Angora plucking questions

[ZoeStevens]

I have an adult fawn English Angora, male, and I thought it was time for him to be plucked. I didn't see any "trailers" in the cage, but I did notice that when I grabbed something off him (a piece of hay or whatever), the pinch of fur would easily come with it. I also noticed a few poops with fur in them (most poops are normal), so I figured it was time. It was fairly easily to pluck the fur, he didn't like it much so I was doing it over a few days. I got the longest stuff off, but the shorter stuff underneath is still about 2" long and also comes out easily. I don't see any shorter growth underneath - I test-plucked a patch of the shorter stuff and that patch just went bald. The woman I got him from said she plucked him (as opposed to shearing). I brush his fur every 2-3 days, and he wasn't crazy long and fluffy before I started plucked. I mean definitely a poof ball but not as poofy as the show angoras I've seen in photos online.

Because I don't see any new growth, did I start too early - and if so, why the fur so easy to pull out? Or did I start too late and the new growth is the 2" stuff - and if so, why is the shorter stuff coming out easily as well, and why wouldn't I have noticed any signs of him being ready sooner?

 

[pamnock]

I've only sheared - never plucked, but you might be able to google some good articles online. http://www.freewebs.com/vivaangoras/pluckinganangora.htm

 

[ZoeStevens]

Thanks, I did search online but was unable to find answers to my specific questions.

 

[Toady]

I've got an angora cross rescue; Loki who I've plucked a couple of times and the first time the fluff came out easily, he had patches of regrowth coming through and patches of naked but the naked only lasted about a week. I say if it's coming out than pluck it, better than having him a bit naked in spots than having him ingest it.

 

[ZoeStevens]

Thanks Toady for the input. When I pull the fur it doesn't fall out, I have to apply some pressure (constant pressure, then it just slides away from the skin). It looks consistent with what I have seen in videos. Is that more or less what it is like when you pluck Loki, or does it just fall out? I guess I am worried to be pulling to hard and yanking "living" hair out... but I don't think so, just paranoid I suspect.

 

[dungeonbunnies]

Not an angora, but we had an English Lop that was constantly molting. I started plucking all of the loose fur, and by the time I had pulled that section, he'd had bald spots too. This hair just fell right out, I didn't have to actually pull.

So I would assume that since it could happen to non-wool breeds, that it's not hurting your big guy at all, just unsightly.

Hopefully that helps you feel a bit better.

I hate it when they have a mat tangled into living fur while you're plucking and you have to almost yank on it. I try breaking clumps down with my nails, so I'm not yanking my lionhead's wool.

 

[ZoeStevens]

In case someone else finds this thread with similar questions some day, I have made some headway. I sheared a portion of his back, and I found that having a starting edge made it a lot easier to see what I was plucking and to do so systematically, as opposed to just blindly pulling fur and hoping to get somewhere. Yay!