The following information on care and feeding of French Angora rabbits is for those who are just getting started with this wonderful hobby. I have listed some considerations and information for basic care and described the methods I use with my herd. This is my personal opinion based on 20 + years of experience with rabbits of all breeds. There is a wealth of information on these topics on the web and I encourage you read as much as you can about rabbit care and talk to other breeders until you have developed your own comfort level with raising your animals.. There are a lot of ways to raise rabbits and others have different yet effective ways of raising their rabbits as well. I am not a veternarian so therefore if you are unsure of a topic related to rabbit health or care please check with your veternarian as I do not attempt to prescribe or take the place of professional veterinary advise.

Housing/Ventilation:

I keep my rabbits in an enclosed rabbitry. It has side panels that can be removed in the summer and re attached during the winter. It also has door at both end openings that can be left open or closed depending on weather conditions/temperature. My rabbitry can accommodate 18 cages. My cages are 30 x 30 x 18 with waste pans to collect urine and feces. (The pans keep the floor of the rabbitry clean and cuts down on flies in the summer but they are more labor intensive to keep clean). The aforementioned square footage of the cage is needed due to the size of the adult French Angoras but you can use cages with other dimensions as long as you get about that square footage. In the summer when the temperature is over 75-80 degrees I use a fan to keep air moving in the rabbitry but I do not let it blow air directly on the rabbits. It is very important that the rabbit have shade from the sun or they can overheat very quickly. Exposure to direct sun can also fade the coats of colored rabbits. Rabbits can tolerate cold temperatures better than heat. Click to see a photo of Lilac Haven . If anyone is interested in specs for the building please email me. My husband custom designed and built this rabbitry to my specifications. It has electric.

Sanitation:

In my opinion the most important aspect of raising rabbits (other than adequate housing and clean water) is sanitation. I can't emphasize this enough. Keep those rabbits and their cages clean! I empty their waste trays weekly to minimize odor and keep the rabbits feet and rear out of their waste. Most rabbits will defecate in one corner of their cage and a pile will accumulate in that corner. They will then tend to sit in it and get themselves dirty if you don't keep the pans empty. After I empty my trays I rinse the trays with water in the summer and spray them with Vanodine disinfectant. In the winter I just use the Vanodine and only spray with water if their temperature is above freezing. I used a wire brush to clean the floor of the cages and get any accumulation of wool off of the cage. I clean their food bowls and water bottles on a regular basis with hot water and bleach. Rinse well after using bleach or the rabbit may later reject the food and water due to the smell.

Water:

Rabbits need fresh water on a daily basis. Rabbits can be without food for a couple days. They can not survive without daily clean fresh water. I use 64 ounce water bottles and they will provide water for the rabbit for day or two depending on how hot it is. The bottles keep the water clean and the rabbits can't eliminate in them like they do in a bowl. Unfortunately in the winter I have to switch to bowls because if the water freezes in the bottle, the bottle will break. I usually have the bowl in their pens from December through March. This requires a morning and an evening check on the rabbitry to be sure that the rabbits have access to open water. Ice does not count as fresh water.

Feeding:

Pellets:

I feed Manna Pro Pro formula. I used Manna Pro for a number of years but have not found it to be better or worse than any other brand. It's what our feed store carries and is a good product. Any good quality brand of pellets is fine. I have not found that the difference in the amount of protein from one formula to the other makes much of a different in coats or flesh. I do however notice a difference in the odor of their urine with the Manna Pro Pro. It cuts the smell-it I'm told by our feed mill that it has an odor block.

Daily:

For youngsters up to 8 months old I feed a cup of pellets a day. After that I cut them back to 1/2 cup a day. Every day they get a big hand full of hay. Hay is important because it aids in keeping their digestive track clear. Once a week I pick up some collard greens or kale at the store and each rabbit over three months of age gets a big leaf. I don't feed greens to my babies as I am afraid it will give them diarrhea. Don't over feed pellets. It can cause wool block. The rabbits will act like they are starving when you only give them 1/2 cup of pellets per day. Believe me they are not. They can have as much hay as they will eat. You can tell if they are wasting hay if it has accululated in the drop tray at the end of the week. Hay needs to be fresh and kept dry and free of mold and pests. I keep mine in a big plastic trash can with a lid.

Wool Block:

Here's is a link to a web site that explains wool block and how to treat. I have effectively used this method of treatment. It has excellent detail and is written by a vet. Forget all the potions and supplements for wool block. This works. It relies on the feeding of nothing but greens until the rabbit passes the blockage. It is probably less stressful to the rabbit who who is not likely to want to eat the other remedies anyway. A rabbit who has wool block generally will not eat or drink. It can waste away to nothing and dehydrate in a short period of time. Rabbits with wool block will eagerly eat greens and clear on their own in a week or two depending on the severity of the block. Greens also help to get them hydrated again.

Know Your Animals:

I do a visual inspection of my animals daily. My French Angoras all come to the door of the cage when I come out to the rabbitry. They are very tame and friendly. I check to make sure they look healthy (look at their face for runny noses, watery eyes etc.) and also make sure they have cleaned up their food from the last feeding and are eating properly. If a rabbit is off feed for more than two consecutive days suspect a problem and start trying to find out what it is. If your rabbit that normally seems chipper and friendly is hunkered in ther corner of its cage suspect a problem. Any behavior out of the norm to me warrents keeping an eye on the animal. I handle each of my rabbits at a minimum of once a week. This may just be me sitting in a chair petting them or grooming or clipping toe nails but physically getting them out of their cages for some one on one interaction. This makes it a lot easier too when it comes time to clip wool which I will discuss in the next section.

Grooming and Care of Wool Coats:

Click here to link to a site that I think has the most thorough explaination available of grooming French Angoras and clipping wool. Be sure to take the time to research what you are doing before you begin this process. You want to avoid at all costs cutting the delicate skin on the rabbit. I tend to sacrifice length of wool so as not to cut the rabbit. Remember they feel pain too.