I have heard that there are goats (and sheep) that you comb to get the wool rather than shear. What are these breeds? Is the wool of a good quality? Do these breeds also produce usable quantities of milk (enough for rwo people plus a little extra for butter, cheese, etc)?

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), October 05, 2001

Answers

angora goats are a fiber breed where you can comb out the fiber-or shear them. Shearing is what my friend who owns several does. Cashmere is a fiber, but not a particular breed perse. Generally a dairy breed, butnot always is crossed with nother breed-such as the Spanish something or other...I don't knwo all the details...but I do know that the fiber is harvested using a comb and it is only done a certain time of the year.

Maybe Vickie knows more about this-we learned about cashmere production at a fiber fest in Butler MO this last spring-it was really interesting. The man there told us to wacth our Saanens for the thick double coat around the winter solstice-and if they got it good-or the ones that would, then they could be corssed with the Spanish to increase the fiber production. Or we coulduse the Saanen fiber-just wouldn't be quite as nice-still soft though. Also keep in mind that the amount of cashmere is produced is measured in ounces a year (hence the cost of cashmere)not pounds like iwht sheep.

I know that anogoars are hard tomilk-someone probalby has been successful, but my friend with angoras gave up trying-they are a muchmore skittery breed than any of the dairy goats. I would wonder if they would produce enough milk to make it worth while or not?

As for sheep where you comb the fiber out-that is something I don't know abut-Ihave wool breeds but we shear. Someone else probably knows. And depending on the breed to-it might be possible to milk the sheep like you do a goat-ilk is good-richer than goatmilk (even the Nubian) but it is used for some cheese making I know-there ar a couple of sheep dairies around-I beleive the breed used is Friesian (probably misspelled that!)

Interesting question!

Sarah

-- Sarah (heartsongacres@juno.com), October 05, 2001.

Same answer as Sarah. Cashmere under the coat of a diary goat is actually an undesirable thing, but some of our stock has it. Makes it a bear to shave them for showing first of the year. Like Sarah said it is not a breed of goat, it is goats who carry the gene for cashmere. Angora's are a breed. Though I haven't seen the actual milk tests results, everyone talking meat goat or hair goat, always touts their butterfat being higher than a Nubian. A Canadian dairy that I know milks sheep, his wife makes soap out of the excess unsold milk. Never actaully asked about the butterfat, though I know his volume per doe was impressive for a sheep, though they do not hold their lactations like diary goats. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 05, 2001.

Hello everyone! I just want to clarify and stand up for the angoras. I have about 50 of them. Any that are "skittish" are what I call dinner. They are a very docile and lovable goat. Much calmer than my nubians or boers. However, they barely feed thier kids and thus would be lousy milkers. There is a big difference in mohair from one to another, I cull based partly on quality of hair.

-- Joe Wigton (pheasantrun@dragonbbs.com), October 05, 2001.

Dont forget pygoras to

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), October 06, 2001.