Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Angora rabbit








The Angora rabbit is a domestic rabbit variety known for it’s long, soft hair.
Origin
:
This is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara, Turkey. The rabbits were popular at French royalty in the mid 1700s, and gradually to other parts of Europe.At first they were at United States in the early 1900s.

Skin and appearance :
The wool of Angora’s are mainly silky and soft. They have a humorous appearance; they oddly resemble a fur ball. Their nature is calm and passive. Grooming is necessary to prevent the fibre from matting and felting on the rabbit. A condition "wool block" is common in angora rabbits and should be treated quickly.

Feeding:: :
It is also widely held that feeding both bromaline (found in fresh pineapple) and papaya occasionally will aid in breaking down the ingested wool, and aiding in its passage through the rabbits system.

Breeds :
The four Major breeds Of Angora are:
• English,
• French,
• Giant and
• Satin.

English
A ruby-eyed white English Angora doe.
• Weight: 2.0–3.5 kg (4.4–7.7 lb).
They are festooned with "fur," growths of wool on the ears and the entire face except above the nose, and front feet, along with their thick body, and wool.
French
A French Angora rabbit
• Weight: 3.5–4.5 kg (7.7–9.9 lb).
This breed has a preponderance of guard hair on the surface, with wool as an undercoat. The French Angora is one of the large Angora breeds at 7½ to 10 lbs, with a commercial body type. It differs from the English, Giant and German Angora in that it possesses a clean face and front feet with only minor tufting on the rear legs.
Giant
Giant Angora buck
• Weight: 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) or larger
Its coat contains three types of wool: soft under wool, awn fluff, and awn hair; the awn type wool exists only on the giant and German angora. This breed should have furnishings on the face and ears.
Satin
A broken satin Angora rabbit.
• Weight: 3.0–4.5 kg (6.6–9.9 lb).
This breed is named for the extremely soft texture of its wool. It has no furnishings on face, ears, or feet, and it is also easy to groom compared to the English variety. Satin Angora's wool is said to be stronger for spinning than other varieties of Angora.
Other breeds include German, Chinese, Swiss and Finnish, to name a few.

Uniqueness:
Unique Rabbits because they do not possess the same allergy-causing qualities as many other animals.

Life span:
Average life span is about 5–7 years when kept indoors and well-cared for. However, many outdoors rabbits have a shorter lifespan. Maintenance is a must. Regardless of breed, all Angoras must be monitored to prevent wool block, a condition where their innards become clogged with hair.

Qualities :
Angora Rabbits are active, playful and social with lots of personality. They enjoy the attention of their owner, as well as the companionship of other rabbits.

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