Sales List

I've been getting a lot of questions in E-mail about raising, managing and marketing Angora Goats.  So, I'm going to start putting information here to save all of you time in waiting on my responses to E-mail.

If you don't see an answer to a question you have here, send me E-mail.  I'll be happy to reply if I can help.

This is still in development, I'll keep working on it as time permits.

1.  Information on Angora Goats

    1.1  Web Sites on Angora Goats

    1.2  Books on Angora Goats

2.  Feeding

    2.1 Grain, pellets

    2.2 Hay

    2.3 Pasture

3.  Health

    3.1 Worming

4.  Housing

5.  Terms

1.  Information on Angora Goats

    1.1  Web Sites on Angora Goats

1. CAGBA: Colored Angora Goat Breeders Association
2. TAGRA: Texas Angora Goat Raisers Association, White Goats
3. International Mohair Association
4. About Angora Goats
5. Goat Farmer Magazine
6. About Angora Goats, Hill Shepherd Farm
7. The Mohair Farm of France
8. About Angoras, Oklahoma State University
9. National Agricultural Library
10. "The Angora Goat", Margaret Peels
11. Utah's Hogle Zoo
12. Angora Goat Raising for Fiber Production, Pamala Matlak

    1.2  Books on Angora Goats

1. "Angora's the Northern Way" Author: Sue Drummond. This is a wonderful reference for novice goat owners.  It covers the unique conditions for handling goats in colder climates.
2. "All about Angora Goats and Mohair" Author E. Dean Edwards, July 1987
3. "Goat Song" Author: Susan Clark Basquin, August 2000
4. "Nutrient Requirements of Goats" Author National Research Council, January 1981
5. "All about Angora Goats and Mohair" Author E. Dean Edwards, July 1987
6. "Angora Goat and Mohair Production" Author Maurice Shelton, September 1993
7. "Angora Goat, Its History and Management" Author Mitcham Stephan

2.  Feeding

1. What do Angora Goats eat? The goats will do well on the grass pasture but they will love any wooded area. A couple of years in a wooded area and it will look like a park. They love leafy vegetation like poison ivy, poison oak, florabunda, wild roses, wild raspberries, etc. They will also eat pasture grasses as well. We also feed grain throughout the year. Some breeders do not feed grain all year.

    2.1 Grain, pellets

1. Adult Angora Goats do well on a 12% protein feed.  They love sweet feeds, but eat pellets, especially if that's what they are raised with.
2. We start our kids on a higher protein pellet feed when they are weaned, usually a Lamb Starter from 60 - 120 days old.  We convert them to a grain mix like the adults use at about 4-6 months, usually mixing it with the pellets for several weeks.
3. We feed a mix that we have made at our local feed mill. It consist of oats, corn, soybean meal, some vitamins, salt, cattle finishers, etc.  It's a special mix that's designed to complement our pasture protein.  The books have recommendations and we can provide our formula mix upon request.

    2.2 Hay

1. Hay needs to be relatively free of dust and mold.  Goats are not as sensitive as horses, but are more sensitive than cattle.  They tend to pick through stemmy hay, like grasses and clover.  Avoid hay that is overly rich, such as pure alfalfa.  The goats do better with less protein in their hay and do well on free choice.  We prefer to have several feeders scattered around so they can browse, stretch and walk. 
2. They prefer hay in feeders.  They will eat hay off the ground, but trample and waste a lot. 
3. Use Feeders with narrow spaced bars, small enough they can't get their heads inside.  Other goats will butt them while eating and can injure a goat that's stuck in a feeder.  Watch kid goats who can get their heads in small spaces and get trapped.

    2.3 Pasture

1. Angora Goats love a variety in their pasture.  They do well in wooded areas, preferring leafy plants like wild raspberries, poison ivy, multiflora roses and small trees.  They will usually avoid weeds and noxious and poisonous plants such as nightshade as long as there is other vegetation.  They will graze on pasture, preferring to browse and pick as they move around.  They don't like strawberries and have sometimes been used to "weed" the strawberry patch of grasses. 
2. It's usually a good idea to move them around and rotate pastures if possible.  This helps prevent parasites and improves health.  Goats love variety and will usually eat along fence lines.  For them, the grass is always greener on the other side!

