Читать книгу Raising Goats For Dummies - Cheryl K. Smith - Страница 82

If you are a home spinner or want to get your own supply of fiber, consider the fiber goats. Angoras produce the fiber called mohair, which is a silky fiber used in many products. Cashmere, produced by the cashmere goat, is an even more exotic fiber and is in high demand. It comes from the undercoat of these goats.

Fiber goats, if you properly care for them, take a bit more work than some of the other goats. You can choose from medium to small goats in a variety of colors. If you want meat, some of these are dual-purpose goats.

A number of registries exist for fiber goats, mostly depending on the breed, but in two cases specifically for colored fiber goats. These include the American Angora Goat Breeders Association (AAGBA), the Cashmere Goat Association (CGA), the Pygora Breeders Association (PBA), the PCA Goat Registry, and the Colored Angora Goat Breeders Association (CAGBA).

While CAGBA is only for Angoras, the PCA Goat Registry is hybrid-based, registering goats whose parents are already registered by CAGBA, PBA, NPGA, and AAGBA.

In the upcoming sections, I tell you about the choices you have in fiber goats and some of the pros and cons of each.