing to remove any contaminants that might be in the fleece. It's much easier to remove them before shearing. Once the fiber is removed from the bunny the only real way to remove VM and foreign material is to pick it out during spinning or carding. That is messy and much more difficult. I find it is worth the few extra minutes to blow the bunny out before hand.
You can use an animal blower, a clean shop vac set to blow, a brush, your fingers, or even a human hair dryer set on the cool setting. Keep in mind that rabbits are very clean and groom themselves often. Rabbits use their tongue to lick their fur clean, and in the process of this grooming their saliva gets onto the fiber. People who have allergies to animals are usually allergic to the dander from dried saliva, not the actual fiber itself. When the saliva dries, it becomes a very fine white powder that collects in the fleece. Don't be concerned if you see this dust come off your bunny when you blow it out. It's harmless. However, if you blow out a bunch of bunnies be sure to clean the dust off your face before going into town!!
Also, take into consideration your bunny won't appreciate being blown directly in the ears or eyes. Covering these sensitive areas with your hand will calm your bunny and keep debris and blowing wind out of them. I find most of my bunnies will just "hunker" down and accept being blown out. Some of them even seem to enjoy it.
The video clip above of Petra being blown out shows how much many bunnies actually enjoy this part of grooming. Toward the end of the video you see her trying to clean herself while I'm blowing her out. She seems happy to have this done. I think it must feel good to them.
You can use an animal blower, a clean shop vac set to blow, a brush, your fingers, or even a human hair dryer set on the cool setting. Keep in mind that rabbits are very clean and groom themselves often. Rabbits use their tongue to lick their fur clean, and in the process of this grooming their saliva gets onto the fiber. People who have allergies to animals are usually allergic to the dander from dried saliva, not the actual fiber itself. When the saliva dries, it becomes a very fine white powder that collects in the fleece. Don't be concerned if you see this dust come off your bunny when you blow it out. It's harmless. However, if you blow out a bunch of bunnies be sure to clean the dust off your face before going into town!!
Also, take into consideration your bunny won't appreciate being blown directly in the ears or eyes. Covering these sensitive areas with your hand will calm your bunny and keep debris and blowing wind out of them. I find most of my bunnies will just "hunker" down and accept being blown out. Some of them even seem to enjoy it.
The video clip above of Petra being blown out shows how much many bunnies actually enjoy this part of grooming. Toward the end of the video you see her trying to clean herself while I'm blowing her out. She seems happy to have this done. I think it must feel good to them.
Shearing usually starts with preparing your space and getting tools within easy reaching distance.Items you will find necessary/useful include the following:
* Small carpeted area or blanket for your lap. Your bunny won't be prone to slipping if you give it a good footing. They feel safe that way and are able to relax. A small area discourages exploration on the part of the bunny. It can be difficult to keep a bunny still when they are curious about what is accessible to them. Some people clip exclusively with the bunny on a table, while others prefer to cradle the bunny in their laps. I always seem to be a "middle of the road" type of person and I employ both methods for different portions of the clipping session.
* Sharp scissors. You might need to try a few pairs out before you find the ones that work best for you and your bunny. Make sure you don't use these scissors on anything else. I ruined a favorite pair of scissors by cutting some paper. Even resharpening them didn't restore them. I am now in love with a 5" pair of knife edge embroidery scissors by Gingher. They feel good in my hands, don't give me blisters, are sharp, and have both a curved tip blade and one pointy one. They are maneuverable and not too heavy. Long blades can be difficult to maneuver around tight places on the bunny.
* Collection bins for your fiber. I use a large paper bag for prime fiber (2.5" and up). Then I have two plastic bags; one is for my waste (1" and less) and the other is for my seconds (1" up to 2.5").
* A chair if you plan to sit down and clip the bunny on your lap at any point.
* Bunny warmer for after shearing.
* Nail clippers for trimming nails after shearing. If you clip nails before shearing they can be even sharper and scratch you badly if your bunny tries to move during the session.
