Angora goat (Fibre goats)

Angora goats are originally native to Turkey. Their name comes after the city Ankara, which was previously known as Angora. It is near the Himalayan of Asia. Angora goats are beautiful. The main reason for raising Angora is their hair production because milk and meat production is not as beneficial as other goat breeds.

Now the Angora goat is available almost all countries. Turkey protected the export of Angora goat until 1849. Then it was imported to the United States of America. Now, it is the second-best country that is known for the production of Mohair: the wavy and glossy hairs. Crossing-breeding of Angora with cashmere goats results in the fibre named as cashgora, with medium quality.

Mohair Production

The most attractive characteristic of Angora goat is the production of Mohair. These Mohairs are using in the upholstery and clothing trades. Average goats in the U.S. shears about 2.4 kg (5.3 pounds) of Mohair per shearing, twice the year. Moreover, the produced fibre has a staple length of 12 to 15 cm.

Mohair is very likely to match with wool in chemical composition. But it is different in the sense of smoothness; its scale is fragile and smooth. Consequently, it lacks the feeling of wool. Mohair is similar to coarse wool in the size of fibre. It has elasticity and strength, gleam, and take dyes fine. Moreover, it can use as an upholstering material where strength, stability, and beauty are required. The young goats have more delicate hair.

Shearing Angora Goats

Angora goats shear twice in the year. Spring and fall are the most suitable time for shearing. Anyhow, adequately shorn Mohair provides a good percentage of income. The shearing procedure is simple, though it does take a sturdy back. Breeders with just a small number of goats can utilise clippers or non-electric hand scissors.

Adequate protection after shearing is a crucial point. In the four to six weeks subsequent shearing, Angoras are at risk of becoming chilled if faced with cold rain.

Characteristics

Angora goats usually are of minimal body-sized, robust and long life span, acquire nominal care and facilities, and are comparatively odour-free. A mature Buck usually weights about 82-102 kg. And a mature doe weighs about 45-50 kg. These goats are of a variety of colours, including shades of red through tans, brown, grey to black, and contrast of all these colours with white and lots of more. A Buck generates almost 5.4 kg of skirted hair, and a doe produces about 4 kilograms of skirted fibre.

Adult Angora goat has a couple of horns bent to rear. Their ears are long and drooping. Legs are small in size, and short tails held high. An Angora goat has the strong and straight back, but the pelvis is slightly downward. Moreover, the skin is loose and flexible.  The gestation period is 149 days long with a pronounced autumn breeding season; bucks also prove a marked increased sexual need in autumn.

Feeding

Angora goats love grazing and eating green grasses, plants, and corn. They usually eat a lot of fibre that includes bay, leaves, weeds, or woody shrubs. They grasp the tree twigs down and eat leaves from there by standing on their rear legs.

Angora goat required high nutrition’s food for their commercial mohair growth. The standard nutrition essentials for regular food are minerals, trace elements, protein, and vitamins. Diet with 20% protein is ideal for Angora goat. So, these types of nutrition are beneficial for their development, gaining perfect body weights, reproduction, and adequate production of fibre. Freshwater should also provide as it is good for health.

Breeding

Angora goat breeds seasonally, generally from August to January. Does are indulge in estrus heat by the presence of an adult male goat. The cycle goes every 19 to 21 days until pregnant. Mostly breeding is done by keeping the Buck with the herd for two to three months.

Supplementing the diet with extra feed in the week’s prior breeding; enhance multiple births. Angoras mostly produce singles, but twining is also possible. Some factors that can influence the doublets or triplets births in Angora goats are pre-breeding nutrition and body size. Larger goats that have been flushed preceding breeding are likely to have twins. On an average, 60 kg weight in doe is suitable for twining with flushers before breeding.

Angoras have some breeding or kidding issues. Newborn kids are fragile and can get chilly in temperatures below 40 degrees F if they do not feed preterm milk quickly after birth. Angoras weaning age is three to four months. If kids do not show breeding potential, farmers can sell these animals for meat or keep them for Mohair production.

Care of the Breed

Angora goats are particularly hair productive goats; they need some extra care and organisation for producing shiny and premium quality hair regularly. It is not tough to take care of Angora goats. Some primary and Vital care of Goat is following.

• Wash the body of goats more often with handwashing detergent or soap.
• Maintain the house neat and clean for all time. They also like to keep on in a dry place.
• Keep them away from all types’ inner and outer parasites. Medications are necessary for removing pests from the body.
• Try to keep the Buck and an adult female separated from each other.
• It is compulsory to provide the Goat’s good quality and nutritious food for better hair quality. Don’t offer decomposed or filthy food.
• Both doe and Buck have a couple of horns. So, keep on them so that they can’t damage each other.
• Beware of selecting bucks for the breeding campaign. So the registered can obtain.
• Always offer enough, clean, and freshwater to them.