ANGORA GOATS: a ‘Shear’ Delight! Protect Your Angoras from the Elements

Glossary of Terms

Browse— Tender shoots, twigs, Lock— A tuft or ringlet of mohair. and leaves of trees and shrubs. “To browse” is the goat’s practice of Luster— The characteristic shine grazing these plant parts. of mohair caused by light reflecting from the relatively smooth surface Buck— An adult male goat, also of the individual fibers. called a billy. Medullation or “Med”— All Cape shorn— The practice of undesirable hollow fibers including leaving an unshorn strip of mohair kemp. along an Angora’s back to protect it from chilling after it is shorn. Mutton— A castrated male goat, also called a wether. Character— The waves found along a lock of mohair. OB or “original bag”— How most U.S. mohair is packaged by the Cottonseed— The seed of the cot- producer into 6-foot burlap bags at ton plant. Whole or “fuzzy” cot- shearing with little sorting done. tonseed is fed as it naturally occurs following the ginning process. It Ruminants— Cud-chewing, even- is high in protein (21 percent), fat, toed hoofed mammals with complex fiber and energy. three- or four-chambered stomachs.

Doe— An adult female goat, also Style— The number of twists found called a nanny. along a lock of mohair.

Flushing— Increased nutrition Stocking rate— The number of just before and during the breeding animals grazing on a given area for season to cause does to gain weight a specific time, usually expressed and ovulate. as acres per animal, unit, month or year. Kemp— Undesirable short, hairy, hollow-cored fibers that do not Veg or “defect”— Plant parts and dye well, thus lowering the fleece seeds that become embedded in value. mohair before shearing that lessen its value due to the difficulty of Kid— A juvenile goat of either sex. removing it.

12 1 ANGORA GOATS: A ‘Shear’ Delight! Protect your Angoras from the elements

Rain, wind and low temperatures kill shorn goats. Two of these elements are usually needed for losses to occur, but cold or wet weather alone can kill. Extreme weather conditions have killed goats even in full fleece. Losses often include trampling by goats trying to stay warm. stubble to prevent irregular fiber Control measures, the disruption of length at the next shearing. management options and the inability Shorn Angoras can even die Fleeces free of contaminants are the to produce goats in areas with heavy from wind and rain in August, most valuable. predator populations must also be when temperatures are not low. factored into the cost. Owners transporting goats should Vegetable matter in the fleece lowers be especially wary of this. If not its value. Some weed and grass Be aware of the problem. Many protected after shearing, animals seeds are very hard to remove in the young kids can be killed before the that were comfortable on their trip scouring process. Find pictures of producer realizes it. The carcasses to the shearers in full fleece may be mohair-contaminating plants at: may be completely eaten, taken to dead from exposure by the time they http://texnat.tamu.edu/cmplants/ dens or hidden. Does with large arrive home. L-5003/woolm.htm udders and no kids are a good clue that something is wrong. Angoras can become dangerously Lessen fleece damage by planting Next, identify the predator. Texas chilled in less than an hour. Once and grazing annual or perennial Cooperative Extension publications their body temperature drops, they forages while seed heads of problem can help. Contact a county Extension hump up shivering and stop moving. plants are being shed. Spraying office for more information. They will die if not helped. Save herbicide over a pasture and grazing them by keeping them warm for 24 that pasture during critical times is Help through Texas Wildlife Damage hours or more. Goats can die weeks another approach. Kids pick up the Management Service is available at: after shearing if cold and depleted most defect because they are smaller http://agextension.tamu.edu/twdms/ Acknowledgments energy leaves them constantly and closer to the source. Producers twdmshom.htm shivering. Supplementally feed the may want to pen-feed them during This project was made possible Sources and editorial animals during this time to improve critical times. Guard animals such as donkeys, dogs through funding provided by the contributors are: their survival chances. Animals stop and llamas are another option that has Texas Department of Agriculture Dr. Frank Craddock eating when seriously chilled, so Goats with well-defined locks and met with varying degrees of success, but the best protection is usually to with the cooperation of the Dr. Chris Lupton keep them as well fed as possible. a moderate amount of lanolin in the Natural protection or sheds must be fleece tend to pick up less defect. pen the animals at night. Texas Agricultural Experiment Dr. Maurice Shelton Finally, shearing dates may need to Station and Texas Cooperative Dr. Charles “Butch” Taylor provided for all slick-shorn animals in extreme weather. Accustom the be moved before the noxious weed We hope this information has helped Extension. Individuals who have Dr. Dan Waldron animals to the sheds before they are seeds are released from the plants. you decide to participate in becoming provided expertise to this project Dr. John Walker part of a true Texas tradition: Angora needed. Keep Angoras safe from predators are: Dr. Travis Whitney goats. Linda Anderson, editor Cape shearing is a popular way to Angora goats, especially young kids, For more information visit: protect Angoras. Shear the cape 30 are susceptible to predators. The Steve Byrns, senior editor/writer/ http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/angora photographer to 40 days after the regular shearing, price of the animals killed is only a using equipment that leaves a part of the total loss. Dixie Kee, designer

