Welcome to Blue Ridge Angoras. We're a new small family rabbitry that love and plan to breed purebred German Angora Rabbits. On this blog you will find our life with rabbits from the very beginning as we search for them, through our daily adventures, from learning to spin and felt the fiber, to finding the babies new homes. Join us for the love of Fur and Fiber!!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

7 Reasons to Raise Rabbits

I'm still a bit surprised by how hard it was to find a German Angora breeder in the southeastern United States. There certainly seems to be a hole in this part of the country and I hope to be able to fill that some. There are many good reasons to raise rabbits...let me share some of them with you :o)

1) If you are a spinner you probably already know and understand how great the fiber is from Angora rabbits. The white fur of the German Angora is great for dying any color in the rainbow. There are other types of Angoras that come in natural colors as well.

2) Rabbits are great pets to have inside the home, which makes them just as easy to keep in the city as in the country. The cages should be cleaned out every other day, but other than that rabbits are not an overly smelly animal or very expensive one to keep. Many people even train their rabbits to use a litter box just like a cat and then the rabbit can have free run of the house or apartment.

3) Rabbits are quiet pets. You'll hear some jumping around the cage, and some bumping of the water bottle...but you won't hear barking all night, or cats meowing in your ears, or birds screeching with the morning light when all you want is some peace and quiet. Again another plus for people who live in the city ;)

4) Rabbits are an excellent way for children to get involved with groups such as 4H without having to get involved in larger, more expensive, and more time consuming animals. It can very much become a great social outlet with a purpose.

5) Breeding rabbits can become a helpful source of extra funds for a family. I don't know anyone who has or is going to become rich with rabbits, but every little bit helps. There are rabbits who are raised for meat, either for the families use or for sale to the public. There is the "pet" business that deals with pet stores etc. The droppings from rabbits make great material for people who raise worms and worm farmers will pay for what many owners clean out of the bottom of the cages. Other rabbits are raised for show: they are raised and entered into competitions etc where winnings may be earned. And finally there are rabbits who are raised for Fiber, for their wool, such as the German Angora.

6) Rabbits have very few extra costs. There are no yearly vet visits, no shots, no heartworm medicines, no flea and tick meds. etc. Rabbit feed if fairly inexpensive ($16 for 50 pounds at our farm store for the good stuff)

7) Rabbits have great personalities and can become cuddly lovable parts of the family :o) Their cute wriggly noses and twitchy ears can brighten any persons day!!

Rabbits make a great addition to many homes...ours certainly wouldn't be the same without a BinBin to love!

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