Fibre Goat farming

an angora goat

most goats have soft insulating hairs near skin , longer guard hairs on surface. desirable fibre textile industry former; has several names including down , cashmere , pashmina . guard hairs of little value coarse, difficult spin , difficult dye. goats typically shorn twice year, average yield of 4.5 kg (10 lb).

in south asia, cashmere called pashmina (from persian pashmina, fine wool ). in 18th , 19th centuries, kashmir (then called cashmere british), had thriving industry producing shawls goat-hair imported tibet , tartary through ladakh. shawls introduced western europe when general in chief of french campaign in egypt (1799–1802) sent 1 paris. since these shawls produced in upper kashmir , ladakh region, wool came known cashmere .

the cashmere goat produces commercial quantity of cashmere wool, 1 of expensive natural fibres commercially produced; cashmere fine , soft. cashmere goat fibre harvested once year, yielding around 260 g (9 oz) of down.

angora goats produce long, curling, lustrous locks of mohair. entire body covered mohair , there no guard hairs. locks grow 9 cm or more in length. angora crossbreeds, such pygora , nigora, have been selected produce mohair and/or cashgora on smaller, easier-to-manage animal.