2 11 Healthy Angoras Why Angoras? are a picture of elegance New landowners who want to add unwanted brush and weeds around a touch of style and elegance to the homestead. Heavy brush can and style their property – along with income, quickly grow out of control to the a dash of history, fun and Texana detriment of wildlife and livestock. – should consider Angora goats. Angoras cannot effectively control Angoras raised on arid pastures large mature vegetation, but they Veteran producers are always willing to have fewer disease and parasite Angoras are as Texan as longhorn are ideal for managing regrowth share their expertise. problems than confined animals or cattle. Like longhorns, Angoras following major brush control those grazing lush, wet grasses or are adapted to the dry, rugged and efforts. small grains. brushy Texas Hill Country known as the Edwards Plateau. The region Landowners interested in raising Angoras are brush-browsing is ideal goat range, and is home to Angoras are advised to start small animals. They prefer to feed above most of the nation’s Angoras. and learn the business before internal parasites that infect from expanding. Consider starting with lower vegetation, which gives Angoras produce fiber more a small “test flock” of altered them some natural protection. efficiently than any other livestock. males called “muttons.” Select Goats grazing mostly weeds and They produce mohair, not Angora, them after they have been shorn grasses can suffer from internal and which comes from the Angora twice to get a good idea of how external parasites. The Angoras’ rabbit. Mohair is a soft, luxurious much they will shear and what high fiber production can keep them Angoras and their fleeces fiber with a rich luster that is used their fleece characteristics are. in nutritional stress because their can be exhibited. in fine clothing, carpets, blankets Mohair production from muttons nutritional needs often exceed the and upholstery. It also accepts and can be a lucrative enterprise and is amount of quality nutrients they can retains brightly colored dyes better a good way to learn about Angora get from their environment. This possible, grazing mixed species and animal after shearing, but enough than other natural fibers do. production. can add to their vulnerability. de-worming only when necessary stay to re-infest. Most producers to avoid parasite resistance to de- treat goats for lice and ticks at Angora goats are relatively small Homonchus contortus, also called wormers. shearing, but treatments are most animals with a quieter nature than Angoras are an excellent choice for the large roundworm or barber effective two to eight weeks later. most other goat breeds. These the beginning livestock exhibitor. pole worm, is the Angora’s most Coccidiosis, an internal protozoal Two treatments done two weeks traits make them a good choice for damaging internal parasite. parasite, can be a serious problem apart are ideal. Dipping or shower- younger children to manage. Affected animals become anemic in goats, especially kids at weaning. type treatments do the best job. and accumulate fluid along their Feed and water contaminated by After the animals have two months Exhibiting the animals in FFA and bellies and around their jaws. coccidia-infected goat droppings of mohair growth, “pour on” or 4-H youth shows is an appealing Parasitism hits stress-prone spread the infection. Preventative “spot on” treatments are the most family activity. Angora exhibitors animals such as young or growing measures include limiting goat effective. are not required to sell their animals kids, lactating does, bucks during numbers in corrals, keeping at the end of the show, which is a breeding, and goats grazing low- water systems and feeders clean, Toxic plants can harm Angoras. common practice for other livestock protein, low-growing forages such and feeding commercial rations Overgrazing can leave little but exhibited. Angoras kept for show as Bermuda grass. containing a coccidiostat. poisonous plants in the pasture purposes can become pets; those for the animals to eat. A proper not kept for breeding can usually Preventative management Lice cause scratching which can stocking rate is the best toxic plant produce enough mohair to offset the techniques against internal parasites damage the fleece and lower its preventative. Learn more about cost of their upkeep. include: maintaining good nutrition, value. Angoras can have biting and/ toxic plants at not overstocking, rotating pastures, or the more serious blood-sucking http://texnat.tamu.edu/cmplants/ Angoras can further earn their keep letting animals browse as much as lice. Most lice die or leave the toxic/index.htm by helping to manage

