# Rabbits Other Than Angoras



## foxish (Oct 7, 2009)

Hi!  I was wondering if anyone had ever tried harvesting wool from Jersey Woolly rabbits or from the fuzzy lops.  I know the Angoras are king of the fibers in the rabbit world, but are these guys even contenders for wool producing?  They sure are cute!

Thanks!


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## JoieDeViveRabbitry (Nov 5, 2009)

I just brought home a pair of Jersey Woolies two weeks ago 
 They certainly are cute, the issue would be that if you are really looking for fiber producing animals you would need alot of them to make a sweater!
 A good producing French Angora rabbit will yield enough fiber in a year to make a large adult sweater, and they are roughly 8 pounds and up. 
 A Jersey is MUCH smaller, 3 pounds. You would need about 3 of them to produce the wool that a French Angora produces in a year PLUS they do not molt naturally like French Angora do and must be shorn. 
 The same reasoning would apply to the fuzzy lops.
 There are people out there spinning JW and FL, but it's just not as common and you would need alot more of them to serve the same purpose.


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## Bunnylady (Dec 5, 2009)

Jersey Woolies and American Fuzzy Lops are _supposed_ to have the French Angora type of coat, with a fairly large proportion of guard hairs mixed in with the wool. Unfortunately, there are a lot of them with a very soft, cottony coat that mats up easily. The breed standards only require a coat about 2" long. For some reason, the ones with the "bad" coats are often the ones with the longer hair, too! 

Generally speaking, "good" Wooly and Fuzzy coats are a little short for spinning. While we are encouraged to have the wool as thick as possible, rabbits of these breeds are looked on as "pet" animals that happen to have wool, rather than as woolers that come in "pet" sizes. They really can't hold a candle to the "real" wool breeds, so at shows, they are only entered in "breed wool" classes. 

I've been a breeder of the little fuzzballs for many years. I have known a few Woolies that blow the whole coat at once, but most shed in stages, requiring several plucking sessions spaced over a few weeks to get the whole coat out. Some wind up with what looks like a pretty wacky poodle cut for a while, until the coat evens up!


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## JoieDeViveRabbitry (Dec 5, 2009)

Well yes, considering that the FA was used to make both the JW and the AFL, it should have FA type wool. But you are right, I too am seeing alot of JW's with a ton of cottony wool. As I said, you _could_ use it, but it's not going to be like wool from a full sized wool breed.
 My Jr. broken doe just molted, like you said, in stages. Took about two weeks. But her staple length on her back was nearly 4"! I couldn't believe it. 
 I have decided to keep their wool for needle felting. 

 We're also seeing FA's on the table with very cottony English type wool, complete lack of gaurd hair, etc.  
 Makes me wonder if the original FA's used to make the JW's had proper coats or not. You know?

 My pair is out of Celtic Hare. My buck is looking like he is going to be too large but I have turned down multiple offers for my doe, she has a perfect head on her. 
 I was talking to someone who has had JW's for a long time and they said it's all in the buck. Get yourself a great typey small buck and you're set. 
How do you feel about this? I am thinking of selling my black buck to look for a smaller better buck. He is still a Jr. but I am told he looks large.
 Sorry to Hijack the thread!!


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## Bunnylady (Dec 7, 2009)

JoieDeViveRabbitry said:
			
		

> We're also seeing FA's on the table with very cottony English type wool, complete lack of gaurd hair, etc.


Now that is just _wrong_! I mean, the coat of the FA is what really sets it apart! The only thing I could imagine that would be worse would be a Satin Angora with a cottony coat (could you imagine? It would mat up if you just looked at it funny!)

You say your buck looks like he's going to be too big, how is his type otherwise? Could he be a "false dwarf"? I believe I read somewhere that you once bred Mini Rex, so I assume you are familiar with the dwarfing gene. 

Maybe we ought to start a thread under "Breeds and Breeding" on JW's. I feel a little disrespectful to the OP rattling on off-topic like this. Sorry, foxish!


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