Angora goats?

[mamajohnson]

Anybody on here have any?
I am considering getting some.
Any tips? Are they harder to care for?
Is it ok to cross with dairy goats, or is that a no-no? ((will it ruin the fiber of the angora offspring?))
How about shearing? What do you use???
Guess I need to google and youtube, huh?

[RiverPines]

Originally Posted by mamajohnson

Anybody on here have any?
I am considering getting some.
Any tips? Are they harder to care for?
Is it ok to cross with dairy goats, or is that a no-no? ((will it ruin the fiber of the angora offspring?))
How about shearing? What do you use???
Guess I need to google and youtube, huh?

I raise Angoras and yes they are more involved to care for.
They need a good diet as they have to grow that wonderful fiber.
They need a good grain once to twice per day and minerals always available.
They can not have the copper other goat breeds can!
They are more like sheep and have a low copper tolerance.
You can not use goat grain mixes or goat minerals for Angora goats.
We go with a sheep blend thats low copper for the grain. We have a copper free, loose mineral for them.
They need good quality free choice hay. I use a grassy mix that is 30% Alfalfa.

They are more prone to worms and need a good worming schedule and rotation.

They are very prone to lice which are hard to impossible to totally eliminate till they are sheared in spring but treatment is a must even in full fiber to keep the lice count as low as possible. We use pour ons for lice but rotate with the wormer's that are given orally so they dont get overdosed.

After shearing they need extra protection from weather, even when its warm for 6 weeks. They can chill very easily if it cools or gets windy. They can get sunburned easier after shearing.
They need 6 weeks of good shelter, sometimes sweaters, in order to give the body time to adjust to the sudden loss of fiber.
They do not grow fat layers ever. They grow hair for their warmth.
They have hair for sun protection.

We shear 2 times per year, spring and fall with regular sheep shears, Shearmaster, but we have the goat comb ( purchased separately) we put on them instead of the standard sheep comb. The comb is different for sheep than goat as the fibers are very different.
They have horns because shearing would be a pain without them.

Angoras are more docile and easily bullied by some other breeds of goats.
I keep my Angoras separate from my Boer and pygmies for that reason.

It takes 2 years for a doe to reach breedable size. Angoras are slow growing goats. I believe they are the slowest of all the breeds. Best always to wait till after age 2 to breed if you don't want to risk the doe.
Angora kids are best left to suckle on the dam for 4 months because they are slower maturing than other breeds.

Crossing with dairy doesn't make much sense. You wont get any quality fiber out of it. It wont help the dairy end either. Odds are you will get unusable short fiber thats more dairy type, and low milking quality kids. They will also most likely grow slower than your dairy.

[mamajohnson]

Wow!
Thnx for all the information. Some of this I had read, some I had not.
Now I am thinking I should just get angora bunnies. I really don't know about keeping two seperate pens. That is why I was going to get a goat, so I could keep it with my dairy herd. Guess that is not a good idea....
Off to do more research and thinking.

[6e]

Yep, I'll pretty much second everything that was said and that's why we pretty much have stuck with more of the dairy goats. Although I will say that the colored Angora goats are far hartier than the white. The coloreds tend to fair better than the whites and aren't as delicate.

[pasotami]

I have a herd of angora goats and several angora rabbits! I agree with the above and I can tell you they are fragile animals. In comparison to my sheep the goats are not as smart with birthing. Mine have twins most of the time and the mom never seems to understand that there is more than one. No matter what I've tried. And yes the get lice, real easy.... so I have to treat them right before shearing so the fleece is not infested. I use Ivermectin without a problem. Now I do have angoras with my sheep, there is not a problem. But I can tell you one thing, if you only have one - they are so sweet! Everyone just loves Alex!

[bloogrssgrl]

I have colored angoras. We also have boer goats and, aside from breeding and kidding time, the does all run together and the bucks all run together. What I have found is that they will establish their pecking order, usually according to "who was here first" and settle in fine. I don't really see any more bullying directed at the angoras than any other goat.

Our goats - both the boers and angoras - are mainly raised on the brush that grows on our farm - a lot of privet. We supplement with hay and grain when needed. I don't know if it was the luck of the draw or the lineage, but we've found that our angoras are quite hardy little things. The boers definintely give me more problems.

Shearing is an absolute must or that lovely fleece will get matted. We also shear in the spring and fall. I think we have only blanketed our first batch of kids. Since then, as long as there isn't some crazy cold snap, just providing somewhere clean, dry and draft free has seemed to suit our needs. Or, more appropriately, our goats' needs. We use a Shearmaster. I've done it with a pair of scissors but, unless you are really looking for some bonding time with your animal, avoid it like the plague.

You might do well to check in with one of the breed associations. Or better yet, visit a farm where they are being raised. Also, if you have the opportunity, try to get to one of the shows, often held in conjunction with fiber festivals. You can talk to a lot of different people and gather a lot of information.

Good luck. And, if you decide you are interested, our kids should be arriving soon...

[mamajohnson]

bloogrssgrl, If you were in Texas I would be there in a heartbeat!
I will have to see what I can find out around here. You give me hope, I was thinking angora goats would be too hard.

I have not seen any evidence of angora goats or fiber festivals around here... need to see what I can find out. ((is Texas too hot for them???))

Can you tell me how much "wool" (is that what you call it?) you get from an avg. size doe?
Can I just get a wether and shear him, or would that not be a good idea? Do I really need a whole 'herd' type setup, buck, does, kids, etc???
If I just want a little yarn for the family, wouldn't one or two wethers work???


Thnx in advance!

[bloogrssgrl]

mamajohnson, there are actually a few breeders in Texas. Actually, the association for the white angoras, the AAGBA, is headquartered in Texax. So, no, I don't think it is too hot for them.