10 33 Angoras are super fiber Select the best producers animals you can

Most mammals normally have an for specialty markets such as Santa most prized characteristic, is Most breeders select animals on the outer coat of coarse guard hair and Claus beards and doll hair. These affected by the lanolin and dirt basis of fleece, body development and an inner coat of fine hair, often called fleeces are usually allowed to grow surrounding the fiber, so scoured reproduction. The Angora’s adult body Before and “down.” Angora goats are bred to for nine months. Annual production fibers are requiredfor accurate size should fit its environment, so pick after... produce only a highly developed ranges from 1.5 pounds from a 6- assessment. medium-sized goats over large goats Top Angoras inner coat and no outer coat. month-old kid to 25 pounds from to graze marginal ranges. should produce plenty of a mature male, or buck. Mature Quality mohair begins with a good mohair and Mohair is a beautiful, lustrous, strong females, or does, produce from 6 to breeding program. Management Look for breeding animals with good exhibit good, fiber with unique characteristics 10 pounds annually. also greatly affects fleece value. physical traits, such as strong, straight well-balanced that make it as popular today as it Poor nutrition leads to short, dull, backs and legs, and a healthy, alert conformation. was in biblical times (Exodus 26:7 Mohair is measured objectively lightweight fleeces. External appearance. Make some allowances and Numbers 31:20). It is extremely by machine and subjectively by parasites, especially lice, spoil the for animals with slight physical durable with a soft luxurious texture judgement. Objective measurements appearance of the fleece, as does defects if they have excellent mohair and unique appearance. of average fiber diameter, clean “defect” or plant matter in the characteristics. Don’t keep animals yield and hollow fibers (technically fleeces. with “kemp,” which are stiff, chalky, Mohair’s characteristic luster sets it called medullation) ensure that hollow fibers that do not dye uniformly The Sonora Research Station’s annual July apart from all other natural fibers. processors buy and producers sell a sale is a good place to get performance Mohair on the goat is gray or brown, and severely lower fleece value. tested bucks. The station, located near Its brilliance comes from but shearing reveals the Sonora, is part of the Texas A&M light reflecting from clean fiber below the dirt. The number of kids raised, not born, University System. the smooth surface of Clean mohair is extremely is the ultimate goal of reproductive the fibers. Mohair is a white and lustrous. Shearing efficiency. More kids can be raised versatile year-round fabric floors, sheds and pens through good management and proper Staple length, and neck and belly Keep breeding does that have good used in warm knits for should be clean and well nutrition than by selectively breeding covering are highly heritable traits. mothering skills. Sell those that abort, cold weather as well as lit. Shearers should try to for reproduction. lightweight blends for Fleece weight and density, fiber are unsound, exhibit age-related remove the fleece in one warm weather. Alone or diameter, kemp and weaning weight fleece loss and fail to raise a kid for piece to aid the sorting/ Fleece weight should be a priority in blends, mohair exhibits are moderately heritable. Reproductive more than one season. Poor teat and grading process. in any breeding program. Weigh a signature look that is rate, longevity and adaptability have udder structure is a leading cause of much sought-after by the fleeces of prospective breeding low heritable rates. kid death, so does with poor udders consumers, hand spinners Mohair classification is animals. Be careful not to discriminate should not be bred. Bucks should be and the fashion industry. based on the fineness and too much against does with kids whose Most important fiber-producing traits judged on their ability to breed and the style of the fiber. Younger fleece weights may reflect the stresses It is ideal for sweaters and This animal’s fleece has the dense fiber, style, can be changed through selection. For performance of their offspring. accessories, and is used in everything crimp and luster that are characteristic of animals generally produce finer, of kid-raising. the best results, concentrate on the one from hats and blankets to wigs and good quality mohair. more valuable fiber, but goats or two traits that will most improve a Baseline data for starting a selection paint rollers. intensively selected for fineness can A medium-sized goat with a heavy flock’s mohair. process is available through the product based on its actual physical be life-long producers of mohair uniform covering of mohair over its official judging guide of the Texas Mohair does not easily crush or mat characteristics. These measurements that will classify as kid or young entire body is better than a big goat Postpone selecting breeding animals, Angora Goat Raisers’ Association. like other fabrics. Its natural flame- also help breeders identify superior goat. Typical mohair classifications with a lightweight fleece. especially bucks, until the second or The Texas Agricultural Experiment resistance, insulating qualities and animals. from finest to coarsest are fall kid, third shearing. Weigh the animals, Station’s Angora Goat Performance sound absorbency make it ideal for spring kid, yearling or young goat, Select on objectively measured fleece measure staple length and the as-shorn Test is another excellent resource and commercial and home furnishings. Subjective characteristics are style, fine adult and adult. Goats should be weight, lock length, fiber diameter fleece weight at each shearing, and can be found at Angoras are shorn twice a year character and luster. Style is the separated into these groups before and character of mohair instead of just keep the best after their third shearing. http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/ – usually in February and August twist along a mohair lock’s length, shearing. Beyond this, mohair visually assessed lock type. Neck and Ideally, these animals should have genetics/angoratest.htm – when their fleece is at least 4 inches and character is the crimp or wave belly covering are highly related to been raised on native range. long. The exception is mohair grown of the lock. Luster, perhaps mohair’s Continued on page 6 fleece weight.

