How to Harvest that Rabbit
Hair
"Buddy (the lilac cream male I purchased from you earlier in the year)
is now
5 months old (AND VERY big). When I brush him, I get a lot
of hair and you
can see where some of his wool is getting on the side of the
cage but when I
gently tug it does not come out. How can I tell
when he is molting and can
you give me any tips on how to go about plucking
him. I'm a beginner and
any advice would be greatly
appreciated."
There are two sets of hair follicles that
grow hair alternately. The longer hairs will loosen and can be removed without
any discomfort to the rabbit. The shorter hairs want to stay attached for
awhile longer. These shorter hairs will be the LONG hairs next time
you harvest. If you do not remove the loosened hairs, they will matt
and/or shed. The rabbit will try to groom itself, but ingesting large
amounts of hair can cause your rabbit serious harm... this situation is
called "wool block" and is often the cause of unexplained deaths.
Seeing wool on the wire of the cage is a sign that the longer hairs are
loose and ready to be harvested either by plucking or brushing.
The prime parts of the bunny fleece are on the
sides and back. This wool usually grows longer and is more lustrous.
The bib, the belly and around the tail tend to get more wear and tear and are a
bit shorter and more cottony, with less luster, tending to matt.
Your customers will thank you for separating out these two grades of bunnywool
and pricing them accordingly.
This broken blue doe will be our model.
Here she is in full fleece
Blow into the coat
so you can find a place to start.
Take ahold of a
small amount of hair with your left thumb and forefinger (holding it by the
tip)and pull to the left.
Using your right
thumb and forefinger, "pluck" the bundle at about midway down the length
of the hair shafts and pull gently in the opposite direction.
This plucking action
is what separates the shedding hair from the hair that should remain on the
rabbit. You will notice that I use my arms to steady the rabbit as I pluck
down the center of the back.. Normally, I pluck the offside ... then
turn the rabbit to do the other side (this gives me better control over the
rabbit).
when
you have a handful of wool, place it in a paper sack as you work. Keep a trash
bag handy as well for any parts that are not prime (ie matted , brittle
or soiled ). Tip: avoid plastic bags or containers during grooming,
static can be a problem.
Here is the bunny
with the prime wool removed. I usually take a scissors to the bib area if necessary
(you can save for felting, or save in a ziplock bag with the does
name on it for nestbuilding material later). Over zealous plucking (by yourself
or the rabbit itself ) can leave unsightly bald spots... but it will grow back,
so don't worry.
A note on the junior
harvest: The very first harvest of angora will include bits of
the birth coat. If you look closely you will see tiny "pills" on the tips of the
coat. You should remove these by hand or by brushing prior to
harvest. This will only be necessary with the first harvest.
Even though good angora rabbit feeds will have
Papaya Enzyme in their formula, I often keep Papaya Enzyme tablets (available
and inexpensive at Walmart) to feed as a treat whenever hair-ingestion
is likely (grooming, kindling). They are tasty and the rabbits will eagerly take
them right out of your fingers (try one, they're good!). Papaya Enzyme is
thought to help digest protein.
ATTENTION: If you have prime bunnywool (off sides and
back) that you would like to sell back to me, please contact me at
hmffarm@fidnet.com I am
needing more than I can produce lately and will pay $4/oz for it. Must be
plucked, not sheared and without dandruff, vegetation or
manure.
FOR SALE - 2006 bunnies with
5 generation pedigrees
Litter out of Erminea
(ermine) & Black Hole (black)
males: black, black, broken black $30 each
Litter out of
Marionberry (blk tort) and Nottingham
(black)
males: black $30
females: black, black, tort $40
each
Litter out of Broken
Dreams (brk blue) & Nottingham (black)
males: chocolate $30
females: broken chocolate, black $40
each
Litter out of Hucklebunny (chocolate) &
Marmaduke(blue tort)
males: tort, chocolate $30
each
females: chocolate, chocolate $40
each
Bargain
Woolers: I usually have a few bargain bunnies.
Retired does and bucks, bunnies with dropped ears... and will sell these for $10
each. These are not recommended for show or breeding, just as woolers. No
pedigree given. If interested contact me at hmffarm@fidnet.com
Abbysinian Cavies
Each one cuter than the next! $15 each Three
litters. Great pets for kids...never bite
for more information or photos contact hmffarm@fidnet.com A 50%
deposit will hold your choices.