Angora rabbits are lovable, loyal and docile pets with the potential to pay their own room and board by producing high-value fiber. Unless you happen to be a hand spinner yourself, you’ll need to find angora rabbit wool buyers. Fortunately, with increased interest in hand spinning, ethically raised angora is in high demand.
How to Sell Your Angora Fiber
Connecting with potential buyers can be a bit of a challenge for a small scale producer with only a few rabbits, or maybe just one particularly fluffy well loved pet. At the time of this writing, there are nearly 2,500 listings for angora fiber on Etsy.
How can you stand out and get buyers to take notice with so many producers? Know your product.
Buyers want to know that you’re a reputable seller producing a high-quality product. By providing key information about your product, you can inspire confidence in your market and give yourself a step up. What characteristics are important to mention?
Breeds of Angora Rabbit
There are 4 main breeds of Angora rabbits (English, French, Giant, and Satin) and each has it’s own unique fiber characteristics.
English Angora tends to be fine and cottony, meaning that it’s extra soft but mats very easily. They have a lower proportion of guard “hairs”, which means more wool fiber per ounce for a softer finish.
French Angora is silky smooth and has less matting tendency, but its texture also makes it slightly more difficult to spin. They have extra guard hairs, which tend to have the most intense pigment for a more striking natural colored wool. They have a separate wooly undercoat which creates the best halo effect in your finished yarn.
Satin Angora is one of the most sought-after types. It has the most luster and sheen, and it’s the easiest to spin. These rabbits are rarer, largely because they only produce a small amount of wool each year (8oz compared to 12-16 for English and French, and 16-32 for Giants).
Giant Angoras produce the most wool per year, allowing you to sell in larger lots for “single source” garments that have a consistent look.
Carded or Raw Angora Fiber
Raw angora fiber tends to matt quickly in storage and may need to be carded before it can be spun. If you’ve gone through the extra effort of carding your fiber into batts before selling (combing with a special set of wool brushes) fiber prices can increase dramatically. Carding is a time-consuming process, and require expensive specialized equipment (Angora hand cards sell for around $100 a set), but it shows your potential buyers that your product is clean and tangle free, which is not always the case in bulk bagged angora.
For carding angora wool, you’re going to want very fine cards. Choose one labeled for use with very fine, short fibers, like cotton. Ideally, you’re shooting for 200 pins per inch. These carders with are what we’ve used.
Sheared or Plucked Fiber
Angora fiber can be either sheared or hand plucked to harvest. Hand “plucking” does not involve a blade, but rather encourages the natural shedding process that the rabbits undergo every 3 months. Hand plucked wool is more desirable because it does not have a blunt end where it has been cut and retains it’s natural texture at each end making it much easier to spin. Plucking is a very time-consuming process as compared to shearing.
Angora Fiber Staple Length
The staple length is the average length of the fibers. Longer fibers are easier to spin, and generally more useful for spinning. To be “premium quality” the angora fiber must be at least 6 cm long, though it is often much longer when plucked from a mature rabbit.
Angora Wool Grading
Offering several grades of Angora tells your buyers that you’ve given extra effort to sort out the best product for those who want it, while still having less expensive options available to market your less desirable crop. Premium angora fiber is over 6cm, free of debris or tangles. This fiber is taken from the back and upper sides of the rabbit.
Second quality wool is taken from the sides and neck of the animal, and the shorter staple length means it’s worth slightly less. It’s still clean and free of debris or matted portions. Low-quality fur is matted, very short from the undersides and tail region and potentially soiled. It has very low sale value, but can still be sold in bulk for felting, pillow stuffing, or for giving to birds as nesting material.
Personalizing Your Angora’s Fiber
Going through the extra effort of hand spinning fiber requires dedication and passion. If you’re willing to invest the time and energy into creating a quality product, it’s likely you’d appreciate the ability to connect with its source. Always when possible identify your animal by name when selling the fiber.
Wool from “Fluffy McFluffin’ Stuff” sounds a lot more personal and inviting than “White Angora Fiber” on a label. Also be sure to emphasize how your particular animal was raised, and why you absolutely love raising angoras. Do they get lots of fresh greens, access to a play yard, etc. The buyer is choosing to go through a small scale marketplace, and the best way to get their attention is to make it personal. Though it’s not necessarily evident in the wool, buyers want to know that the animal lived a good and happy life.