4 9 Harvesting the crop; a sack of mohair holds about 75 adult Proper nutrition doe fleeces and is the secret weighs about 250 to top Does raising kids return the most for When feeding livestock, make sure pounds. Angora goat every feed dollar spent on them. Feed all the animals get their fair share. management and wean kids from thin does at about This can be done by: 4 months and continue feeding the • Using blocks to feed low levels of kids. Kids are usually weaned at 4 to high protein. The hardness of the 6 months in late summer. Weaning blocks and the number fed governs can be hard on the kids, and heavy consumption. All the animals should losses can occur due to poor pastures be able to eat with this method. and internal parasites. Keep kids in Block costs are high, but labor costs small pastures with sheds after they are low. are shorn and feed them a complete • Using feed limiters, such as 10 pelleted ration. Research indicates percent to 20 percent salt in a that kids do best when fed a pelleted ground ration. This limits feed Where did Angora goats come from? ration. intake enough that all the animals have a chance to eat. Prevent Angora goats were developed in Turkey near Ankara, where the “Flushing” is the feeding of breeding trampling by keeping the self- animals get their name. does 30 days before, and 30 days feeders filled. Salt makes animals after, the introduction of the bucks. drink a lot of water. Keep water The goats were exported to a number of countries by the 16th century. Flushing usually results in improved near feeders clean because salt feed Early herds failed, leading to the belief that Angoras could only survive fertility, increased conception and falling from the animals’ mouths on the dry, cool Turkish plateaus. This has since been proven false. twinning. Flush does with a quarter- will contaminate it. With proper management, Angoras can be raised almost anywhere. to a third-pound of a high energy • Feeding livestock a week’s worth supplement per day. If forage is short of supplement in only one or two During President James K. Polk’s administration (1845-49), the Sultan or very poor, feed them a half to 1 feedings each week. Research has of Turkey requested the services of a cotton production expert from the pound of an energy supplement (corn/ shown this to be as effective as United States. Dr. James B. Davis of Columbia, S.C., was sent. When whole cottonseed) per head per day feeding them daily. Fewer trips to he returned to the U.S. in 1849, he brought nine choice goats with him, until pasture conditions improve. the pasture mean less labor and a gift from the Sultan. These goats were the first documented Angoras equipment costs, and less grazing in the U.S. Does from 90 to 120 days gestation, disruption. Timid animals are able to when the fetus grows faster and eat because the amount of feed put abortions are most likely, need up to out per feeding is much greater. a pound of high energy supplement Note: Does abandoning small kids each day. Unless pasture conditions to follow the feed truck are a danger are good, this supplement should which must be considered in any continue for at least a month after Angoras of both genders have horns. range feeding program. kidding. Whole cottonseed is a good choice, though corn is often used. Pastured goats rarely have vitamin Breeding bucks do well on limited deficiencies, and the only mineral supplementation under normal they may need added to their diets, production systems. Keep them in other than salt, is phosphorous. good shape, especially before and Occasionally sulfur may also be during the breeding season, with a lacking and can easily be supplied complete ration of up to 15 percent by using a salt block with sulfur protein. added.

