What Are Wool Breeds of Rabbits?

Many yarns use rabbit fur to give the fiber a soft, fluffy feel. Some rabbits have short fur that is unsuitable for wool, but several breeds grow long fur. Each hair grows to a length of several inches and then stops growing. Breeders harvest the fur every 90 to 100 days, which is when the fur has grown long but has not yet stopped growing.

  1. English Angora Rabbits

    • The English Angora has a thick, dense coat that supports the long hair of the fur. This is the only Angora breed that has facial fur. The wool grows so long that, without care, the fur covers the rabbit's eyes. An adult English Angora may weigh up to 7 pounds.

    French Angora Rabbits

    • French Angora rabbits have a dense undercoat that is 2 inches long. In addition to the undercoat, the rabbit also produces long, guard hairs that stick out of the fur and reach a length of 4 inches. The French Angora has short fur around the face, ears and front paws. Its short ears barely clear the fur on the animal. A full-grown adult French Angora weighs about 10 pounds.

    Jersey Wooly Rabbits

    • Called Dwarf Angora in Europe, these tiny fur-producers live well in compact places. Like the French Angora, Wooly Jerseys have extensive guard hairs in their coats. These longer, thicker hairs protect the undercoat and prevent matting. However, according to the Ohio Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club, the rabbit swallows these long hairs when self-grooming. This causes wool block, a condition similar to hairballs in cats. The tiny Jersey Wooly rabbit only grows to 3 to 3 1/2 pounds.

    Giant Angora Rabbits

    • The Giant Angora rabbit provides fur for commercial rabbit wool production. The rabbit has ears up to 6 inches long with long hair on the outside. Its face and front paws have short hair. Giant Angoras grow to between 10 and 12 pounds. The fur is up to 4 inches long and has a soft wave. Because the feet of Giant Angoras are tender, these rabbits should not live in hutches with mesh floors. Instead, many wool producers raise the rabbits in concrete hutches with straw on the floor.