Choosing a Market
There are a number of ways to market your product to spinners. If you’re a larger producer, a farmers market or fiber festival might be the right way to get in front of potential buyers. If you’re just raising a few pet angoras, however, setting up a table at an event is hardly worth the effort. In that case, you still have a number of options:
Online Craft Markets
While selling online at a retailer such as Etsy may be the simplest outlet to start with for a small producer, it also has the most competition. Buyers have thousands of options to sort through, and for simplicities sake, they’re likely to re-buy from vendors they’ve been happy with in the past. Until you make a few sales and develop a customer base, it’s hard to be successful selling in such a flooded marketplace.
Wholesale to Local Yarn Shops
Look around your local area. With the recent surge in popularity of both knitting and hand spinning as more people try to resurrect lost skills from the past, these shops are becoming more popular across the country. Though I live in a small town in a rural area, there are 3 different yarn and fiber art shops within 20-minute drive of my home.
Prepare ahead of time by packaging your product attractively and writing up a short note about your farm and product, highlighting what makes your angora special. Leave them with a sample, and if they’re willing, set up a time to follow up to discuss selling your fiber in their store.
Networking
While initially, this may be that hardest to establish, selling by networking is likely to be the most profitable in the long run. Ask friends if they know anyone that’s a hand spinner. Post on local affinity boards, spinning groups, 4H sites, historical reenactment groups and town newsletters. If you can find your own customers through friends or a mutual connection, they’re more likely to both pay a good price for a local product, and because of the personal relationship, they’re likely to keep coming back so long as they’re satisfied with the quality.
Angora Rabbit Fiber Prices
As with most homemade craft products, angora rabbit fiber prices vary based on the quality. High-grade angora fiber that’s clean, hand plucked and has a long staple length can sell for nearly $20 per once. That’s assuming it’s packaged attractively and marketed to appeal to a consumer seeking top quality. Be sure to talk up the treatment of your rabbits, and personalize the product as much as possible.
Pre-carding angora fiber with these angora hand cards will ensure the fibers are lined up and ready to spin, which will raise the value of the fiber. If the fiber is matted, card it to remove as many tangles as possible. Carding also helps to clean out any shavings, hay or debris that will lower the angora rabbit fiber price.
Low-grade fiber that has been cut with scissors or has a shorter staple length can still be sold to cover the costs of raising the rabbits. Felted hats, bags and other accessories are made with low-grade fiber. If you cannot find an outlet for your low-grade fiber, consider selling it in bulk to a felter or taking up felt craft yourself.
LeAnn Hall
Ashley,
I’ve raised rabbits for years and the information you’ve provided in this post is the best I’ve seen for marketing their fiber. Thank you for writing. It’s a pleasure to read and learn from you.
Ashley Adamant
Thank you LeAnn! With our 5 rabbits producing fiber we had a lot of opportunity (and motivation) to learn.
ROBYN
Hello Ashley, I don’t know where in the world you reside but I am very interested in purchasing if possible some of your angora rabbit fur. I will leave you with my email address. Robyn Australia.
Ashley Adamant
Hi Robyn, We don’t have any rabbit fur for sale at the moment, we’re now working on converting it into fun felted hat projects with the kids.
ginger perry
I have just started selling fiber from English angoras, i have white, harliquin, giant, b
if interested if Ashley doesnt mind, just a small selling market to earn extra monies. my email is 3macg5@gmail.com Ginger
Ashley Adamant
Good luck Ginger! I hope you get some good leads from here =)
Kathleen Massey
I am wondering how you “pluck” your rabbit. I have seen and heard horrific takes of cruelty and inhumane treatment.
Ashley Adamant
I know, I’ve seen those videos too, and as a rabbit owner, I couldn’t believe how horrible it was for those poor bunnies. There is absolutely no reason to traumatize a bunny with cruel treatment, and if done properly, the bunnies really love being plucked. It’s like petting them, and they’ll actually snuggle up on your lap and nuzzle you for more.
Here’s a video of a woman spinning angora yarn directly off the back of an angora rabbit. It’s calmly sitting in her lap, and the hair naturally sheds, she’s just encouraging it along:
This video also shows closeups of the process:
It’s like combing a cat, a very fluffy cat that’s been bred to shed like crazy.
