I think I'm getting a few angoras to add to my herd. I was thinking about Ouessants (sheep) as they are the size of NDs but didn't want to deal with mineral issues. So 2 angora goats will satisfy my interest in fiber. However, like Debra- I read about Angora lack of vigor and hardiness- until I discovered the Navajo Angora. The original angoras. Hardy, excellent mothers, clean faces and legs and lovely fleece.
Horns- my only big issue but since these versions of angoras have horns that curve tightly back along the head more or less- I may become comfortable.
If you search for Navajo angora- you will see some pics. They sort of look like small dainty Navajo Churro sheep- another primitive breed like the shetlands.
My favorite pics are attached:
Shearing is what they do. Cashmere goats - which are just goats with more cashmere - you brush it out or I guess so me people also shear them and separate the fibers. Nigerians MUCH easier but I think it might be fun to have both . I especially like rare breeds and while there are lots of angoras around- the Navajo Angora is less common. We'll see!
I have contemplated getting an angora myself and breeding nigoras because they are so dang cute and you can get milk and fiber in one adorable fluffy goat! Getting one will not be easy though as I am sure I would have to ship one here. Let us know if you have any success finding one and where you get it from!
I had a couple of angora goats quite a few years ago - kept with my romney sheep as I didn't have the NG then.
I never found them to be lacking of vigor or hardiness, and they never seemed the least bit pushy to the sheep. They were very easy to get along with and the horns didn't seem to be a bother. Except for one little guy who kept sticking his head thru the fence and ended up with a stick tapped between his horns with the black electric tape - worked great but looked silly. He couldn't get stuck in the fence after that. I also had them for fiber. Their fleece sure dyes up beautiful.
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I am really ignorant about angoras, and probably could just google this, but I will ask here:
How does one "harvest" the fleece? Is it clipped like a sheep? What kind of clipper is used, if so? (Is it the same as a sheep shearer's clipper?)
I have contemplated getting an angora myself and breeding nigoras because they are so dang cute and you can get milk and fiber in one adorable fluffy goat! Getting one will not be easy though as I am sure I would have to ship one here. Let us know if you have any success finding one and where you get it from!
I had a couple of angora goats quite a few years ago - kept with my romney sheep as I didn't have the NG then.
I never found them to be lacking of vigor or hardiness, and they never seemed the least bit pushy to the sheep. They were very easy to get along with and the horns didn't seem to be a bother. Except for one little guy who kept sticking his head thru the fence and ended up with a stick tapped between his horns with the black electric tape - worked great but looked silly. He couldn't get stuck in the fence after that. I also had them for fiber. Their fleece sure dyes up beautiful.
I'm not much help on the information front, but I CAN make your pictures easy to see! :)
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