Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Mohair is the fiber that comes from Angora goats. It usually is cut off the goats about every
six months, such as March and September, or just before kidding and just before breeding. In
order to bring a top price, the hair must be completely clean and of top quality. Raw mohair
usually sells for $3 to $12 for a pound of white hair. It may sell for $10 to $25 per pound for
colored hair. The hair from younger goats is a finer quality, so it is more valuable.
Pygora
Pygora goats range from white to chocolate brown, to black, salt and pepper, silver-blue, to
shades of caramel. This means that the fiber from these goats naturally come in these colors.
Pygora goat fleece can be sheared, plucked, or combed from the goat. Type B and C fleeces
usually shed in the spring. Type A fleeces should be sheared twice a year, as they will not
shed. Type A fleece is wavy from the base to the tip. It is silky, lustrous, and shiny with char-
acteristics like mohair. Type B is lustrous with curls at the tip. It has characteristics of both A
and C fleece blended together. Type C fleece has distinct guard hairs with a soft, downy un-
dercoat. It is warm with a low sheen and has characteristics like cashmere.
Cashmere
Cashmere from the Cashmere goat is soft, durable, lightweight, and warm. Cashmere is, in
fact, the soft down undercoat of the goat. The amount of cashmere a goat produces depends
on the goat's breeding and genetics. The cashmere is actually the goat's winter coat. It starts
to grow around the middle of summer and stops in the middle of winter, when the days are
shortest. Goats are sheared from December to March, when goats normally begin to shed their
winter coats. Cashmere can be harvested by either combing or shearing.
How to shear
In order to shear your goats, use a 20-tooth mohair comb and sheep shears. You can store the
cut hair in a paper bag. Keep your goats dry during the 24 hours before shearing. Shear the
youngest goats first and the oldest ones last. This way you can keep the finer hair from mixing
with the coarser hair. Keep the shearing area clean, and sweep it between cutting different col-
ors of goats. It is all right to cut slowly. Treat the animals well. Try to avoid having to make
second cuts as second cuts mean shorter hairs that are less valuable. Remove stained or soiled
areas from the hair before storing it.
