High-Yield Breeding Technology of Angora Rabbits

Author: Chief Editor: Tao Yuerong et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-10-01
Features: Synopsis This book is compiled by Professor Tao Yuerong and others from the College of Animal Science, Zhejiang Agricultural University. It covers nine chapters, including the development prospects of Angora rabbits, breeds and breeding, feed and nutrition, reproduction technology, feeding and management, rabbit farm construction and environmental regulation, prevention and treatment of common rabbit diseases, the characteristics and collection of rabbit hair, and the processing and utilization of rabbit hair. The book comprehensively and systematically collects advanced technologies in breeding, reproduction, feeding management, and product processing of Angora rabbits from domestic and international sources. It is rich in content, scientific, practical, and easy to understand. It is suitable for reading and reference by Angora rabbit farms, rabbit breeding professionals, agricultural technology extension station personnel, and teachers and students of relevant agricultural colleges. Excerpt: Chapter 1 Development Prospects of Angora Rabbits Angora rabbits, also known as Angora rabbits, are one of the world's famous wool-producing animals. In recent years, they have attracted attention from countries around the world, with breeding numbers increasing year by year and development speed being very fast.
1. Significance of Breeding Angora Rabbits Angora rabbits are small herbivorous animals and an important part of the livestock industry.
(1) Aligns with China's National Conditions Angora rabbits are a type of domestic rabbit, and their feed sources are diverse, including wild grasses, wild vegetables, leaves, crop stalks, and by-products of grain and oil processing. Especially in the current situation where the per capita cultivated land area is shrinking and grain is in short supply, developing Angora rabbit production with grass-based feed aligns completely with China's national conditions and is a direction for national industrial structure adjustment. In recent years, agricultural departments in various regions have taken the development of rabbit breeding as an important task, and breeding Angora rabbits is a good way for farmers to get rich.
(2) Low Investment, Quick Results, High Returns Breeding Angora rabbits has the advantages of low investment, quick results, and high returns. Angora rabbits are small animals, and their management is simpler than other domestic animals, requiring no large facilities or investments. Angora rabbits are also polytocous animals, reproducing quickly. A single doe can produce 4 to 5 litters per year, with each litter producing 6 to 8 kits. Young rabbits can be mated and bred again at 6 to 7 months of age. Therefore, using whole or half labor, breeding hundreds of Angora rabbits, and earning tens of thousands of yuan, is a common occurrence.
(3) Broad Market Prospects Angora rabbit hair has the characteristics of "long, white, fluffy, and clean," making it one of the high-end natural wool spinning materials. Angora rabbit hair can not only produce fine and coarse woolen clothing to enrich the domestic market but also be exported for foreign exchange to support national construction. China's Angora rabbit hair exports hold a dominant advantage in the international market, with annual exports stable at 8,000 to 9,000 tons. New developments, such as hand-plucked coarse wool Angora rabbit hair and Angora rabbit down, are performing even better, with increasing exports year by year.
2. Overview of Angora Rabbit Breeding Abroad
(1) Rabbit Hair Production In the 1940s, the annual production of white Angora rabbit hair in the UK reached over 180 tons, in Japan 210 tons, and in the US 400 tons. However, with industrial development and labor shortages, the rabbit hair production of these countries gradually declined. By the 1960s, some developing countries with low labor costs began to develop Angora rabbit production, leading to a significant increase in the annual production of Angora rabbit hair. Currently, the world's annual production of rabbit hair is 10,000 to 12,000 tons. China is the main producer and exporter of white Angora rabbit hair, with an annual production of 9,000 to 9,500 tons, reaching over 10,000 tons at its peak, accounting for 90% to 95% of the world's rabbit hair production and trade volume. Next are Chile, producing 300 to 500 tons annually; Argentina, about 300 tons; the Czech Republic, about 150 tons; France, about 100 tons; and Germany, about 50 tons. In recent years, countries like Brazil, Hungary, Poland, and North Korea have also been actively developing Angora rabbit production. It can be affirmed that in the future, rabbit hair production countries will mainly be in the third world, and particularly in the East.
(2) Rabbit Hair Market The regions with the highest demand for rabbit hair in the world include Europe, Japan, and Hong Kong. Europe is mainly concentrated in countries like Italy, Germany, the UK, France, Belgium, and Switzerland. In the past decade, Italy has imported an average of 950 tons of rabbit hair annually, and Germany about 500 tons. Japan has been one of the world's largest importers of rabbit hair since 1965, with an average annual import of over 1,700 tons between 1976 and 1985, now reaching 3,000 to 3,300 tons, of which about 90% is imported from China.