The raising of Angora rabbits for wool production has been considered to be a
remunerative enterprise for small resource-poor hill farmers which can return more with
less investment. However, farmers have reported a problem with the marketing of their
Angora wool. After discussion with producers and consumers the main problem found
was in the quality of the wool being produced on-farm by the small farmers. To cope
with this problem a research trial initiated in 1998 at Agricultural Research Station
(ARS), Pakhribas. Housing system, wool harvesting method and feed sources were the
parameters across which the quality of wool was considered dependent upon. A housing
system cum harvesting method trial completed last year and the results revealed that the
station existing system of housing, which makes use of indigenous bamboo, is at par with
the cage system made up of galvanized iron netting. Plucking is a better wool harvesting
method than the current method of shearing. While considering the effect of sex on the
wool production, females showed the better performance than males but the difference of
sex on wool production was not significant. Castration resulted negatively in wool
production.

The raising of Angora rabbits for wool production has been considered to be a
remunerative enterprise for small resource-poor hill farmers which can return more with
less investment. However, farmers have reported a problem with the marketing of their
Angora wool. After discussion with producers and consumers the main problem found
was in the quality of the wool being produced on-farm by the small farmers. To cope
with this problem a research trial initiated in 1998 at Agricultural Research Station
(ARS), Pakhribas. Housing system, wool harvesting method and feed sources were the
parameters across which the quality of wool was considered dependent upon. A housing
system cum harvesting method trial completed last year and the results revealed that the
station existing system of housing, which makes use of indigenous bamboo, is at par with
the cage system made up of galvanized iron netting. Plucking is a better wool harvesting
method than the current method of shearing. While considering the effect of sex on the
wool production, females showed the better performance than males but the difference of
sex on wool production was not significant. Castration resulted negatively in wool
production.