Harvesting the Wool of Your English Angora
There are two ways to harvest the wool: Shearing and Plucking. Both are completely painless if done correctly. With both, you’ll want to groom the coat first. I have never had a single rabbit require any sort of restraint for harvesting. They generally calmly sit in my lap, or on their grooming table. If they get a little restless, I offer them a treat. If they are still restless, then I stop for a while to give them a break.
The Plucking Method
"Ahh! Plucking?! I think I saw this in that PETA video." No, you didn't. Real life Angora plucking is NOTHING like "that video." Actually, Wild Fibers Magazine did a piece on Chinese Angora farming for their Summer 2011 issue (long before the PETA thing.) You can watch a video here to see their findings. Plucking is actually the practice of moving already-shedded fibers from the rabbit's coat. That's right, you're not pulling it out of the skin, you're getting already-loose fiber out from the new growth so it doesn't get tangled up and matted.
This method requires patience. You must wait until your rabbit’s body decides it’s time. When it is time, you’ll notice mounds of wool when you groom. If you give it a very slight tug, large clumps will easily come right out. If you look at it’s undercoat, you’ll notice new guard hairs have started growing in (they’ll be dark and shiny.) All you do is grab the loose hair and stick it in a container. If you have to give it more than a slight tug, your rabbit is not ready and you should stop. For those of you with dogs, think of that time in the spring when you start seeing tufts of hair sticking out of your dogs’ coats and you can grab chunks of it and it comes right out, without causing discomfort to your dog – that’s how plucking your rabbit should be. Many English Angoras (including mine) are not generally pluckable and most breeders are striving for that. If your rabbit’s coat starts looking lifeless, yet there is no sign of molting, you’ll have to shear it.
The Shearing Method
There are two primary ways to shear. The easiest way is to use electric clippers. You’ll have to get top notch clippers to cut the ultra-fine wool of an angora, and then you’ll need special blades. Look to spend at least $150 for these items. With your handy dandy clippers, you'll start by cutting out a square behind the ears. If you're not saving the wool, you can buzz over the rabbit a few times and.. TADA, you're finished! If you are saving the wool, then you'll want to cut about an inch at a time, lay what you have cut aside, and slowly work your way back and around, carefully avoiding cutting the same place twice. Once you've collected all of your wool for spinning, you can go back over the coat to even things out if you want.
The more economical way to shear is to use a pair of scissors. Make sure they are comfortable in your hands and they don’t have sharp points. I cut small sections at a time, laying my fingers directly on the rabbit’s skin and only cutting the wool above my fingers. When I get to the tail area, I hold the whole tail in my hand and slowly clip around it, leaving the “cotton ball” at least slightly fluffy. Go slowly to prevent accidentally cutting your rabbit’s skin. If you do cut the skin, corn starch, flour or products specifically designed to stop bleeding should be applied. If it’s a larger wound, veterinary assistance may be required. If you work slowly, you shouldn’t have any problems. I’ve never cut a rabbit because I work slowly. Don’t expect your rabbit to look as nice as your dog does after a haircut. Angora wool is difficult to get perfectly even. Professional groomers even find it nearly impossible to get it perfect. Rest assured though, it will grow back out and look just fine before you know it.
The Plucking Method
"Ahh! Plucking?! I think I saw this in that PETA video." No, you didn't. Real life Angora plucking is NOTHING like "that video." Actually, Wild Fibers Magazine did a piece on Chinese Angora farming for their Summer 2011 issue (long before the PETA thing.) You can watch a video here to see their findings. Plucking is actually the practice of moving already-shedded fibers from the rabbit's coat. That's right, you're not pulling it out of the skin, you're getting already-loose fiber out from the new growth so it doesn't get tangled up and matted.
