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Author Topic: Another breed of goat to keep  (Read 3773 times)

laurelrus

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Quainton,Buckinghamshire
  • Hobby farmer
Another breed of goat to keep
« on: July 30, 2015, 08:59:43 am »
We are very fond of our two pygmy goats and now that we know we're 'goat people' we're thinking perhaps of getting a few of another breed (in another paddock would be fine if that's the right thing to do).

We would like to be productive in some way from our smallholding but don't want to raise animals for meat. We have chickens for eggs and are doing well with our vegetable garden, so I'm wondering if possibly we could keep goats for their fibre? We both work so I'm not suggesting earning a large income from them, but a small contribution would be very helpful.

We did look into getting alpacas but decided against those. I googled goats yesterday and saw cashmere goats in the USA and angora goats here.

If anyone can help me learn whether this is a good idea or a silly one I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks very much

2 pygmy goats, 3 Ouessant sheep, 19 chickens, 2 donkeys, 2 Shetland ponies and 2 dogs

cuckoo

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: Another breed of goat to keep
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2015, 10:10:40 am »
Hi - Angora goats can be kept for their fibre - they are lovely animals - google the British Angora Goat Society for starters - feel free to pm me and I can give you some pointers - wethers would be a good start

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Another breed of goat to keep
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2015, 03:56:43 pm »
Yup Angoras.  :goat: :goat: :goat:
Delightful creatures, beautiful fleece. I have 2 weathers and I am about to get 3 in kid does.  I know a lady who is dispersing her very good quality flock if you want to PM me.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Another breed of goat to keep
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2015, 04:14:35 pm »
Well you better learn to clip/shear then.... Angoras need shearing and one thing to remember is that they have (reputably) awful feet. So if your ground is quite wet/clay then you may have constant problems. One angora breeder (fairly local to me) just told me - their hooves/feet grow at the same rate as their fleece and hers refuse to go outside from October until May...

With any goat breeding enterprise (other than pygmy) the question of eating one of them comes up - excess male kids from a diary breed, Angora wethers at the end of their useful (fleece) life, so you will have to think about it. Better to do it before you get another type/breed of goat.


pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Another breed of goat to keep
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2015, 10:36:09 am »
Well you better learn to clip/shear then.... Angoras need shearing and one thing to remember is that they have (reputably) awful feet. So if your ground is quite wet/clay then you may have constant problems. One angora breeder (fairly local to me) just told me - their hooves/feet grow at the same rate as their fleece and hers refuse to go outside from October until May...

With any goat breeding enterprise (other than pygmy) the question of eating one of them comes up - excess male kids from a diary breed, Angora wethers at the end of their useful (fleece) life, so you will have to think about it. Better to do it before you get another type/breed of goat.

Yes all good points from Anke.  The lady I mentioned would certainly make sure you had thought it through before selling you any. But you are in Buckinghamshire which is as good as it gets in the UK for weather, and I don't have to many problems with it where I am. Mine have access to a goat house but are only shut in overnight in extreme weather, which here is about 10 nights a year!  Had them 5 years, no feet problems but it is very dry here. I have recently found a new shearer as previous one is retiring but it can be difficult to get one due to only having a few goats and not all sheep shearer so will do them ( more tricky).

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Another breed of goat to keep
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2015, 01:28:24 pm »
Angoras need hard feed all year round to keep condition and grow all that lovely fleece so it's hard to make any profit from them unless your going to sell processed goods.

And mine do have foot problems although they are improving. :fc:

cuckoo

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: Another breed of goat to keep
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2015, 10:39:10 pm »
Angoras are a lovely breed.  I got my first ones two years ago and when I first got them there was some problems with some of the feet.  However I think that was because they had to be kept separate from the rest of my herd until they had had their CAE accreditation tests so wintered in a field which was wetter than I would have liked.  However, since then haven't really had any problems - the only thing is the feet I have found are easier to accidentally trim too much off the sole and make them bleed. 

Ours have been fed a goat grower finisher - I agree they need hard feed all year round. Also in order to prevent contamination of the fibre you need to think of a way to feed the hay rather than an over head feeder.  I note at shows people have used large gauge mesh bend into a circle about 3ft high stood on the ground.

They need shearing twice a year - this is harder than it looks but not impossible!

There is a good group called http://www.angoragoats.org.uk/ Welsh and West Angora Goat Club

gillsta

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Methlick Aberdeenshire
  • Gillsta
    • Facebook
Re: Another breed of goat to keep
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2015, 11:27:54 am »
Angoras sound really nice and I wish you luck if you do get some. I cant see what hassle it would be to shear them if you only have a couple. 
Showing and breeding Pygmy Goats
Always room for another goat as he will never notice

 

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