Optimum wool harvest interval of angora rabbits under organised farm conditions in East China

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the commercial lifespan and optimum wool harvest interval of Angora rabbits. One hundred shorn Angora rabbits were housed in an organised farm to describe the wool production curve. It showed that the optimum wool harvest interval was 75 d, when fibre length reached 55.0 mm. Wool production was lower from the 3^rd to the 6^th mo (young stage) than from 7^th to 28^th mo and rapidly decreased from 28^th to 31^st mo and was the lowest from 31^st to 33^rd mo of age. Feed intake-to-wool production ratio was higher from 3^rd to 4^th and from 7^th to 9^th mo of age than during the adult stage, and increased from 31^st to 33^rd mo of age. Daily weight gain was significantly higher from 3^rd to 4^th mo of age than in any other periods of the adult stage, and was negative from 23^rd to 33^rd mo of age. Therefore, the study reveals that the commercial lifespan of Angora rabbits was approximately 28 mo. Furthermore, wool production was higher in spring and winter than in autumn, and was the lowest in summer. Concomitantly, feed intake-to-wool production ratio was lower in spring than in autumn and winter, and was the highest in summer. Finally, daily weight gain was higher in spring and autumn than in winter, and was the lowest in summer. This indicates that wool production was depending on the season, and decreased significantly in summer. Moreover, the spring provided the best conditions for Angora rabbits.