Angora Rabbits

I have been bitten by a bug ... again. The wanna bug. I wanna some angora rabbits. It all started when I made reservations for the get-away weekend my mom treats the female members of the family to each fall. The reservationist and I hit it off well and spent 30 minutes chatting on the phone after booking the accomodations. She is a Master Knitter. We talked yarn and when it came up that I have goats (somehow my goats come up in all my conversations ... imagine that!), she asked if I raised fiber goats. Since ordinances limit me to three head of domesticated livestock, I choose to have three dairy goats rather than fiber or meat goats. She indicated that angora is a highly desired fiber and quite profitable if you break into the right market. I didn't think much more about it until the Dec/Jan 2011 issue of MaryJanes Farm magazine arrived. In it was an article about angora rabbits and harvesting their coats. The article touted that rabbits are an alternative for homesteaders with limited space (such as apartment dwellers), that their silky fiber is seven times warmer than wool, that "bunny droppings are gardeners' gold", and that these pets are companionable and easy to care for. I enjoyed reading the article and learning more about an aspect of homesteading that I had not even considered.

When something comes in three's in less than a month's time, it's hard to ignore. So the bug bit a week later when I read the article about raising rabbits in the latest issue of Urban Farm magazine. This article labeled rabbits the "perfect urban livestock" because of their size, personalities, care needs and benefits -- meat, fiber and manure. The picture of the rabbit hutch perched above a vermicomposting bin sealed the deal as far as I was concerned. Listen to this: "Taking the garden gold a step further, use your rabbit manure to enhance your vermicomposting practice by placing a worm bin under your rabbit cage. ... you'll spend less time cleaning out rabbit cages, and the worms will eliminate manure piles, minimize odors and reduce the fly population." Jan/Feb 2011 Urban Farm magazine, p. 31.

I began an online search about angora rabbits and watched YouTube videos on harvesting and hand-spinning fiber. Way cool! I think I'd like to get the Giant Angora breed, but finding a reputable breeder may be the hardest part. That, and persuading my wonderful husband to allow yet another indulgence that means more work for him. I'll need a hutch and a monthly allowance to keep my bunnies well-fed and happy.


Photo credit to alpacafarmgirl.com