The FOUR breeds of Angora Rabbits

There are four different ARBA recognized Angora rabbit breeds: English, French, Giant and Satin. The German Angora is also common, but is not ARBA recognized. It has its own association; the IAGARB. The following are descriptions of the Angora breeds:

English Angora: Weight: 2.0-3.5 kg (5-7½ lb). ARBA-accepted varieties: Ruby Eye White, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Agouti.

Rabbits of the angora breed are adorned with "fur," growths of wool on the ears and the entire face except above the nose, and front feet, along with their thick body, and wool. They are gentle in nature, but they are not recommended for those who do not groom their animals. Their fur is very thick and needs to be groomed a lot. This is the smallest Angora rabbit of the four breeds recognized by ARBA.

French Angora: Weight: 3.5-4.5 kg (7½-10 lb). ARBA-accepted varieties: Agouti, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Ticked, Wide Band, and Broken.

This breed has a preponderance of guard hair on the surface, with wool as an undercoat. If the texture is correct, it requires less maintenance than other Angora breeds. Ear tufts are allowed but not preferred by breeders. The ARBA recognizes the same colors as with English Angora, plus broken. The French Angora is one of the largest Angora breeds at 7 1/2 to 10 lbs, with a commercial body type. It differs from the English and German Angora in that it possesses a clean face and front feet with only minor tufting on the rear legs.

Satin Angora: Weight: 3.0-4.5 (6½-9½ lb). ARBA-accepted varieties: Agouti, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Ticked, Wide Band.

The Satin Angora is derived from a cross between a Satin and a French Angora. This breed is named for the extremely soft texture of its wool. It has no furnishings on face, ears, or feet, and it is also easy to groom compared to the English variety.

Giant Angora: Weight: 4.5 kg (9½ lb) or larger. ARBA-accepted varieties: Ruby-Eyed White

The Giant Angora is larger than other varieties of Angora, having been created to be an efficient wool rabbit on economical feed and housing. It has three hair types in its wool: underwool, awn fluff, and awn hair.
This is the largest of the four ARBA recognized Angora breeds. It produces more wool than the others in general. This breed may or may not have furnishings on the face and ears. In addition to the underwool and guard hairs, it has an "Awn Fluff" that does not exist in the other three breeds of Angora.

German Angora: Weight: 2.0-5.5 kg (5-12 lb). IAGARB-accepted varieties: all (not subject to ARBA standards).

This breed, while not ARBA recognized, is common in the United States and Canada. It looks much like the Giant Angora, except it almost always comes in ruby-eyed white or albino. German Angora wool may come in many beautiful colors. These Angora crosses are called hybrids. A separate club for German angoras exists in the United States, caled the International Association of German Angora Rabbit Breeders, or IAGARB.