8 8 5 5 The “birds & bees” Continued from page 4: of Angora preparation is an all-or- goat nothing proposition unless a production thorough sorting job can be done on the entire clip. Most U.S. mohair is packaged at Angoras are seasonal breeders forms: stress and habitual. Stress shearing in what is called whose hair-producing requirements abortions occur in young or thin original bag, or “OB,” call for high nutritional demands does. with little, if any, removal at the expense of reproductive of stained mohair, called efficiency. Synchronized abortions or “skirting,” done. “abortion storms” are triggered Angoras on native range should not when does are stressed, followed Mohair fleeces from large be bred until they are yearlings. Does by en-masse abortions one to flocks are packaged in bred as kids often abort, which can three days later. Habitual aborters 6-foot-long burlap bags, become habitual. should be removed from the taken to the warehouse and breeding herd; even does that abort Young or old, Angoras should have a good fleece covering throughout their lives. Shearing is an art. sold on commission by the Angoras start to cycle when days from stress should be considered warehouseman. However, shorten in the fall. Their estrous for removal since they often abort kidding does in pens. When the doe Fiber production and reproduction makes them ideal for brushy areas. most warehouses will buy cycle varies from 19 to 21 days and again. High abortion rates signal gives birth, the doe and her kid are are in direct competition – only When pastures are short, sheep, deer individual fleeces from estrus or heat lasts around 22 hours. management or environmental placed in a “jug” or small (4 feet x 4 lactation supersedes fiber production and goats may compete for food. The owners with smaller herds. Gestation is generally 150 days. problems. feet) pen for one to three days while in Angoras. To optimize all three, best way to avoid this problem is to Hand spinners are generally the doe and kid bond. producers must use supplemental watch how much the goats’ favorite the most lucrative market for Females that do not raise kids should Kid death is the greatest loss in feeding as a necessary part of Angora brush plants are browsed. If these small lots of quality mohair. not be kept for breeding. Angora herds. Predators, cold In small camp kidding, groups of goat production. plants are suffering, remove enough stress, starvation and abandonment does are placed in small, well-rested livestock to stop the damage. Most U.S. mohair is exported. Reproduction breakdown is caused by by the mother are leading causes. pastures called “traps,” with access Proper nutrition is the secret to top failure to ovulate or cycle. Yearling to shelter. This confinement increases Angora goat management. Angoras have little body fat and does at breeding should weigh a doe/kid bonding and reduces losses to Most range producers place four bucks Time spent kidding Angoras Angora goats, like cows and sheep, suffer when pastures decline. per 100 does. minimum of 65 pounds shorn; mature correctly pays off more often than predation and abandonment. are ruminants. Goats are not tin- They are often fed corn, but whole does, 85 pounds or more. it does with any other livestock can-eating scavengers, especially cottonseed is probably the better Animals should be in good species. Kidding systems are In both methods, does are usually Angoras, who have high nutritional choice as a good energy and protein condition and shorn before used to increase kid survival. The shorn a month before kidding or needs. Pure-bred Angoras will supplement. the breeding season, and three main types are: confinement “cape shorn” (completely shorn continue to produce mohair until they once shorn, should have kidding, kidding in traps or “small except for a 4- to 6-inch fringe of hair starve to death. Ironically, the fleece Mohair is pure protein. Forty to access to cover during rain camp kidding,” and kidding on the left down the backbone for weather fineness improves with poor nutrition, 50 pounds of high-quality feed are storms or cold weather. range. protection). but the length and weight will suffer. needed to produce a pound of mohair. High-producing Angoras grow more Goats abort more than other Confinement kidding is labor- Range kidding is the least desirable The key to good nutrition for goats mohair when the protein in their diet ruminants, and Angoras intensive, but survival rates are method. Kid survival can be helped on pasture is balancing the number is increased up to 20 percent. Under abort more than other goats. great if owners are willing to by controlling predators and picking of animals with the available forage. range conditions, one-half pound High fiber production makes invest the “sweat-equity” required. pastures with weather protection. This is called “proper stocking rate.” per day of a 20 percent to 40 percent them more prone to stress. Smaller operators and registered Kidding in large groups, even with Goats browse woody plants and forbs protein supplement is fed to each doe Abortion usually occurs at breeders of expensive animals sheds, often results in heavy kid loss. or “weeds” more than grass, which during the winter. 