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Yorkiemom1 · 11-03-2014, 02:13 PM

I spoke with my aunt. These rabbits NATURALLY molt about every 60-90 days....the fur/fiber is easily collected by combing the rabbits with pin brushes....they also can just pluck the fur from the back and chest (bib) and stomach...it comes out very easily, as it is being molted by the rabbit naturally. The soft fur on the legs is clipped/sheared with clippers. Also, pregnant rabbits will line their nesting boxes with this fabulous fur as they pluck it themselves. These rabbits require frequent combing/grooming, as they can have real problems with hairballs, like long haired cats....the rabbits can not vomit the hairballs up and will starve to death as they become sicker and sicker. These rabbits require a lot of grooming, brushing every 4-5 days, between the moltings.

She did mention that the PETA film showing the harvesting of fibre was cirrculated worldwide, and the unfortunate thing about that film was the fact that there are hundreds of Angora farmers that are ethical and did suffer some minor damage from the film, but thankfully, not much. Not all Angora wool is harvested as shown in that PETA film...especially rabbits in Europe, the British Isles, Canada and USA....to harvest the fur like shown in the film, would damage the fibre as well as the rabbit, which would then not produce the fine, soft fur needed for these farmers to make a living, which is why this breed of rabbit is raised. There are SOME places in China that may harvest the fur as depicted in the film, but the majority of Angora farmers all over Europe, England, and the USA, do NOT harvest their product in that manner. Fortunately, the demand for this wonderfully soft fur has remained high and decreased demands have not been a hardship for many hundreds of ethical farmers outside of factories in China that have never practiced the inhumane harvesting of the soft fur. It is very expensive to get the rabbits to the age when they produce the best fur, the right length, the premium quality that is demanded by the people that buy the fiber from the farmers...these farmers will not harvest the fur in a method that is going to damage the fiber or the rabbit!

I KNEW my aunt did not savage her rabbits to get that fine fur!! Great to know majority of the farmers do not do so either!

11-03-2014, 02:13 PM	#10
Yorkiemom1 Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 9,462	I spoke with my aunt. These rabbits NATURALLY molt about every 60-90 days....the fur/fiber is easily collected by combing the rabbits with pin brushes....they also can just pluck the fur from the back and chest (bib) and stomach...it comes out very easily, as it is being molted by the rabbit naturally. The soft fur on the legs is clipped/sheared with clippers. Also, pregnant rabbits will line their nesting boxes with this fabulous fur as they pluck it themselves. These rabbits require frequent combing/grooming, as they can have real problems with hairballs, like long haired cats....the rabbits can not vomit the hairballs up and will starve to death as they become sicker and sicker. These rabbits require a lot of grooming, brushing every 4-5 days, between the moltings. She did mention that the PETA film showing the harvesting of fibre was cirrculated worldwide, and the unfortunate thing about that film was the fact that there are hundreds of Angora farmers that are ethical and did suffer some minor damage from the film, but thankfully, not much. Not all Angora wool is harvested as shown in that PETA film...especially rabbits in Europe, the British Isles, Canada and USA....to harvest the fur like shown in the film, would damage the fibre as well as the rabbit, which would then not produce the fine, soft fur needed for these farmers to make a living, which is why this breed of rabbit is raised. There are SOME places in China that may harvest the fur as depicted in the film, but the majority of Angora farmers all over Europe, England, and the USA, do NOT harvest their product in that manner. Fortunately, the demand for this wonderfully soft fur has remained high and decreased demands have not been a hardship for many hundreds of ethical farmers outside of factories in China that have never practiced the inhumane harvesting of the soft fur. It is very expensive to get the rabbits to the age when they produce the best fur, the right length, the premium quality that is demanded by the people that buy the fiber from the farmers...these farmers will not harvest the fur in a method that is going to damage the fiber or the rabbit! I KNEW my aunt did not savage her rabbits to get that fine fur!! Great to know majority of the farmers do not do so either! Last edited by Yorkiemom1; 11-03-2014 at 02:16 PM.