What’s the Dual Purpose of Angora Rabbits

What’s the dual purpose of Angora Rabbits? Angora rabbits can fulfill two different functions on a small homestead, both for wool and for breeding. They are used to produce luxurious wool that is then spun into yarn, which could be woven or knitted into scarves or garments that would be perfect for providing warmth in chilly weather. What’s the dual purpose of Angora Rabbits? The offspring they create can also be sold as breeding rabbits, which could then in turn be used to produce more wool or even quality meat. In this article, you’ll lean about the dual purpose of Angora Rabbits?

What Do Angora Rabbits Eat?

What’s the dual purpose of Angora Rabbits? Angora rabbits require nutrients that help them fulfill their two functions. Due to this, their diet should consist of a higher percentage of protein, much more than the required for other rabbit species.

Angora rabbits have long and thick wool coats, and for their healthy growth, these rabbits would have to consume a diet with a greater content of fiber compared to other rabbits. Of course, their fiber requirements differ at various life stages, so special attention would have to be paid on this account as well. Additionally, pregnant and lactating female Angora rabbits would need to consume more protein in their feeds.

Adjust their Diet

Aside from sex, age, and pregnancy, the seasons also play a part in how much Angora rabbits eat and what they should be consuming. For instance, during winter, they would require much higher energy reserves; therefore, their diet would have to be adjusted to meet this requirement.

What’s the dual purpose of Angora Rabbits? Angora rabbits whose wools have been newly harvested would have to be fed a higher percentage of proteins and calories as well. This would help them in healthily growing back their wool coat. On the other hand, Angora rabbits with their full coats waiting to be harvested require a higher fiber percentage in their diet.

Caring for Angora Rabbits

What’s the dual purpose of Angora Rabbits? Given that one of the primary purposes of raising Angora rabbits is for their wool coats, it stands to reason that steps must be taken to care for their fur. Angora rabbits have long furs, and these can and will get tangled so easily in their cages. As such, it is of the utmost importance that their cages be completely cleaned out regularly. The fur of Angora rabbits can shed, and the rabbits themselves tend to pull their fur out, creating a mess, exacerbated when they poop or pee on it.

Clear out and clean their cages at least once a week so that the mess won’t pile up and be too smelly. If the situation calls for it, do it twice a week; this could be the case during winters.

Pseudo – Bath

What’s the dual purpose of Angora Rabbits? You can have the rabbits’ fur regularly trimmed to avoid knotty heaps. During spring and late summer, have their coat sheared to harvest around half a pound of wool from each adult rabbit. Not only will this suit your purpose, it is also a great way to cool them up and make them more comfortable. Shearing away a rabbit’s fur is done similarly enough to cutting human hair. The fur you harvest from this can be collected in a bag to be washed, later spun into wool.

It is also important to give Angora rabbits a pseudo-bath at least once a month. This will help control some of their shedding and prevent their fur from getting matted. This, in turn, ensures better wool quality as their fur would be nice and clean when it is time to shear them. A pseudo-bath is a quick process where you have to sprinkle cornstarch in their fur and brush it out. Don’t use water as it makes them jumpy and anxious.

Trimming Tips

Aside from their fur, you should also pay attention to your Angora rabbits’ nails. Their nails tend to grow faster than other rabbits, specifically the lionhead rabbits. Therefore, trimming them often is a necessity to prevent them from pulling or damaging their fur using their nails. There are special animal nail clippers available that you can use for this purpose. What’s the dual purpose of Angora Rabbits? Focus trimming just the tips and don’t cut past the quick and into a vein which could cause them extreme pain. Avoid letting their nails grow too long as well, since this would just make cutting them much harder.

In Summary

What’s the dual purpose of Angora Rabbits? Angora rabbits are generally larger than your usual rabbits. As such, they weigh a bit heavier, and they are thus more vulnerable to developing sore hocks. Sores can develop on the bottom of their feet, making movement difficult and painful for them. To avoid this unfortunate circumstance, a neat and tidy cage is important. Provide a resting board where they can comfortably sit. This resting board could be something as simple as a scrap of wooden plank or even a clean cut of old carpet. If they do get sores, however, gently apply a bit of coconut oil to soothe the spots. Do this two to three times daily until it heals.