Looking for a new friendly pet that isn’t a dog or a cat? Or, perhaps you are looking to tap into the mohair market to turn a profit. Either way, Angora goats are spectacular additions to any homestead.
With the proper care and maintenance, housing this breed of goat will positively contribute to your homestead.
Since they are excellent grazers and have friendly personalities, they remain one of the most desired goat breeds. Their long history is telling of their value.
Read on to learn more about what Angora goats are, how to care for them, breeding information, and their popular mohair.
What Are Angora Goats?
Angora goats, native to Turkey with a history going back to Biblical times, are smaller farm animals that resemble sheep in their wool.
Due to their long history and high profitability rates, these animals were imported from Asia Minor to Europe, the United States, and more.
These wonderful animals are most known for their mohair, a durable, smooth, and resilient material made from Angora’s mohair.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a high demand for their mohair to make certain textiles.
Furthermore, Angora goats range in color from black, white, tan, gray, red, or a slight mix of some of these colors. This adds to the value of their mohair.
Since these animals are on the smaller side, they come in at around 70-100 pounds once they are mature.
We will see later in this article that they need more protection from predators and other animals due to their size and docile nature.
Whether you want a new furry friend added to your family, sell their mohair, or even use them to help maintain your pastures, Angora goats are great animals.
What is the Angora Goat Used For?
Primarily, Angora goats are used for their mohair. Their coats can produce a material called mohair that can be spun into yarn or fabric.
Additionally, mohair is extremely durable which makes it a popular material for winter clothing such as sweaters, hats, gloves, etc.
Because of its smooth properties, mohair can be easily dyed and hold its color rather well.
The luster and sheen of mohair in addition to how it holds the dye makes beautiful, vibrant textiles.
Although these goats are mostly known for their mohair, they can are also a source of milk and meat.
However, other, larger farm animals are better suited for producing milk and meat such as sheep, cows, or other breeds of goats.
For example, an Angora’s fat percentage in milk is, on average, around 5.5% but lacks other nutritional values that are abundant in other goat’s milk.
Further, Angora goats need extra nutritional sustenance to produce enough milk for their young, let alone their caretakers.
Similarly, their meat is pleasant, but there are other animals out there with more desirable meat properties.
Let’s take a look at Angora goat properties in more depth.
Are Angora Goats Good for Meat?
The Angora goat breed does produce good meat and is even considered a delicacy in some areas.
However, they are not profitable for their meat as other goat breeds and farm animals produce more nutrient-filled meat than this breed of goat.
The most desirable meat from this breed comes from the younger Angora goats. Typically, younger meat is more tender.
The meat is thinner and has a lower dressing percentage than other sheep or goats fed similarly.
Do Angora Goats Make Good Pets?
Due to their docile, friendly nature, Angoras make great pets! They are safe to have around children with your supervision and they will not disturb or agitate your other farm animals.
If you are looking at adopting an Angora goat as a pet, it will be a fun addition to your family.
However, because they are incredibly docile and relaxed, they do need more protection from predators and your other farm animals if you have more spunky, easily annoyed animals.
Make sure to keep the personalities of your other animals in mind before adopting one of these goats.
If needed, you will need to supervise the Angoras when you let them graze.
That being said, if you live in a region where predators such as wolves, coyotes, etc. are common, you might want to consider building a secure fence system in addition to keeping your eyes peeled.
Are Angora Goats Profitable?
Angora goats are extremely profitable, primarily for their mohair. Since mohair is the primary selling point for these goats, you can get your bang for your buck.
Typically, Angoras produce 5-10 pounds of mohair each time they are sheared twice a year.
Shearing younger Angora goats are even more desirable since their mohair is at its softest when they’re young.
This is true because the softness of their fleece will coarsen with age.
As stated previously, this material is extremely popular for winter garments such as sweaters, hats, gloves, socks, etc., but it is also popular for making pelts and rugs.
The durable properties of mohair allow the rug to last years more than other materials.
If you’re looking to make a profit from meat or milk, consider purchasing other goat or sheep breeds.
Buying Angoras: How Much Are Angora Goats?
This breed of goat can range anywhere from $300-$600+. Of course, this depends on the sex, color, and age of the goat.