*Anything else you find essential to your task. You will get your own routine down, and it might be far different than what works for me.
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.
There is some Ivomec dosing information on the Fiber on the Bunny article.
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.
There is some Ivomec dosing information on the Fiber on the Bunny article.
Beginning the clip - I usually start by clipping the vent (bum) area and long hairs on the bottom of their feet. This gets a lot of the waste fiber off the bunny and lets the rabbit calm down to the upcoming process. We get a feel for each other that way.
Most of the prime fiber (2.5" and longer) will be harvested from the back of the bunny. Some of the more genetically blessed bunnies will give you prime fiber off of their sides, chest, and sometimes parts of the legs.
The best way I've found to clip is to work in long, narrow rows from the head towards the tail. I flip the bunny back onto its feet and face it towards my belly. Then I pull its ears forward so I can access behind them. Being careful not to pull up on the fiber (which will pull the thin skin up into your scissor blades) I pull the skin a bit towards the tail of the bunny so it's flat and accessible. Then I slide the bottom blade of my scissors into the fiber at a 90 degree angle.
When you begin it might be easier to make sure you see the tips of your blades before cutting. That way you are sure your blade tips aren't resting on the bunny's skin, where they will cut him. Take it slow and clip small sections at a time. Large swatches of fiber are more likely to catch parts of the bunny, and you won't get a close cut. There will also be a lot of your precious fiber left in uneven chunks on the bunny if you clip large sections at a time. With practice you will get better...and quicker.
Keep your blades at a 90 degree angle to the part of the bunny being clipped. This leaves you with about 1/4" of fiber left on the bunny. It's a great buffer zone so you don't catch skin in the scissors and then your bunny isn't completely naked afterward. Doing this also makes it easy to slide the blades into the fiber.
Be especially careful with the genital region. Bucks have large testicles and the skin is very thin. Go extremely slow and double check things before making a cut. Does tend to have prominent teats (usually 8-12) along their belly so be careful to find each one before getting too carried away. There are usually two high up on their chest between their front legs, two right behind their elbows, two to six along the sides of their belly, and two fairly low between their back legs. They are found (usually in pairs, but not always) in two long mammary chains; one along each side of their body.
I clip the long tufts of hair off of ears in the summer to help the buns stay cooler. Some rabbits can grow spinnable fiber on their ears, while others just sport a bit of fuzz. Bucks usually have more prominent furnishings than does, however this is just a generalization. Ear fiber doesn't seem to grow as fast and I sometimes leave it on one shearing and clip it on the next one.
Heavily furnished rabbits will grow profuse fiber on their legs and the bottom of their feet. The foot pad fiber on these rabbits provides some protection against sore hocks. Germans are large rabbits (most above 10 or 11 pounds without their heavy fiber coats!) and all this protective fiber gives them some cushion. If the fiber felts, or has matts, you may want to think about removing it. otherwise I just clip it even with the rest of the foot fiber so they are sitting on a flat surface.
Rabbits also appreciate being given a foot board to lay on in their cages and time out in the grass is a nice mental and physical break from normal life. I find the newer plastic boards, with holes in them for drainage, are more suited to angoras. If they mess on the board it drains off and is less likely to mess up their fiber. They are easy to wash and disinfect as well.
I clip the tail, belly, legs, back...basically anything with long fiber. The face is not shaved at all.
Most of the prime fiber (2.5" and longer) will be harvested from the back of the bunny. Some of the more genetically blessed bunnies will give you prime fiber off of their sides, chest, and sometimes parts of the legs.
The best way I've found to clip is to work in long, narrow rows from the head towards the tail. I flip the bunny back onto its feet and face it towards my belly. Then I pull its ears forward so I can access behind them. Being careful not to pull up on the fiber (which will pull the thin skin up into your scissor blades) I pull the skin a bit towards the tail of the bunny so it's flat and accessible. Then I slide the bottom blade of my scissors into the fiber at a 90 degree angle.
