A284
Goats - Angora (Mohair) Production

origin | the angora in the united states | characteristics | fleece and fiber | mohair grades |

Geographic Home: The native home of the Angora goat is in the area of Asia Minor.  This region is mountainous, ranging in elevation from 2,000 to 4,000 feet and lying south of the Black Sea. Angora is the primary city and is approximately 200 miles from the sea and 225 miles southeast from Constantinople. The climate where the Angora originated has wide extremes of heat and cold. The temperatures can range from zero in January and February, and rise to the high 80’s in the mid summer months of July and August. Rainfall is minimal and the soil, poor with little forage for grazing.  Historians assume that the Angora goat most likely inhabited this region for many centuries, dating back prior to the Christian time period.  While the climate may seem harsh for any animal husbandry, in actuality it was most suitable for the production of fine quality hair or mohair.

Origin: Most agrarian historians claim that the history of the Angora is somewhat obscure.  There are some ten species of wild goats in Europe and Asia, and these are divided into two groups: one, the ibexes; the other, the goats proper.  The former are distinguished by horns "flat in front, with horizontal triangular sections, fixed with large transversal knots," while the latter have horns that are "compressed and carinated in front, with a well developed keel, and with a rounded formation behind."  Among the goats are two subspecies: Capra falconeri and Capra agragrus.  The latter is known as the Bezoar goat, or wild goat of Persia, and is generally accepted as the goat from which the Angora is descended.

Mohair: Mohair is the name that was given to the fiber grown by the Angora goat.  The word "mohair" is derived from the French "mohere," and primarily from the Arabic "mukhayyar," meaning mohair cloth.  The Turks have raised Angora goats for over 2,000 years. The original Angora type has been changed to the point that no "pure-blood" Angoras remain in the world. This is primarily due to the Turks crossing their purebred flocks with the common "Kurd" animals.  This crossing has coarsened the hair. Two distinct types of hair are now produced even on the best Angoras: primarily, the soft wool-hair and the undesirable stiff beard-hair.  Mohair is notable for its strength and high luster.

The Angora in the United States: Angora goats were introduced to the United States in 1849, when the Sultan of Turkey presented Dr. James B. Davis of Columbia, South Carolina, with nine highly bred animals, two bucks and seven does.  Expansion from the Davis flock eventually led to the establishment of many flocks in the United States. John S. Harris of California and Dr. W. C. Bailey, also of California, helped to establish the Angora goat in the far west between the years of 1897 and 1901. The importations in the early 1900’s originated from the Republic of South Africa because in the late 1800’s the Turkish government banned the export of further Angoras. 

By 1900 it was estimated that nearly 900,000 head of Angoras were in the United States, with about a third of those numbers in the state of Texas.  In 1900 the American Angora Goat Breeders’ Association was founded in Kansas City, Missouri for the purpose of beginning a purebred registry for Angoras.  In 1922 this registry merged with the National Angora Goat Raisers’ Association, and in 1926 the association offices were relocated to Texas, where it remains today.

Characteristics of the Angora Goat: The head from the eyes down is covered with white hair, the lower jaw having a beard of fine hair.  Horns are found on both male and female animals. Horns on the male may be 18-20 inches long, turning upward and outward, with a backward spiral twist, and the tips widely separated. The horns of the female (doe), which can attain a length of over 10 inches, grow upward and point backward, but with only a minor twist.  Generally, the ears of the Angora are large, six to eight inches long, and usually drop downward.  In some cases, however, the ears can be fox-like, short and pointed.  Judges like a pink skin free of spotting. The eye should be bright and of good size.  The chest should be full, the shoulders well laid, and the back straight and level, while the legs are short.  The tendency for steepness of the rump is often criticized, but should not be the deciding factor on overall quality. 

When it comes to temperament, the breed is very quiet and easily handled and managed. At times, the breed can appear to be extremely timid and susceptible to injury and/or predation.  The musky odor of the common goat is not usually prevalent. The only exception to this would be with male animals, primarily during the breeding season. The Angora goat is a small breed, when compared to sheep and dairy goats.  Because of genetic selection and available nutrition, considerable variation in the size of goats exists.  Generally, mature bucks will range in weight from 180 to 225 pounds.  Does can range in mature body weight from 70 to 110 pounds.

Fleece and Fiber of the Angora: The hair or fiber is perhaps the most noticeable feature of the Angora.  Mohair differs from wool because it has no exterior scales and does not possess the same felting properties.  It also has a silky sheen quality, which is what makes mohair so valuable.  In many markets of the world, the greater the luster, the higher the market value.  The fleece should be pure white and completely cover the body from belly to back, head, neck and sides.  The denser the fleece, the higher the yield of this valued fiber.  Generally, the head should be crowned with a topknot, which falls into ringlets over the face or projects over the forehead. Mohair can grow in length to over 10 inches during a year and hangs in ringlets, which should be well formed from the surface of the skin. The tighter the ringlets and twist, the more desirable the fleece.  If a fleece is loose, and only slightly wavy, it is objectionable.  Animals producing coarse, brittle fiber, and fleeces lacking luster should be culled and not retained for breeding.

Mohair is coarser than most wool from the fine and medium breeds, but it is longer and stronger than those types of wool.  Some Angoras have produced over 8 pounds of fiber; however, an average fleece weighs about 4 pounds. Shearing is recommended twice a year to avoid the natural tendency of mohair to cott or tangle. Usually, April and September are the recommended months to shear Angoras. The kemp fiber, which can be found on the coarser breeds of sheep, can also be found on Angora goats.  Because it is coarse and will not take dyes, kemp is an objectionable fiber.  It is assumed that the presence of kemp on an Angora is due to the genetic influence of the common goat.  Careful selection of breeding sires and dams can easily reduce the presence of kemp.

Official Grease Mohair Grades: The official USDA grades for grease mohair and the specifications are identified in the following table. However, mohair which qualifies for any of the grades on the basis of its average fiber diameter but whose standard deviation of average fiber diameter exceeds the maximum permitted for that grade, will be assigned a dual grade designation. In these cases, the first designation will indicate the grade based on the average fiber diameter and the second designation will be that of the next coarser grade.