85 to 120 days of gestation. often use this method, which Abortions come in two usually consists of feeding and 6 7 The “birds & bees” Continued from page 4: of Angora preparation is an all-or- goat nothing proposition unless a production thorough sorting job can be done on the entire clip. Most U.S. mohair is packaged at Angoras are seasonal breeders forms: stress and habitual. Stress shearing in what is called whose hair-producing requirements abortions occur in young or thin original bag, or “OB,” call for high nutritional demands does. with little, if any, removal at the expense of reproductive of stained mohair, called efficiency. Synchronized abortions or “skirting,” done. “abortion storms” are triggered Angoras on native range should not when does are stressed, followed Mohair fleeces from large be bred until they are yearlings. Does by en-masse abortions one to flocks are packaged in bred as kids often abort, which can three days later. Habitual aborters 6-foot-long burlap bags, become habitual. should be removed from the taken to the warehouse and breeding herd; even does that abort Young or old, Angoras should have a good fleece covering throughout their lives. Shearing is an art. sold on commission by the Angoras start to cycle when days from stress should be considered warehouseman. However, shorten in the fall. Their estrous for removal since they often abort kidding does in pens. When the doe Fiber production and reproduction makes them ideal for brushy areas. most warehouses will buy cycle varies from 19 to 21 days and again. High abortion rates signal gives birth, the doe and her kid are are in direct competition – only When pastures are short, sheep, deer individual fleeces from estrus or heat lasts around 22 hours. management or environmental placed in a “jug” or small (4 feet x 4 lactation supersedes fiber production and goats may compete for food. The owners with smaller herds. Gestation is generally 150 days. problems. feet) pen for one to three days while in Angoras. To optimize all three, best way to avoid this problem is to Hand spinners are generally the doe and kid bond. producers must use supplemental watch how much the goats’ favorite the most lucrative market for Females that do not raise kids should Kid death is the greatest loss in feeding as a necessary part of Angora brush plants are browsed. If these small lots of quality mohair. not be kept for breeding. Angora herds. Predators, cold In small camp kidding, groups of goat production. plants are suffering, remove enough stress, starvation and abandonment does are placed in small, well-rested livestock to stop the damage. Most U.S. mohair is exported. Reproduction breakdown is caused by by the mother are leading causes. pastures called “traps,” with access Proper nutrition is the secret to top failure to ovulate or cycle. Yearling to shelter. This confinement increases Angora goat management. Angoras have little body fat and does at breeding should weigh a doe/kid bonding and reduces losses to Most range producers place four bucks Time spent kidding Angoras Angora goats, like cows and sheep, suffer when pastures decline. per 100 does. minimum of 65 pounds shorn; mature correctly pays off more often than predation and abandonment. are ruminants. Goats are not tin- They are often fed corn, but whole does, 85 pounds or more. it does with any other livestock can-eating scavengers, especially cottonseed is probably the better Animals should be in good species. Kidding systems are In both methods, does are usually Angoras, who have high nutritional choice as a good energy and protein condition and shorn before used to increase kid survival. The shorn a month before kidding or needs. Pure-bred Angoras will supplement. the breeding season, and three main types are: confinement “cape shorn” (completely shorn continue to produce mohair until they once shorn, should have kidding, kidding in traps or “small except for a 4- to 6-inch fringe of hair starve to death. Ironically, the fleece Mohair is pure protein. Forty to access to cover during rain camp kidding,” and kidding on the left down the backbone for weather fineness improves with poor nutrition, 50 pounds of high-quality feed are storms or cold weather. range. protection). but the length and weight will suffer. needed to produce a pound of mohair. High-producing Angoras grow more Goats abort more than other Confinement