When you begin it might be easier to make sure you see the tips of your blades before cutting. That way you are sure your blade tips aren't resting on the bunny's skin, where they will cut him. Take it slow and clip small sections at a time. Large swatches of fiber are more likely to catch parts of the bunny, and you won't get a close cut. There will also be a lot of your precious fiber left in uneven chunks on the bunny if you clip large sections at a time. With practice you will get better...and quicker.
Keep your blades at a 90 degree angle to the part of the bunny being clipped. This leaves you with about 1/4" of fiber left on the bunny. It's a great buffer zone so you don't catch skin in the scissors and then your bunny isn't completely naked afterward. Doing this also makes it easy to slide the blades into the fiber.
Be especially careful with the genital region. Bucks have large testicles and the skin is very thin. Go extremely slow and double check things before making a cut. Does tend to have prominent teats (usually 8-12) along their belly so be careful to find each one before getting too carried away. There are usually two high up on their chest between their front legs, two right behind their elbows, two to six along the sides of their belly, and two fairly low between their back legs. They are found (usually in pairs, but not always) in two long mammary chains; one along each side of their body.
I clip the long tufts of hair off of ears in the summer to help the buns stay cooler. Some rabbits can grow spinnable fiber on their ears, while others just sport a bit of fuzz. Bucks usually have more prominent furnishings than does, however this is just a generalization. Ear fiber doesn't seem to grow as fast and I sometimes leave it on one shearing and clip it on the next one.
Heavily furnished rabbits will grow profuse fiber on their legs and the bottom of their feet. The foot pad fiber on these rabbits provides some protection against sore hocks. Germans are large rabbits (most above 10 or 11 pounds without their heavy fiber coats!) and all this protective fiber gives them some cushion. If the fiber felts, or has matts, you may want to think about removing it. otherwise I just clip it even with the rest of the foot fiber so they are sitting on a flat surface.
Rabbits also appreciate being given a foot board to lay on in their cages and time out in the grass is a nice mental and physical break from normal life. I find the newer plastic boards, with holes in them for drainage, are more suited to angoras. If they mess on the board it drains off and is less likely to mess up their fiber. They are easy to wash and disinfect as well.
I clip the tail, belly, legs, back...basically anything with long fiber. The face is not shaved at all.
In this video I am scissor clipping behind the ears. Notice the thin, narrow path I am making. Also, I am pulling the ears forward out of the way and pulling the skin taught and back to make my cutting path flat and accessible.
This is a 45 day cheeks & cheeks clip behind the ears of a 7 month old doe. I am using my Oster A5 clippers. She does have a couple small matts behind her ears (this is more common in rabbits under 9 months old) and I find it's easier to use the clippers in this instance.
After shearing is complete there are a few things you might want to do:
* Give your bunny an Ivomec injection to stave off any mite infestations for the next shearing. If you are interested in researching a different mite control method you might be interested in reading about the use of food grade diatomaceous earth.
* Clean any brushes, scissors, or carpet mats. I use alcohol on scissors and dip brushes in a mild bleach solution between uses.
* Trim your bunny's nails. It is easy to see the quick (very pink/red in comparison to the rest of the nail) on a white rabbit. On dark animals it is more difficult to distinguish where the quick starts. Take your time and have some styptic powder, flour, corn starch, alum or other blood clotting agent on hand if you do clip one too short. Rabbits can bleed fairly profusely from nails, so be careful.
* Do a well-being check: Ears, nose, weight, hocks, teeth, etc. Any issues should be addressed immediately.
* Record wool weights and any important notes regarding the rabbit's health or fiber.
* Give your bunny an Ivomec injection to stave off any mite infestations for the next shearing. If you are interested in researching a different mite control method you might be interested in reading about the use of food grade diatomaceous earth.
* Clean any brushes, scissors, or carpet mats. I use alcohol on scissors and dip brushes in a mild bleach solution between uses.
