angora plucking help?

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This topic has 4sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 11 months ago by LBJ10.

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- 04/10/2013 at 6:32 PM
  countrybunny
  Participant
  5 posts
  I have a 14 month old French Angora and I’m terrified that I’m plucking him wrong. First, he HATES being plucked. I’ve read that Angoras eventually calm down or even enjoy the attention, but I’m in the process of his fourth harvest and he’s still freaked out as ever. (Though right now, about an hour after plucking, he’s clicking contently and flopping at my feet–guess he doesn’t hold a grudge!)
  
  Second, and maybe related, I feel like I struggle quite a bit to remove his coat. In online videos the buns look like ragdolls and their owners can pluck them neatly in big yanks. To get any fiber at all from my bun I have to pull his skin about an inch away from his muscle. I pluck as lightly as possible and cover only small patches at a time, but this ends up taking forever and prolongs his misery. I don’t know what else to do, though, since he completely flips out when I try to move faster.
  
  Is this normal? I don’t think I’m plucking too early–he’s usually felting by the time I harvest and his fiber comes out smoothly and feels like it’s released. I worried I was plucking too early because his fiber kind of feels caught in the sheer density of his undergrowth (usually 2-3 inches at harvest), but this time I tried plucking him several times before he seemed ripe and it was even harder than usual.
  
  Anyway, I’m stumped, and any insight from fellow Angora keepers would be greatly appreciated. I’m attaching a picture of him half-plucked during his last harvest so you can get an idea of the length. Thanks in advance!
- 04/10/2013 at 8:00 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Country Bunny, I’m no expert, don’t even have an angora but i did study them at length because I work extensively with fibres and would have loved to have raised them for myself. The one thing that struck me, and it maybe that you just didn’t make it clear, are you keeping the hair groomed and detangled in between pluckings? Because I believe that is key to a gentle easy plucking. Daily combing is one of the things that put me off keeping them, its essential and I know myself, I’m not that consistent. I brushed my dwarf rabbit most days, and will go back to doing that with my new ones, but it wasn’t essential (except for a few days a year) and I know I wouldn’t be that good over the long term.
  
  If you aren’t keeping him for his hair you may want to consider keeping him clipped, that would let you skip this, and unless you are selling or spinning the hair it might be the simplest and happiest solution for both of you.
  
  Best of luck!
- 04/10/2013 at 8:43 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17228 posts
  I have a Jersey wooly. I don’t pluck him, although I have seen it done with angoras. I will brush him with a hairbuster comb and the loose fur comes off. I could certainly keep it if I knew how to spin yarn. LOL Grey Dove has a point about the daily grooming. If you don’t do it regularly, then their hair becomes tangled quite quickly. I guess Jersey woolies aren’t as bad about that because they have these long guard hairs. One of the breeds of angora doesn’t have guard hairs, but I can’t remember which one.
- 04/10/2013 at 8:50 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  LBJ what is jersey wooly? I’ve never heard of them!
  
  Ever tried felting the fibre? That’s simpler then spinning and can be a lot of fun!
  
  Do you knit or weave? Maybe we should talk.
- 04/10/2013 at 9:09 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17228 posts
  They are a dwarf breed that originated when someone crossed Netherland dwarf bunnies with angora bunnies. According the the wiki page, the original breeder was from New Jersey so that’s why it’s Jersey wooly.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Wooly
  
  I don’t knit or weave. I thought about figuring out how to knit again, but have yet to sit down to do so. I don’t know how to spin yarn, so I’m not sure how well that would work out anyway. LOL I have never tried felting.
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