Plucked? or Sheared?

A word of advice to others about spinning angora: ignore the advice about plucking being superior to shearing. In my experience plucked fiber is NOT superior at all, The decision to pluck or shear is just a MATTER OF TASTE. German Angoras do not molt, as other breeds do, and cannot be plucked. It would be cruel. Not only that, I strongly prefer yarn from sheared animals rather than plucked. When I first started to spin, I was told plucked French was the very best. So that is what I bought and spun. Then I saw yarn at a fiber show that was so superior to mine, it blew me away. I asked and that person ONLY used sheared English or German, never plucked and never French. I went home and gave away all the French plucked I had, and started to spin only sheared German or English and I have never looked back.

I believe the origin of the myth "plucked is better" might be that some people plucked an animal for some number of fiber collections, then at some point decided to shear. Having plucked in the past, that coat would have several different shorter lengths in it. But the same rabbit, if sheared ONLY, would have so few shorts in it that they could be ignored for spinning purposes. In most cases, it is "either/or". If you pluck and then decide to shear, only once, you'll have shorts in there. It is from the previous plucking which creates shorts in all stages of growth. If you shear several times, the coat will become all one length and there will be fewer shorts. The coat texture does not change (plucking makes guard hair stiffer and reduces the overall amount of down, the soft stuff.)

So please take this "old fasioned advice" with a grain of salt. Modern breeders of breeds that used to molt are now moving completely away from a molting, and therefore pluckable rabbit. Most people who breed/keep angoras shear for their own spinning, they only pluck because of the myth that it is somehow better, to satisfy uninformed buyers of the fiber. Also most people prefer yarn made from sheared, as it has more halo. But don't take my word for it!

If you are looking to purchase a rabbit or some fiber, I reccommend that you get an ounce or 2 of each and try them for yourself. See if you don't strongly prefer the sheared over the plucked. Most top breeders of breeds that used to molt are selecting for non molting animals now days because the vast majority of breeders who spin shear. The advice that plucked is better usually comes from somone not very familiar with angora, and is a bit old fashioined. But it is something you will hear. OTOH, spinning directly from a rabbit on one's lap makes a spectacular demonstration if you want plenty of attention. Once you have decided which you prefer, then you can select a breed that will do what you want it to. Really well bred modern English do NOT molt. (And French and Satin breeders are moving in that direction too.)

I believe that soon that plucked angora will be seen as quaint, something that used to be done, but fell by the wayside as impractical and not better at all.