I'm not even sure there is much I need to say about this. Because photographs of a gigantic wooly rabbit are about all you need, really.
Since our farm fell through (for the time-being anyway) I decided that I wouldn't let that stand in the way of me having a wool-bearing animal. Sheep in town? I don't think so.
So instead I got a German angora rabbit.
He is sweet as honey and quite shy. (Though after three days now he's really warming up to us.) The dogs are fascinated (Olive in particular), so I'm keeping a close eye on her to say the least.
We built the hutch ourselves (no, we don't have plans). I pinned a few on my farm Pinterest board, and then we just picked features we liked and got to work. Rabbit hutches abound on Craigslist, but we decided that making one ourselves was a better homeschooling project. And it was! I think it's beautiful.
Angora rabbits produce a surprising amount of wool, which is removed weekly (or even daily) by brushing and also by shearing every three months. Our bunny was due for a shearing when he arrived, and we got to work yesterday. With scissors in hand, we hacked away at his beautiful coat.
And today? He's looking a bit rough-around-the-edges, but hopping happily around his mini-pasture and looking for scratches and snuggles from us all. And I have a bag full of the softest wool ever, ready to spin.
Now we just need a name for our furry new friend…
Wonderful! This may be a great option for us as we also cannot have sheep. Any advice on where to get this type of rabbit from a safe and humane place? xoxo
So sweet and fluffy! We had a bunch of rabbits growing up and are thinking of getting some for the kids. My husband jokes about eating them but I told him if we raise rabbits for meat I won’t be seeing them. 😛 The bunny looks like grey clouds on a stormy day, maybe something along those lines…
Squeal!!! That bunny is made out of rainbows and unicorn tails! Love him!
I decided to search around on nearby Craigslists (I use Craigslist Tempest to search many Craigslist regions at once) to find a person looking to re-home or a breeder who looked like they were doing it right. I found one site called hoobly that seems to be a rabbit specific ad site. And then I sent lots of emails. Lots and lots. 🙂 So fun! Spreading the rabbit love.
oh my! what a beautiful rabbit and hutch. he looks like a fluffy pillow. my son loves rabbits after seeing yours we may have to get one. at least it won’t eat the chickens we plan to get in the near future.
Oh my goodness those tufted ears!!! Snuggly bunny and delicious spinning fiber to boot, what a great deal!
Lovely!
Yay, bunnies! ♥
No way!! That is just…just…too awesome.
Next up, dwarf milking goats??
So adorable! We’re looking forward to when we get our rabbits (next year). Love the hutch. That is a great homeschool project! We’ve been thinking of names for our critters (baby chicks, etc) and the boys like plant names for our bunnies, like Clover, Juniper, etc. Your bunny looks like a Snuggaluffagus!
Wonderful! I have a Satin Angora who is the sweetest bunny I’ve ever had or met. Our bunny lives in the house and is litter box trained, which is much easier than training a cat to use the same. I would recommend neutering (unless you’re planning to breed). It makes boy bunnies much nicer pets (less amorous of human arms and legs) and both boys and girls live much, much longer (reproductive cancers are the prime killers of rabbits).
Are you taking suggestions for names?
Those ears are amazing!
Oh my love it!!
Good grief! What an addition to the household – how you avoid sitting out there playing with those ears endlessly is beyond me… I wonder how much wool he produces? I can just imagine a whole herd of them…..
I also had rabbits as a child. And while I have (and will again) raised chickens for meat, I just don’t think I could raise rabbits for food. They’re so darn snuggly. Meat birds? Not so much.
Yes indeed!
I think you recall how the last one worked out – that little bunny you gave to Pete and I. We had a special mop for him as I recall. (Perhaps I will neuter this one after all…)
Actually, Pete has his heart set on a mini cow.
Clover was my first choice for him when he came home (that and Arlo) but I was vetoed. I think because my children have friends named Clover, Lichen, Juniper, Evergreen, etc. makes them think that botanical names for pets are funny. Which I think is, well, funny. (Lupine met a girl named Chloe once and said “Well that’s a silly name!” Meaning: I only know children with hippie names.) 🙂
Do you spin his wool? I’ve wondered if satin angora was hard to spin because it is so silky. I was planning to breed him down the road with either a satin of french but I’m not 100% on that. I think I will wait until I’m sure. My plan is to bring him in and litterbox train him for winter. We had indoor and outdoor bunnies as a kid and they were so wonderful.
Yeah, I think I climb into the pen a dozen times a day – at least. Snuggle city. As for amount of wool, we filled a produce-sized plastic bag with the first shearing, and we were a little nervous so we didn’t cut it too short. They get sheared 4 times a year.
This is fantastic! I’ve wanted to get one of these for soo long now. But I can’t figure out how to keep them out side in the az heat. and keep them safe from our neighborhood bobcat.
Oh my goodness, such a sweet ball of fluff Rachel!
I think youd need to keep it inside because of the heat, though theyre supposed to make great house pets too!
So cute! I can’t wait to see your first project with his wool. Great job on the bunny hutch, too.
How about the German name Faxon? It means ‘long haired’ according to the website I visited.
We just got some Angora bunnies–a French and two English babies. I think you just pluck them…it’s so much fun, and our big guy seems to be naturally training himself. He only goes in one part of his run…
You’re right, that is funny!
I’ve harvested her wool every three months for all these (seven!) years, but I’m not a good enough spinner to spin it myself (it’s sooooo fine and silky) and I don’t want to waste any of it. I keep telling myself, “when I learn to spin better…” but that hasn’t happened. Now I’m thinking of sending it off to an expert. I’d like to have it blended with cria wool because the straight angora is far too warm.
Thistle! Or Dandelion?
Such a great idea. Seven years worth of wool! Wowza!
Dandelion is on the ever-growing-list-of-mamas-favorties-vetoed-by-Sage. But thistle. That’s sweet and can be.