3.  Health

1. Angora Goats are generally thrifty animals able to thrive in a wide variety of climates and situations.   They are fairly docile as a breed, rarely butt people and are fairly calm in their home environment.  A healthy Angora Goat will be eating, chewing cud or socializing most of the time.  Watch for changes in behavior as an indication to changing health.  The first signs of illness are usually loss of appetite, followed by diarrhea or listlessness.  Most medications and prescriptions are similar to sheep.   In our experience, Colored Angoras tend to be a little more thrifty than the white ones.  Blacks tend to be more thrifty than others, also a little more aggressive, faster and jump higher.

    3.1 Worming

1. Angora Goats will need to be wormed.  The style and frequency depends upon your pastures, feeding methods and number of goats.   Worm burden can be seen as diarrhea, edema (water retained in sacks) along the ribs, chest and belly.  It's often difficult to notice edema on goats with long hair.  Watch billies and wethers since the edema can sometimes impede urination. 

1. Wormers need to be rotated.  Worms become resistant to the chemicals in wormers, so change them from time to time.  We use Panacur, Ivomectin and Tramasol.  Sometimes if a goat is not responding to a specific wormer, we will try another.  We use Tramasol twice a year since it is more effective on lung worms.
2. Coccidia is another parasite to which goats are susceptible.   All goats carry the parasite in small quantities.  When a goat is under stress, it presents as diarrhea, lethargy and, untreated the symptoms can cause death.  Corid is the most effective treatment, along with AlBon for particularly stubborn cases, or when diarrhea persists.   We treat our kids about 15-30 days after weaning with a Corid drench (orally using a syringe) for 5 days.  We treat adults by mixing it in their drinking water  for 5-7 days.  They often won't drink it the 1st day since it has a slightly bitter taste.  Make sure it's the only source of water so they are forced to drink it. 
3. Angora Goats can also carry lice.  It's a lice that does not transfer to humans.  Treatment is with a systemic (alcohol based) ivomec pour on administered 2-3 times per year.  Look for itching, rubbing or more advanced symptoms like worms or coccidia.
4. Stress tends to make the Angora Goat more susciptible to parasites.   This is true of anything that moves the goat out of its home environment, like shipping to new owners or to shows.   It's a good idea to worm or use Corid before or after transport.

4. Housing

1. Angora Goats need shelter from rain and cold.
2.  In Ohio, we will sometimes lock them up at in the winter during cold and rain.  They don't seem to mind snow, but won't usually bed on it.  Watch young or passive animals since they will often stay outside if the shelter is crowded.  Be particularly vigilant during baby season.  Wet babies can freeze quickly on cold windy days.
3. In Texas and warmer climates, goats often are housed outside with open shelters. 
4. Housing should be ample enough for the goats to  have space enough to spread out.  Nannies and babies usually sleep together, sometimes for generations.  It's not unusal to see several generations sleeping side by side.   We figure about 30 sq feet per goat and like 2 entrances so an aggressive goat doesn't block the only door.
5. Water buckets come in a lot of varieties.  5 gallon buckets are good for adults, but are too tall and deep for kid goats.  A kid can jump into the bucket and drown.   During kidding season, we

5. Terms

1. What is mohair roving? Roving is a "tube" or "rope" of fiber that is ready to spin or to be used for crafts.  The fiber has been cleaned washed and combed so that the fibers are generally parallel in the roving.
2. What is "Colored" mohair roving? Colored Mohair Roving is roving in it's natural color. Colored Mohair in our context means natural mohair that comes from our naturally colored Angora Goats. The color range available is light tan to light red to dark red to brown and silver (blue) to light grey to dark grey to black.
3. What is "Color Dyed" mohair roving? You can also get roving in "designer" colors (greens, blues, violets, etc.).  These are dyed by a variety of means (you can dye them the same way you do wool.  We do not carry color dyed mohair.  It's commercially available.
4. Are Guard animals necessary?  With coyotes and dogs, you may want to consider some type of guard animal - dog, llama, donkey. We have a llama but lots of people use guard dogs. I have met several people who have had the guard donkey but the reviews on them are rather mixed.  Dogs need separate feed.  Llamas and Donkeys exist well on pasture and can usually use the same feed, but check ingredients for any incompatibilities.