This method requires patience. You must wait until your rabbit’s body decides it’s time. When it is time, you’ll notice mounds of wool when you groom. If you give it a very slight tug, large clumps will easily come right out. If you look at it’s undercoat, you’ll notice new guard hairs have started growing in (they’ll be dark and shiny.) All you do is grab the loose hair and stick it in a container. If you have to give it more than a slight tug, your rabbit is not ready and you should stop. For those of you with dogs, think of that time in the spring when you start seeing tufts of hair sticking out of your dogs’ coats and you can grab chunks of it and it comes right out, without causing discomfort to your dog – that’s how plucking your rabbit should be. Many English Angoras (including mine) are not generally pluckable and most breeders are striving for that. If your rabbit’s coat starts looking lifeless, yet there is no sign of molting, you’ll have to shear it.
The Shearing Method
There are two primary ways to shear. The easiest way is to use electric clippers. You’ll have to get top notch clippers to cut the ultra-fine wool of an angora, and then you’ll need special blades. Look to spend at least $150 for these items. With your handy dandy clippers, you'll start by cutting out a square behind the ears. If you're not saving the wool, you can buzz over the rabbit a few times and.. TADA, you're finished! If you are saving the wool, then you'll want to cut about an inch at a time, lay what you have cut aside, and slowly work your way back and around, carefully avoiding cutting the same place twice. Once you've collected all of your wool for spinning, you can go back over the coat to even things out if you want.
The more economical way to shear is to use a pair of scissors. Make sure they are comfortable in your hands and they don’t have sharp points. I cut small sections at a time, laying my fingers directly on the rabbit’s skin and only cutting the wool above my fingers. When I get to the tail area, I hold the whole tail in my hand and slowly clip around it, leaving the “cotton ball” at least slightly fluffy. Go slowly to prevent accidentally cutting your rabbit’s skin. If you do cut the skin, corn starch, flour or products specifically designed to stop bleeding should be applied. If it’s a larger wound, veterinary assistance may be required. If you work slowly, you shouldn’t have any problems. I’ve never cut a rabbit because I work slowly. Don’t expect your rabbit to look as nice as your dog does after a haircut. Angora wool is difficult to get perfectly even. Professional groomers even find it nearly impossible to get it perfect. Rest assured though, it will grow back out and look just fine before you know it.
How Often Should I Groom and Shear Retired Show Rabbits?
We get this questions ALL the time! Some people mistakenly believe that Angoras need to be brushed constantly their entire lives! That is actually never true about any stage of a rabbit's life though. Here's a simple chart to follow showing what actions I recommend on a monthly basis! Some poorly bred rabbits will need more care than this. However, the vast majority of show lines do not require more than this! Many do not need to have their head and feet brushed monthly, I recommend this as preventative care for foot and eye health. Notice the pattern in my chart? It shows that over a year's time, the rabbit should only need a full grooming 4 times - right before shearing!
We get this questions ALL the time! Some people mistakenly believe that Angoras need to be brushed constantly their entire lives! That is actually never true about any stage of a rabbit's life though. Here's a simple chart to follow showing what actions I recommend on a monthly basis! Some poorly bred rabbits will need more care than this. However, the vast majority of show lines do not require more than this! Many do not need to have their head and feet brushed monthly, I recommend this as preventative care for foot and eye health. Notice the pattern in my chart? It shows that over a year's time, the rabbit should only need a full grooming 4 times - right before shearing!
Month |
Grooming/Shearing Action Suggested |
1 |
Blow Out Coat, Shear Down, Trim nails. |
2 |
Brush Head/Feet, Trim Nails |
3 |
Brush Head/Feet, Trim Nails |
4 |
Blow Out Coat, Shear Down, Trim nails. |
5 |
Brush Head/Feet, Trim Nails |
6 |
Brush Head/Feet, Trim Nails |
7 |
Blow Out Coat, Shear Down, Trim Nails |
8 |
Brush Head/Feet, Trim Nails |
9 |
Brush Head/Feet, Trim Nails |
10 |
Blow Out Coat, Shear Down, Trim Nails |
11 |
Brush Head/Feet, Trim Nails |
12 |
Brush Head/Feet, Trim Nails |