What can you tell me about Angoras?

[xoxoGOATSxoxo]

My mom recently became in intrested in Angoras. What can you tell me about them? Any info would be great!

[powderhooves]

I have 12 angora's. They are wonderful and absolutely delight my heart. They don't challenge fences......that's a good thing.....I've never had one jump a fence or try to......but you do have to shear twice a year. I'm thinking I might do it three times a year since the hair can get matted underneath and under their arm pits (do goats have arm pits??). They are sensitive though and you have to be careful when they are sheared that they don't catch a cold.

I don't milk them because of the long hair. I wouldn't drink the milk unless I knew I wouldn't find a hair or two in it. That would require keeping their tummies sheared. I'm thinking of getting another type of goat for milking.

They are definitely high maintenance but worth it. Someone told me she talked to my husband. She told him she heard so much about the goats and how much fun "we" are having. He replied, "Becky's having a lot of fun...for me they're a lot of work." But, that having been said, I see him talk about the goats to people and I know he loves them too.

[xoxoGOATSxoxo]

So you have to shear them twice a year, once is not enough?

Can you shear them with regular sheep shears?

Do you have to brush them?

Do wethers or does have the best fleeces?

Do you even call their hair fleeces? Or is it something else?

Thanks!!!

[xoxoGOATSxoxo]

Thanks!

A buck is out, because I dont have a buck and my mom would keep her
Angora(s) with my dairy does. So probably a doe or two. I dont know how many she wants.

Angora websites say to shear them in March and September, which sounds good as far as fleece length in time for the fair (she wants to show them; we have no Angoras at our fair but there is a class for them), but dont they freeze in March? Do you need to put coats on them to keep them warm after shearing in March?

How about lice and whatnot? I try to keep my does free of it, of course, but they turn up every few years. Seems like with all that hair it's be hard to tell if they have them....

[powderhooves]

I have been looking for that pattern for sweatshirts......do you have it???? I bought coats from Rocky Sheep Co. but they fit differently than they would on sheep. I had to gather them up and tie them in the back. I made coats and they were so nice...fleece lined...but they manage to get tangled up and I have to keep a good eye on them. I need something pretty much "goat proof".

[RiverPines]

Angoras are prone to lice. I use ivermectin pour on after each shearing and I use it as a pour on for lice. 1mm for every 22 pounds poured across the top of their backs, following the spine.
My Angoras stay lice free doing that.

When ever you shear, unless its warm out, they have to be in a barn or have a covering on them.

They get cold that first 6 weeks after shearing if its cool out.

Since they get sheared early spring and again in fall its usually cool in the northern states.

We shear April, since March still has snow, and again in Sept-Oct, depending on the weather. This year October was still ok out for shearing. They still need coats though even in April as we are usually cool by day and cold still at night.