Louise Villeneuve
Kathleen it doesn’t hurt the bunny. The new coat is already coming through so you are just removing the old wool. Bunnies love it. When done they hop around happy to be free of the heavy coat. It’s like brushing the winter coat from the dog. Rather than using a brush though you pull it off. Thanks for your concern. Our buns are our babies we wouldn’t hurt them. Louise
Sylvia J Perry
There is nothing cruel about it the rabbits need to have this hair blocked it is already out of the skin and needs to be taken off or the rabbits will die from heat exhaustion it does not hurt the rabbits at all it is necessary for them to survive
Stephanie Lane
Hi Ashley,
Is the fur from brushing the rabbit the same as carded fur? I have been collecting my angoras fur for 3 years. I have plucked some, cut more and brushed some. I think I will get the carders and card the fur but do I need to card the brushed fur?
Really great article. Thank you,
Ashley Adamant
It really depends on how it will be used, because strictly speaking angora doesn’t have to be carded. Some people spin right off the rabbit, others just use the fiber for felting. Carded fiber lines all the individual fibers up in the same direction, detangles them and prepares them for spinning. With a very clean rabbit, I can pluck fiber and lay the fibers out straight without carding if I’m very careful and that doesn’t require carding before spinning. That said, it’s not the same as carded fiber, it’s loose and fluffy rather than a sheet of aligned fiber that you’ll get with a carder. Brushing usually won’t come anywhere near carded fiber, so I would say yes, you need to card the brushed fiber too. But, card the other stuff first and compare it to the brushed fiber so you can see the difference.
Ghulam Mustafa
I am pleased to acknowledge your efforts by putting up very good and informative literature. I enjoy your articles.
I am basically a Chemical Engineer and recently retired from service and free to study your articles and found that Breeding Angore on Farm Scale is a very very beneficial Business.
So i have started to put up a Farm on Commercial scale and working to prepare a Feasibility Report but unfortunately i could not get Contact No. of any potential Buyers of Angora Rabbit Raw Wool and its Price.
I shall be very grateful if u can give me the Contact No. of few Angora Rabbit wool Buyers enabling me to prefare a Feasibilit report and Start my Farm please.
With Best Regards
Ghulam Mustafa
Ashley Adamant
Hi Ghulam, I don’t have any buyers to suggest, but I do wish you the best of luck. If anyone else has information, they can leave it as a reply to this comment and you’ll get an email notification. Best wishes.
ginger perry
Ashley, I am just starting a small business of Angora (english) fiber, my daughter breeds them and I am learning to ppluck them and sell the fiber. I haven’t been carding them, don’t know too much about that yet, but have had a couple of people buy it without carding it. I make sure it is clean and the prime measures about 6 to 7 inches and then I put the seconds in a separate bag and sell for less amount. If you could please help me along, I am 72 and need something to do, this relaxes me and I enjoy and love the bunnies.
Ashley Adamant
If you harvest it very clean and the rabbits are groomed really regularly so the fiber is tangle free, you don’t have to card the fiber before using it. That’s one of the really nice things about angora. Good luck with your business!
Kelley Booker-Shelton
Another great article!! Thank you so much for adding the video! I will try this pulling method
Anna
What is the best kind of hutch for keeping rabbits safe and clean? We are just starting with the planning process for raising rabbits on the small scale and I am looking for help. I’d love to hear suggestions. I’m excited to get started with rabbits.
Ashley Adamant
By far, the best hutches/cages we ever used were from KW cages. They’re really durable, and as all the others fell apart or rusted, these stayed in near perfect condition. Easy to clean, and we used the biggest ones they make to give the little guys more space.
When we finally re-homed our last rabbits, we were able to sell these for 80% of what we paid for them originally (even after around 7 years of use…) https://www.kwcages.com/cages/stacking.html
Barbara Murphy
What a great page! I spin and knit, am getting older now so looking for small animals to keep. Your information is just the best and the videos are really excellent. Thank you. I shall look into suitable housing for the rabbits and see what breeds I can get in Australia. As wild rabbits are recognised as a pest species, I will be contacting the Dept. of Primary Industries for the regulations on pet rabbits. Also, we have imported viruses which are carried by the wild rabbits, trying to keep the numbers down as they can decimate our cropping country. I believe there are vaccines against these viruses for pets. All very interesting and I am excited at the prospect of these gorgeous animals joining my small farm.
Ashley Adamant
Good luck Barbara! If you are able to get one in Australia, let me know how it goes.
Shane
Wonder if Australia should offer a bounty or encourage hunting more? So many could benefit from rabbit meat.
Jennifer Anderson
Hi, just wanted to say that the information on this website was AMAZING!! I had a question of just, who will buy my wool? I have heard small yarn businesses may be interested, and that online (specifically Etsy) is the best place to sell my wool. So now that I know what the best types of wool are, and how to have the best possible quality, where should I market my wool, and who is interested in buying my wool?