Angora goat

The Angora goat (Lang-tr|Ankara keçisi) is a goat from the Angora region in Anatolia, near present-day Ankara, Turkey.

This breed is first mentioned in the time of Moses, roughly 1500 B.C. [ [http://daisyshillfarm.com/My_Homepage_Files/Page2.html Angora Goats History ] ] The first Angora goats were brought to Europe by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, about 1554, but, like later imports, were not very successful.

The fleece taken from an Angora goat is called mohair. A single goat produces between five and eight kilograms of hair per year. Angoras are shorn twice a year, unlike sheep which are shorn only once.

Angora goats are more susceptible to external parasites (ectoparasites) than similar animals, as their coats are denser. They are not prolific breeders, nor are they considered very hardy, being particularly delicate during the first few days of life. Further, Angoras have high nutritional requirements due to their rapid hair growth. A poor quality diet will curtail mohair development.

For a long period of time, Angora goats were bred for their white coat. In 1998 the Colored Angora Goat Breeders Association was set up to promote breeding of colored Angoras. Now Angora goats produce white, black (deep black to greys and silver), red (the color fades significantly as the goat gets older), and brownish fiber.

The United States, Turkey, and South Africa are the top producers of mohair.

Breed registries

* American Angora Goat Breeders' Association
* Colored Angora Goat Breeders Association

ee also

* Angora wool
* Angora rabbit
* Angora cat

References

Gallery