* Trim your bunny's nails. It is easy to see the quick (very pink/red in comparison to the rest of the nail) on a white rabbit. On dark animals it is more difficult to distinguish where the quick starts. Take your time and have some styptic powder, flour, corn starch, alum or other blood clotting agent on hand if you do clip one too short. Rabbits can bleed fairly profusely from nails, so be careful.
* Do a well-being check: Ears, nose, weight, hocks, teeth, etc. Any issues should be addressed immediately.
* Record wool weights and any important notes regarding the rabbit's health or fiber.
In the picture on the left, the doe pictured above, is shown directly after the area behind her ears has been trimmed with clippers. Notice how it is clean from the base of the ears to about 1" around them.
To the right you can see the same doe after her 45 day bum clip. Her legs are pulled forward toward her head with my left hand. Her tail is located to the right. Tailor this clip to each rabbit's needs. This doe is rather clean and doesn't need to have much fiber removed, but some will need the back parts of their legs and entire under portion of their tail clipped.
Bunny Warmers - These can be easily made (without any sewing required) by cutting the bottom portion off of elastic ankled sweat pants and making some leg holes. See the blue coat below. I use a safety pin to help these coats fit smaller rabbits.
There are also some really nice patterns on the IAGARB website for those of you who want to make custom bunny coats. Camo for the boys, and pink polar fleece for the girls is just a bit of inspiration!
Rabbits usually start acclimating to the weather, without their heavy angora coat, within three days after shearing. If the weather is nice I will take the coats off during the day, and put it back on at night, for a couple more days. They also get a big bunch of straw in their cage for extra warmth. In really cold weather I put a heat lamp on the top of their cage and might leave the coat on for a week or two until they have enough fiber to insulate them.
You can usually tell when they are handling the weather well because they are perky, eating and drinking well, and their ears feel warm. If they are hunched over, their ears are cold, and they aren't eating and drinking well then it's time to seriously consider helping the bunny out even more. I even consider bringing recently sheared animals inside the house for a few days after winter shearings if the weather turns nasty.
I have even heard that extreme cold on an unprotected, and recently sheared, rabbit can damage their skin. This could ultimately lead to less fiber production for the remainder of this animal's life. Please be sure to provide newly sheared animals with warmth. Even in the summer they may need some form of acclimation assistance. Remember, you just sheared a 3" angora coat off your bunny, and their body was used to that. Now it's completely naked! It's going to take some time for the rabbit's body to boost the metabolism and acclimate to this major change.
This article is in no way complete. It is merely meant to give some direction to those who are looking for some. If you find any mistakes, or have a good hint to pass along, please contact me. I am always eager to hear what works for other people.
There are also some really nice patterns on the IAGARB website for those of you who want to make custom bunny coats. Camo for the boys, and pink polar fleece for the girls is just a bit of inspiration!
Rabbits usually start acclimating to the weather, without their heavy angora coat, within three days after shearing. If the weather is nice I will take the coats off during the day, and put it back on at night, for a couple more days. They also get a big bunch of straw in their cage for extra warmth. In really cold weather I put a heat lamp on the top of their cage and might leave the coat on for a week or two until they have enough fiber to insulate them.
You can usually tell when they are handling the weather well because they are perky, eating and drinking well, and their ears feel warm. If they are hunched over, their ears are cold, and they aren't eating and drinking well then it's time to seriously consider helping the bunny out even more. I even consider bringing recently sheared animals inside the house for a few days after winter shearings if the weather turns nasty.
I have even heard that extreme cold on an unprotected, and recently sheared, rabbit can damage their skin. This could ultimately lead to less fiber production for the remainder of this animal's life. Please be sure to provide newly sheared animals with warmth. Even in the summer they may need some form of acclimation assistance. Remember, you just sheared a 3" angora coat off your bunny, and their body was used to that. Now it's completely naked! It's going to take some time for the rabbit's body to boost the metabolism and acclimate to this major change.
This article is in no way complete. It is merely meant to give some direction to those who are looking for some. If you find any mistakes, or have a good hint to pass along, please contact me. I am always eager to hear what works for other people.
