The newest additions to the family

**madhen** · 01-23-2009, 01:32 AM

They are only 4 weeks old right now, but will be ready to come home with me in another month. Both are does, English Angoras. I am getting them as fiber bunnies. When they are about 8 months old, they will start producing angora fiber, 10-12 ounces every 3-4 months.

**wanderlusting** · 01-23-2009, 04:29 AM

awww

very cute!

**joyofsix** · 01-23-2009, 01:10 PM

I wondered when you said you were getting bunnies. I'm glad all you'll do is snatch them bald, LOL

**KimmieSC** · 01-23-2009, 01:14 PM

Awww - Total cuteness!

Congrats on your new babies - They are so adorable!

**IntlMom** · 01-23-2009, 01:16 PM

wow! they are cute....and you are one seriously busy lady!

**pinetree** · 01-23-2009, 01:46 PM

They are adorable!

**madhen** · 01-23-2009, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by joyofsix

I wondered when you said you were getting bunnies. I'm glad all you'll do is snatch them bald, LOL

Yes, although I once OWNED a bunny named Stew, I would not consider doing more than robbing them of some of the wool they are getting rid of anyway.

**madhen** · 01-23-2009, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by IntlMom

wow! they are cute....and you are one seriously busy lady!

I figured, hey, I still have a bit of my sanity left, so I must not be doing enough.

I am hoping, when I retire, to be experienced enough in the upkeep of the bunnies and the finches to think about breeding them selectively as a hobby and for a small income. I don't want to retire, and THEN have to spend years learning what I'm doing! I have had the goats for about four years now, and I still feel like a novice with them. And I have had birds for about fifteen years, and still didn't recognize an obvious problem with one of my finches until I took her to the vet and had it pointed out to me. (Basically, I was concerned because she was on the bottom of her cage, I treated her for egg-binding for several days, and when I finally took her in to the vet, it turns out that she had somehow lost several of her primaries and was on the bottom of the cage because she just doesn't have enough lift without them to fly! She is now in a separate cage until the new ones moult back in. Had I done a simple physical exam of her, I would have seen the missing primaries.)

So while it is definitely going to keep me busy right now, I am hoping that I can keep up with it and get better at it, so when I retire in ten years, and suddenly have a LOT of time on my hands, I can enjoy my hobby with less of the heartache that comes when you first get an animal and don't really know what you are doing yet. I try not to lose too many to just being a stupid human, but some things you just can't be prepared for unless they've happened to you once.

**tbs727** · 01-23-2009, 02:40 PM

Oh my gosh, those are the cutest things!

**madhen** · 01-23-2009, 02:48 PM

They are called REW's, which stands for ruby-eyed whites. They are actually a preferred rabbit for spinning, as the wool is white, so can be dyed any colour. I'm being offered a chocolate male, as well, for free, who has a leg issue, and would have to be neutered, but I haven't decided on him yet, and I'd have to find a way to keep him separated from the does until he was old enough to neuter.

**beks37** · 01-23-2009, 03:13 PM

They are so cute and they look fluffy!

**homesteadmamma** · 01-23-2009, 03:54 PM

OMG, I want some. They are so cute.

**madhen** · 01-23-2009, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by homesteadmamma

OMG, I want some. They are so cute.

I know.

I keep going back to the picture and staring at it.

I am hoping to make it to a show next weekend, so I can look at what a champion angora rabbit is supposed to look like, and also to get an idea of what is out there.

**EmilyD** · 01-23-2009, 04:17 PM

so I can look at what a champion angora rabbit is supposed to look like,

Are you going to show/breed them as well as collect fiber?

**madhen** · 01-23-2009, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by EmilyD

Are you going to show/breed them as well as collect fiber?

No, I just want to make sure I know what I'm getting. I MAY breed down the line, but not until I know what I'm doing, and just to increase my own stock. Right now, I just want to make sure that I don't unwittingly buy a bunny with problems because someone saw "sucker" printed on my forehead. By watching the exhibitions and seeing what is considered desirable and what is not, I at least have a better idea when I'm looking at a new pet as to what I should be looking FOR.