kidding is labor- Range kidding is the least desirable The key to good nutrition for goats mohair when the protein in their diet ruminants, and Angoras intensive, but survival rates are method. Kid survival can be helped on pasture is balancing the number is increased up to 20 percent. Under abort more than other goats. great if owners are willing to by controlling predators and picking of animals with the available forage. range conditions, one-half pound High fiber production makes invest the “sweat-equity” required. pastures with weather protection. This is called “proper stocking rate.” per day of a 20 percent to 40 percent them more prone to stress. Smaller operators and registered Kidding in large groups, even with Goats browse woody plants and forbs protein supplement is fed to each doe Abortion usually occurs at breeders of expensive animals sheds, often results in heavy kid loss. or “weeds” more than grass, which during the winter. 85 to 120 days of gestation. often use this method, which Abortions come in two usually consists of feeding and 6 7 Harvesting the crop; a sack of mohair holds about 75 adult Proper nutrition doe fleeces and is the secret weighs about 250 to top Does raising kids return the most for When feeding livestock, make sure pounds. Angora goat every feed dollar spent on them. Feed all the animals get their fair share. management and wean kids from thin does at about This can be done by: 4 months and continue feeding the • Using blocks to feed low levels of kids. Kids are usually weaned at 4 to high protein. The hardness of the 6 months in late summer. Weaning blocks and the number fed governs can be hard on the kids, and heavy consumption. All the animals should losses can occur due to poor pastures be able to eat with this method. and internal parasites. Keep kids in Block costs are high, but labor costs small pastures with sheds after they are low. are shorn and feed them a complete • Using feed limiters, such as 10 pelleted ration. Research indicates percent to 20 percent salt in a that kids do best when fed a pelleted ground ration. This limits feed Where did Angora goats come from? ration. intake enough that all the animals have a chance to eat. Prevent Angora goats were developed in Turkey near Ankara, where the “Flushing” is the feeding of breeding trampling by keeping the self- animals get their name. does 30 days before, and 30 days feeders filled. Salt makes animals after, the introduction of the bucks. drink a lot of water. Keep water The goats were exported to a number of countries by the 16th century. Flushing usually results in improved near feeders clean because salt feed Early herds failed, leading to the belief that Angoras could only survive fertility, increased conception and falling from the animals’ mouths on the dry, cool Turkish plateaus. This has since been proven false. twinning. Flush does with a quarter- will contaminate it. With proper management, Angoras can be raised almost anywhere. to a third-pound of a high energy • Feeding livestock a week’s worth supplement per day. If forage is short of supplement in only one or two During President James K. Polk’s administration (1845-49), the Sultan or very poor, feed them a half to 1 feedings each week. Research has of Turkey requested the services of a cotton production expert from the pound of an energy supplement (corn/ shown this to be as effective as United States. Dr. James B. Davis of Columbia, S.C., was sent. When whole cottonseed) per head per day feeding them daily. Fewer trips to he returned to the U.S. in 1849, he brought nine choice goats with him, until pasture conditions improve. the pasture mean less labor and a gift from the Sultan. These goats were the first documented Angoras equipment costs, and less grazing in the U.S. Does from 90 to 120 days gestation, disruption. Timid animals are able to when the fetus grows faster and eat because the amount of feed put abortions are most likely, need up to out per feeding is much greater. a pound of high energy supplement Note: Does abandoning small kids each day. Unless pasture conditions to follow the feed truck are a danger are good, this supplement should which must be considered in any continue for at least a month after Angoras of both genders have horns. range feeding program. kidding. Whole cottonseed is a good choice, though corn is often used. Pastured goats rarely have vitamin Breeding bucks do well on limited deficiencies, and the only mineral supplementation under normal they may need added to their diets, production systems. Keep them in other than salt, is phosphorous. good shape, especially before and Occasionally sulfur may also be during the breeding season, with a lacking and can easily be supplied complete ration of up to 15 percent by using a salt block with sulfur protein. added.

