# Tell me about Jersey Woolies and lionheads



## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

I'm thinking of trying my hand at raising a few Jersey woolies/lionheads for fiber... but I can find little info. on lionheads, and while I've found a great deal about Jersey woolies, I wanted to ask ya'll for your firsthand experiences.

Are lionheads and the jersies about the same? I can find scant info on lionheads, seems they aren't listed with ARBA, so really need some guidance there. How often do you groom these guys? Daily, weekly, what? Any special precautions to keep their coats nice? Which breed do you prefer and why?

And, does rabbit wool take a dye well? Doubt I'll want to much, but nice to know.

Still going to raise meat rabbits, but figure having a "special" little herd that's safe from bopping will help tenderhearted me not be so bothered... 

Any information is greatly appreciated...


----------



## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

lion Heads are not a fiber rabbit just a fluffy pet rabbit, i have some i would like to get rid of, lol, 
as for Jerzy Woollys i dont know as i have not had them, but what i understand is they are able to be used for fiber and come in small packages,


----------



## Reauxman (Sep 14, 2002)

I picked up woolys last fall, as I wanted something with wool in my barn to familiarize myself with wooled rabbits.

A wooly comes in two basic coats, the rough and the more wool-like. I have the woolier one, although the true wooly is the harsh, more hairlike coat. 

Woolys are meant to not be groomed often. They have large amounts of gaurdhair that keeps the coat tangle free for the most part. Once they get through the Jr stage, I don't groom but before a show. JR's are best either cut down or groomed weekly.

Lionheads will not produce a fiber worth spinning I'm sure, although I don't spin.


----------



## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Well, if Jersies hardly need grooming, then you just snip off the wool when you want it? Or is there a seasonal moult I should be aware of?
Lionheads I think are pretty much out as far as fiber bunnies go...


----------



## rabbitgal (Feb 12, 2005)

My sister has a couple of Lionheads.

Yes, Lionheads aren't ARBA-recognized yet, but the process has been started. The North American Lionhead Rabbit Club (http://www.lionhead.us/ ) is the club overseeing the breed. There's also a general breed information site at http://www.lionheadrabbit.net/ . 

My sister's have wool only around the neck and on the flanks. What wool is there is short and coarse - too short to spin. She hardly ever has to groom them though.  I've seen woolier "pet quality" Lionheads, but I know hers would be useless as fiber animals.


----------



## mad_misky (Dec 15, 2006)

So... are these really practical for someone wanting a fibre rabbit, or are they just pet rabbits that happen to give a little fibre? If you shaved the rabbit, wouldn't you get the undesirable guard hairs in with the wool, too? Oh yeah, and what do you call yarn made from their wool? You couldn't call it angora, could you?


----------