Before I go any further, here are the websites for the white angora association, www.aagba.org, and the colored association, www.cagba.org.

Check their websites for event listings. You could also probably just google "fiber festival, Texas" and see what you come up with.

The product you get from angora goats is actually called mohair. The usable quantity you will get will vary depending on the gentics of animal, as well as how clean they manage to keep themselves while growing the fleece. I have one guy that just tears his fleece to shreds going through the thickest of the thick brush. I could just clobber him sometimes.

Also, the fineness of the hair (the micron count) and the density of the amount of hair actually covering the animal is also going to play a factor. Texas A&M actually devised a type of scoring system. Here is a link for that. http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/genetics/gtcat07.pdf It might be a little difficult to understand but it just gives you an idea of what all is considered in addition to fleece weight.

And one more website, this one regarding fleece weight. http://www.mohairusa.com/

The kids have the softest, most highly sought after fleece. You can get a wether for shearing - they will often hold their fineness longer than if they were left intact. But again, the older they get, the coarser the hair will eventually become. I don't really know what kind of time frame you be looking at before the hair becomes rug quality, but I imagine that would also vary from animal to animal.

If I were looking for just having some yarn for personal use, I might consider getting a doe and a wether. That way, if you ever decide you want to add on to your herd, or if the fleece of either of them becomes too coarse for your needs, you can breed the doe and begin anew.

I don't know how far it would be for you, but a major breeder just relocated from Ohio to Stephenville, TX. I believe they breed white and colored goats. Also, on the website for CAGBA, there is a breeder locator which you can use to see who might be close by. I just did a quick check and there are 14 breeders listed for TX. You can also check the surrounding states depending on how close they are to you or how far you want to travel.

If you have any more questions, I'll do my best to help out.

[mamajohnson]

Wow! That is some awesome information. I can't wait to get home and go to those links! Thank you so much.

[jBlaze]

Ever thought about Pygora goats?
They have terrific fleece / fiber, usually finer than angora mohair. And most are more hardy than angoras, as they are crossed with pygmies which are a bit more durable. They are fun. read up in them.
Still need to shear, and feet trimming is much more often than the dairy goats. and they are more prone to lice than dairy.
I use scisors to shear mine. THe little clippers do not work for that type of hair, and the big clippers are too much for me, clumsy to use.
hth.

[mamajohnson]

Well, my mind is boggled! lol!
After much reading on Angora and Pygora, I am still at square one!
Looks like the Pygora would be easier to care for, is that right? Pretty much care for them like a dairy or pygmy goat??
The drawback there is that I cannot seem to find any pygora in Texas, Ark, Louisiana or Oklahoma! (which are the closest states to me)

I think I need to keep researching and thinking on it...
the price of Angora is, well, more than I thought it would be! Not sure I can talk DH into buying a 400$ goat, I don't have that much invested in one of my dairy's. (more in than that in the herd, but not for one goat)

Thnx so much for all the information... looks like I am off to research more.

[bloogrssgrl]

mamajohnson, regarding pricing on angoras, you can usually pick up a wether for much cheaper than $400. So that is one option. Another option is to contact some breeders of colored angoras and put the word out that you are looking to buy. Depending on what kinds of genetics are crossed, the colored angoras sometimes produce white kids. These aren't what a lot of the colored breeders are looking for and you might be able to pick up a doe more cheaply that way. You can also let some breeders know that you are looking for an animal for home use, not necessarily show quality. An animal that has a fault that might disqualify it from the show ring might make a perfectly good candidate for a small home spinner's flock.

Just some more ideas for you.

[mamajohnson]

Thnx again Anne!
I actually never thought of doing that. Good idea, no great idea!
There are several breeders within 200 miles of me, so I can put the word out.
My DH and I are talking about it, he is hesitant about the more "specialized" care the angora need, and how it would fit in with what we have already.
We do have lots of land, just not lots of fences right now and I have to buy hay because it is mostly wooded.... so that is lots to think about.

A doe and wether (or even just a wether) would be a good start.
I don't have time for shows either... so an animal that isn't up to show snuff works great for me.

I was actually just looking up Llama's and Alpaca's, I am less sure about them than the Angora goat!

[jBlaze]

This lady has fantastic pygoras and delivers. She is a nice lady and is very serious about her goats. You may try just calling her and she may know someone close to you that is not advertising.
http://www.hmrpygoras.com/
Hawks Mountain Ranch Pygoras. (In Oregon)

Heck, I got a couple I'd sell ya cheap if you wanna come get em!

[mamajohnson]

Oh my! a trip to Oregon is tempting (in the summer! lol)
but I am pretty sure DH would say an absolute no to that one!
Thnx for the link, I will get in touch with the lady and see what she knows.

[barelahh]

Originally Posted by mamajohnson

Oh my! a trip to Oregon is tempting (in the summer! lol)
but I am pretty sure DH would say an absolute no to that one!
Thnx for the link, I will get in touch with the lady and see what she knows.

I have some from the lockhart breeds, and from the nissan ranch in NC.

The nissans are from austrailia

[RiverPines]

Just a caution. If you dont know the breeder well, you can get what you pay for.
I had a cheap angora goat and thats what its fiber and it was worth!

Now I have good quality animals that I paid dearly for and they were worth every dime.
Be sure to check all the health issues before buying to.
Mine are all registered and they all had health checks and paper work for the various diseases like CL, CAE, and so on.

Their fiber is fabulous!!!!

I saved 2 years to get my good starter angoras. I am glad I did too. They were worth the wait.
I also waited because I had certain color lines I wanted, blacks, reds, and whites.
Mine are all unrelated also.