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Author Topic: Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats  (Read 5343 times)

Foel Isaf

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Gwynedd
Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats
« on: August 24, 2015, 08:44:18 pm »
Having tried some conventional shearing blades on our angoras for a split second we resorted to some small Liveryman  clippers, this took ages to shear them but it was our first time. No injury was caused to any of the goats who stood upright in their goat stand which I designed and made - thinking that the first goat to use it would reduce it to matchwood! As our next shear approaches we have purchased the horse clipper head from Sure Clip for the main 350 watt power house, brilliant bit of kit, a broad head which will get the fleece of far quicker _ also brilliant for dagging those important little places and absolutely no danger of cutting them. For anyone who wants to shear their own angoras it really is easy and so much safer

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2015, 12:31:07 pm »
 :wave:
How many angoras do you have?

I'm shearing mine this week.
 I use jakoti hand shears.  Do the horse clippers cope alright with the thick greasy fleece.  It's quite different to horse hair. 
The problem I have is getting them to stop fidgetting.  .Even in the head stock they can still move their back ends around a lot

laurelrus

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Quainton,Buckinghamshire
  • Hobby farmer
Re: Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2015, 04:50:09 pm »
I was interested to read this post as we are just thinking we'd like to get some Angora goats. How many do you have? Do you spin the fleece yourself? Do you have any wisdom to pass on before we get them?!
Thanks
2 pygmy goats, 3 Ouessant sheep, 19 chickens, 2 donkeys, 2 Shetland ponies and 2 dogs

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2015, 12:37:16 pm »
Sorry, not ignoring you, just shearing takes all my time and energy for the week and I was ill one day so feel extra zapped.

How many are you thinking of getting,
 how much ground do you have
Do you spin, weave, have friends who do
Have you visited anyone with angoras and met some up close.

They are more delicate than dairy goats, I can't compare with pygmies as I have no experience of them.
There's lots of info online or ask any questions and I'll try to answer.

I've got 15 atm and started showing this year which is fun and a good way to meet other owners.
I do spin but haven't yet had much experience with the mohair.  There's not enough hours in the week for all I'm trying to do.

Foel Isaf

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Gwynedd
Re: Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2015, 05:37:31 pm »
:wave:
How many angoras do you have?

I'm shearing mine this week.
 I use jakoti hand shears.  Do the horse clippers cope alright with the thick greasy fleece.  It's quite different to horse hair. 
The problem I have is getting them to stop fidgetting.  .Even in the head stock they can still move their back ends around a lot

Hi dogwalker,
we have trained our guys to stand in the custom made goat stand I designed for them, with detachable sides which only allow them a very small fidget space.

The joy with the horse clippers is that you can run them right against the skin with no fear of cutting so this reaches the clean as yet unsullied hair. I have never clipped horses but do keep them
Hope this helps?
Kind regards
Mandy

Foel Isaf

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Gwynedd
Re: Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2015, 05:50:51 pm »
I was interested to read this post as we are just thinking we'd like to get some Angora goats. How many do you have? Do you spin the fleece yourself? Do you have any wisdom to pass on before we get them?!
Thanks

Hi there seems to be a dirth of definitive information about keeping angora goats, but I'll try and pass on what we have learnt.

Our main herd now have a very large building from which they can free range, this was basically once a silage pit with 12 foot cement and dry stone wall, my husband has created a full roof and they have boulders lining the inside to sleep and relax on, these also keep their hooves in trim to quite an extent. In the summer the front is fully open in the winter a wall and door are introduced. We deep litter them in the winter constantly topping up with straw. Its important to keep their bedroom area as dry as possible as otherwise they easily get foot infections.

They are far more delicate than dairy goats and need to have access to shelter at all times, they will go out in the rain if its light but their heavy fleece quickly can become waterlogged if exposed to heavy rain.

Need to keep the fleece as clean as possible so either make a circular straight sided hayrack - with 2mm security 4 inch mesh or construct a straight sided hay rack, they like to reach up to feed to raise it off the ground.

We feed them twice a day with a standard course mix in two very long low troughs and supplement with red rockies and salt lick.

In the summer we crovect them twice firstly April and then August, we also worm them with LA Cydactin (Inject) liver fluke them (some of our ground is damp) and check their feet for rot. We Lambivac every year.

They are very easy to train to the bucket and very very friendly, they all have their own personalities. I designed my own goat stand as they are easy to handle as kids but do get heavy. They happily queue to take their turn to walk up the ramp, put their head through the yoke and munch on muesli while we clip, trim inject etc.

Its important to de dag them in the warm weather as blow flies are attracted to mucky bots and wilhelms.

We clean process and spin etc our own fleece. If you would like to contact directly I can be reached on celticmohair@gmail.com more than happy to help if I can in any way as we had bad advice at first.

Kind regards
Mandy

kelly58

  • Joined Mar 2013
  • Highlands, Scotland
  • Home is were my animals are.
Re: Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2015, 06:43:27 pm »
Sorry to jump in on your post but has anyone ever used horse clippers on their sheep ?  :sheep:

Foel Isaf

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Gwynedd
Re: Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats
« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2015, 10:14:27 am »
I don't see why they wouldn't work for sheep, it does take a lot longer but the there are very few seconds. We do not start to shear from the conventional down the front but from the shoulder line as this gives access to the fleece directly against the skin and once this is established its easy - certainly for angoras.

Hope that helps a bit?
Mandy

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Excellent clippers for 'shearing' Angora goats
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2015, 07:05:00 am »
I have used my lister horse clippers on the sheep this year.  I bought a set of wizard blades which have fewer teeth than the course horse ones.  They leave a longer fleece stubble than sheep shears so I could apply clik straight away without having to wait for some regrowth.  The downside is less fleece for the hand spinners, not a problem with longer wooled breeds.

 

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