7 Pine’s Rabbitry began about 20 years ago, when I saw my first picture of an English Angora in a book.  After that, I was on a hunt for Angoras.  We found our first pair of French Angoras at an auction soon after that. They were badly matted, but we clipped them down and they grew beautiful coats.  However, they never grew the furnishings that the English Angora had. At that time, I didn’t realize there were multiple breeds of Angoras – English, French, Satin and Giant. There is also the German Angora, but that breed is not recognized by the American Rabbit Breeder’s Association (ARBA), although it is loved by many spinners.

My daughter, Alicia, started by showing her Frenchies in 4-H and then we finally came across someone that bred English Angoras. So, I finally had this cute breed, but my daughter was the one that showed them. She not only showed in 4-H, but also showed at ARBA shows all over the state and also nationally at the big annual ARBA Convention. Then, when she graduated, I took over the English Angoras and she still has the French Angoras. I also have a few beautiful shiny Satin Angoras today.

 

We have shown for many years, but didn’t really venture into the fiber end of our beautiful rabbits until about 12 years ago when a fiber friend took some of our fiber to Shepherd’s Harvest for us. She sold a bunch, so the next year, we got our own booth. Now, you will find us there every year with our Angora bunnies, fiber and fiber products.

About 8 years ago, Alicia decided she wanted to spin. So, we got our first spinning wheel. Then, I got bored at a wool festival about 5 years ago, and asked my friend to show me how to spin too, and I have been hooked ever since! I do like spinning other fibers, but there is no comparison to the buttery softness of Angora. If you’ve never tried it, we are happy to offer you a sample batch to try. Also, our rabbits are some of the top quality purebred Angoras in the nation, with excellent density and texture.  If you’re interested, check with us to see if we have any bunnies available so you can produce your own beautiful fiber. Angora bunnies are often referred to as Apartment sheep. Otherwise, we also have plenty of fiber to sell to you. :o)
Deb Butorac and Alicia Will