8 8 5 5 Angoras are super fiber Select the best producers animals you can

4 9 Healthy Angoras Why Angoras? are a picture of elegance New landowners who want to add unwanted brush and weeds around a touch of style and elegance to the homestead. Heavy brush can and style their property – along with income, quickly grow out of control to the a dash of history, fun and Texana detriment of wildlife and livestock. – should consider Angora goats. Angoras cannot effectively control Angoras raised on arid pastures large mature vegetation, but they Veteran producers are always willing to have fewer disease and parasite Angoras are as Texan as longhorn are ideal for managing regrowth share their expertise. problems than confined animals or cattle. Like longhorns, Angoras following major brush control those grazing lush, wet grasses or are adapted to the dry, rugged and efforts. small grains. brushy Texas Hill Country known as the Edwards Plateau. The region Landowners interested in raising Angoras are brush-browsing is ideal goat range, and is home to Angoras are advised to start small animals. They prefer to feed above most of the nation’s Angoras. and learn the business before internal parasites that infect from expanding. Consider starting with lower vegetation, which gives Angoras produce fiber more a small “test flock” of altered them some natural protection. efficiently than any other livestock. males called “muttons.” Select Goats grazing mostly weeds and They produce mohair, not Angora, them after they have been shorn grasses can suffer from internal and which comes from the Angora twice to get a good idea of how external parasites. The Angoras’ rabbit. Mohair is a soft, luxurious much they will shear and what high fiber production can keep them Angoras and their fleeces fiber with a rich luster that is used their fleece characteristics are. in nutritional stress because their can be exhibited. in fine clothing, carpets, blankets Mohair production from muttons nutritional needs often exceed the and upholstery. It also accepts and can be a lucrative enterprise and is amount of quality nutrients they can retains brightly colored dyes better a good way to learn about Angora get from their environment. This possible, grazing mixed species and animal after shearing, but enough than other natural fibers do. production. can add to their vulnerability. de-worming only when necessary stay to re-infest. Most producers to avoid parasite resistance to de- treat goats for lice and ticks at Angora goats are relatively small Homonchus contortus, also called wormers. shearing, but treatments are most animals with a quieter nature than Angoras are an excellent choice for the large roundworm or barber effective two to eight weeks later. most other goat breeds. These the beginning livestock exhibitor. pole worm, is the Angora’s most Coccidiosis, an internal protozoal Two treatments done two weeks traits make them a good choice for damaging internal parasite. parasite, can be a serious problem apart are ideal. Dipping or shower- younger children to manage. Affected animals become anemic in goats, especially kids at weaning. type treatments do the best job. and accumulate fluid along their Feed and water contaminated by After the animals have two months Exhibiting the animals in FFA and bellies and around their jaws. coccidia-infected goat droppings of mohair growth, “pour on” or 4-H youth shows is an appealing Parasitism hits stress-prone spread the infection. Preventative “spot on” treatments are the most family activity. Angora exhibitors animals such as young or growing measures include limiting goat effective. are not required to sell their animals kids, lactating does, bucks during numbers in corrals, keeping at the end of the show, which is a breeding, and goats grazing low- water systems and feeders clean, Toxic plants can harm Angoras. common practice for other livestock protein, low-growing forages such and feeding commercial rations Overgrazing can leave little but exhibited. Angoras kept for show as Bermuda grass. containing a coccidiostat. poisonous plants in the pasture purposes can become pets; those for the animals to eat. A proper not kept for breeding can usually Preventative management Lice cause scratching which can stocking rate is the best toxic plant produce enough mohair to offset the techniques against internal parasites damage the fleece and lower its preventative. Learn more about cost of their upkeep. include: maintaining good nutrition, value. Angoras can have biting and/ toxic plants at not overstocking, rotating pastures, or the more serious blood-sucking http://texnat.tamu.edu/cmplants/ Angoras can further earn their keep letting animals browse as much as lice. Most lice die or leave the toxic/index.htm by helping to manage

10 33 ANGORA GOATS: A ‘Shear’ Delight! Protect your Angoras from the elements

2 11 Glossary of Terms

Doe— An adult female goat, also Style— The number of twists found called a nanny. along a lock of mohair.

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