# Does anyone keep Satin Angoras?



## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

I'm looking at starting up some rabbits for fiber (I think I'll start small and work my way up) and researching the different breeds. This one has caught my eye. 

I've been reading online, but I'd like some real life input on care and grooming needs also. We've had rabbits in the past, house pets, nothing that required this kind of grooming though. I'd prefer to pluck them as well. 

I'm in North Central WA, if anyone knows of a breeder of Angoras in the area that would be very helpful.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I had one, she just died a week ago :Bawling: She was a beautiful Chocolate Satin Angora. The are for them is not different that for the regular French Angora.


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Marchwind said:


> I had one, she just died a week ago :Bawling: She was a beautiful Chocolate Satin Angora. The care for them is not different that for the regular French Angora.


Bummer! Chocolate is such a pretty color on angoras too.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Pakalana,

You can't really tell, but in the small picture of my avatar I am holding a red Satin Angora.

As Marchwind said, care for Satin Angoras is the same as for French Angoras.

You can pluck them if you want to, but the rabbit has to be in full molt to be sure the coat is nice and loose. With plucking you have to wait for the coat to be ready. Pluck too soon and you can damage the hair follicles.

The Satin Angora rabbit does not produce as much wool as the FA. But it produces wool with sheen, the satin factor, which is a quality prized by spinners. The wool fiber is thinner than other angora rabbit wool too so it feels less dense.

We prefer to shear our Angora rabbits. The coat doesn't release all at once. Sometimes the hindquarters are ready but the shoulders are still hanging on, and sometimes the skirt is the last thing to be ready. 

So when the wool starts falling off the rabbit, we shear the rabbits with scissors, just like shearing sheep. We leave 1/4 inch to 3/8 long on the rabbit. The short hairs left on the rabbit will come out during normal grooming so it's not a problem.

We have our Angoras for show as well as fiber, so we groom ours every week or two. Some people get by with less grooming.

I hope that info helps. Below is my list of angora related yahoo groups. Try posting a message on the general angora list and the satin angora list.

Here is my list of angora groups on yahoo

Angora Rabbit Groups on Yahoogroups
Updated 06-08-07

Hi all!

If you have questions about Angora rabbits I would like to direct
you to some of the Yahoo groups that specialize in Angora rabbit
chat.

You can find answers to questions about health, housing, grooming,
feeding, acquiring, breeding, and other topics on these groups.

General Angora Rabbit Discussion 
(All breeds, hybrids, pets, & woolers)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AngoraRabbitList/

English Angora Rabbit Discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/englishangoraonly/

French Angora Rabbit Discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/frenchangoras/

German Angora Rabbit Discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/germanangora/

Giant Angora Rabbit Discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/giantangoras/

Satin Angora Rabbit Discussion 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SatinAngoraList/

Sign into these groups and introduce yourself.

This is not a complete list of all the Angora rabbit groups, just
some groups that I am subscribed to and I know there is regular
message traffic.


Have a good day!
Franco Rios


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## jhuebner (Mar 29, 2009)

We raise Satin Angoras, We try to have a litter or two per year. Haven't gotten our does "in line" yet this spring. 

Additional information on the Angora Breeds can be found here... 


1st is the American Rabbit Breeders Association. We are an ARBA Registered Rabbitry, we work to keep our rabbits to the ARBA Standards. http://arba.net/

2nd the National Angora Rabbit Breeders Club- they are the National Angora Rabbit Club - Associated with ARBA.
http://www.nationalangorarabbitbreeders.com/blog/

3rd... I just did a Google search & found this site, it has some good information... see what you think.

http://www.unitedangorarabbitclub.org/genarticle1.html

Good luck, & let me know if you need help finding a Satin Angora Breeder in your area.

Joel Huebner
Oldhaus Fibers & Rabbits
Giant, French, and Satin Angoras
American Fuzzy Lops
Flemish Giants

Amana, Ia

www.oldhaus.net


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

Thanks guys! Lots of info for me to check out over the next couple of days. I'll know where to come if I need some more answers. 

jhuebner: I just stopped by your site today, happened across you in the rabbit forum...in a Satin Angora thread....go figure. 

You know, I have to scroll past the livestock forums to get down here, I spaced posting in the rabbit forum. I was thinking about fiber, so this was the natural first stop...but that time while I'm ingesting the first dose of caffine in the mornings doesn't always ensure that my brain is fully engaged.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

thast great info - thanks 

I'm getting a satin and perhaps a satin that has no sheen - after losing a french angora over the winter I love FA so am a little unsure of satins ... but game to try


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## jhuebner (Mar 29, 2009)

oh oh ... one other thing to know about Satin Angoras...better to know than discover...

Baby Satins are "beautiful & cute" but are Knot Factories... We usually clip them @ ~10-12 weeks and let their adult wool grow in.

you can try to keep them knot free, but we have "Matt" for a reason ... LOL 

good luck! 

JLH


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