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Of course, everyone will have already noticed that the German Angora is not really small or even a dwarf rabbit (what most people according to my experience believe when they hear the word “Angora rabbit”). Ziva, for example, weighs 3.2 kilograms, Abbs as a big girl 3.9 kilograms and Gibbs still significantly more. So you should bear in mind that these animals need a larger space and appreciate that too. The basic investment in time is equal to rabbits of other breeds.

The bad news first: You MUST shear your Angora at least every three months, but the good news, you need not to brush or comb it. A German Angora which was grown on the adequate wool quality has no or just little felt. There are a few small spots (between the ears) where they can felt but you will get this explained by your breeder. The hair of Angoras is growing continually, when it has reached a length of 6-8 cm, it needs to be cut. Otherwise, the animal can no longer master the wool and the -then overripe- wool begins to felt in the peaks. In addition, the animal will quickly heat under its long fur, it stops the food intake, diarrhea may result which would inevitably sooner or later lead to death of the animal. Shearing is not difficult if you are instructed and shown by a professional. It requires no shearing machine, even the work may be eased. A good barber scissors will do just fine. A pro will shear an Angora in 5-10 minutes, our first attempt in peace without cutting the animal somewhere lasted 45 minutes. This may sound much but you have to take this time just four times a year. Not often -I think- for an animal that you like very much and that so achieves a great effort. Collected it may be for really good animals up to 2000g of the finest wool per year and animal!

Because we keep our Angoras in wooden hutches outside like any other livestock rabbit, I can not say with certainty how the keeping of Angoras inside (e.g. in a flat) with commercially available cages can be realised. Our animals have boxes of about 120 cm length, 60 cm depth and 60 cm height. The boxes are divided into a straw compartment and a grid compartment. The rust causes no harm to the paws of the German Angoras because they are covered with wool as intensely as the rest of the rabbit. It is, however, the experience of other breeders that animals with long wool or especially in summer sit on it to cool themselves down. In the period after shearing, our Angoras just sit on straw so that they do not freeze, especially in winter. Straw with residues from heads of corn, awns, etc. should be avoided, as they wrap in the wool and lead to felt.

Feeding is really simple, much like the feeding of other rabbits. Enough hay of good quality and clean water should be continuously available. In addition, we always feed "wet food", such as mangolds, carrots, apples, broccoli, cucumber, melon and in summer, of course, grass from the meadow. For us also obligatory is the pelleted mixed provender. Angoras are high-performance animals and should also receive appropriate concentrated feed. "Affordable" pellets can be bought in any good fodder work, e.g. BayWa etc. However, we use a special advantage because there are German Angora breeders who have joined together and mix their own relatively cheap food and let it be pelleted. This contains additives that promote a healthy growth of wool (different amino acids) but are not included in other foods. So it is a little hint just to ask your trusted Angora breeder for it ...