Colored Angra goats (red, tan, brown, black, and gray) typically cost more.
In addition, if you are a breeder, good, strong, healthy male goats might cost more depending on how you want the breeding process to go.
That being said, it is essential to go through a credible Angora goat breeder.
Since this breed is highly susceptible to diseases, the breeder needs to take excellent care of these animals.
Caring for Angora Goats
In terms of care, these goats need more than other breeds. They can live in any climate, but they need special attention, especially in the winter months.
Let’s take a look at some of the care necessities for Angora goats.
Goat Shelter
If you live in an area that is typically damp or experiences heavy rain, building or purchasing a raised shelter is worth it.
A raised shelter helps keep the goats, their bedding, and their overall environment safe and dry. These animals are at high risk for internal parasites and need that dry environment to stay healthy.
Additionally, many farmers lose their Angora goats due to cold temperatures. If these goats are kidding or freshly shorn, they need extra warmth and dryness.
Regardless of whether the goat is male, female, young, or old, this breed is not hardy when it comes to colder weather.
Make sure to take extra precautions such as routinely changing out the bedding (hay, straw, etc), airing out the shelter, and even laying extra bedding if the temperature drops.
Ensure that the shelter has proper ventilation.
Additionally, their shelter and grazing areas need to be well protected. For example, consider building a woven wire fence that is at least 4 feet tall so the goats and other animals do not jump over it.
Food & Water for Your Angora Goats
Luckily, these animals love to graze. They get most of their nutrients from green grasses, leaves, hay, etc.
Providing some additional nutrients and vitamins through rolled grain or free-choice mineral mixtures is also beneficial.
These goats need a well-rounded diet. In other words, they need the right amount of protein, carbs, supplements, and other nutrients to produce good fibers and kids.
Feed must contain at least 20-25% protein to keep their bodies strong and produce sleek full coats.
During the breeding season, female and male goats need an extra boost in their diet.
Put some more carbs via grain into their meals alongside some extra protein to ensure improved stamina and overall health.
For water, they need a constant supply of fresh clean water. A lot of diseases can be spread if the water isn’t changed regularly.
You can consider purchasing an automatic water dispenser or a simple trough or raised water bowls will suffice.
Physical Care of Your Angora Goat
The biggest theme for taking care of Angora goats is cleanliness. This breed is not hardy and needs more attention than other farm animals.
For example, their coats need to be regularly cleared of hay, brambles, and other debris so as to not affect their natural properties and value (if you are maintaining them for profit).
Additionally, their hooves need to be trimmed around every six weeks.
If you invest in concrete or hardwood flooring for their shelter or a portion of their free-range area, it will help with filing down their hooves.
Since these animals are susceptible to internal and external parasites, regular bodily grooming is absolutely essential.
Regular bathing in livestock/goat shampoo is sufficient. Simply wet the goat, lather, and rinse.
You will also want to brush them regularly. You should use a hard brush for Angora goats to properly and efficiently get all of the debris out and take gentle care of the coat.
Finally, routine vet visits are a must. We can’t say this enough, these goats are at high risk for internal and external parasites.
Consult your local farm animal vet to get your goats up to date on vaccines and regular checkups.
Getting Fiber from Angora Goats
Angoras are the most efficient fiber producers of most goat breeds. To get fiber from Angora goats, you must maintain a healthy diet and safe shelter for these animals.
The hormones that these goats produce affect the quality of the mohair once shorn.
Adult Angora goats are typically shorn twice a year and can produce anywhere from 5-10 or 10-20 pounds depending on sex and the overall health of the animal.
When you shear these goats, make sure they are washed and completely dry 24 hours before your shear them.
This ensures quality yield and clears the coat from any dirt, brambles, and other debris that might affect the quality.
Breeding Angora Goats
Breeding for this breed of goats is a careful process. If you plan on breeding the goats or looking into certified breeders, consider the following actions.
For every 20 female goats, you must have one male.
Having more than one male for every 20 females will cause complications in the breeding process, such as aggression.
That being said, the health of the male is extremely important.
Ensure that he has the proper nutrients when it is breeding season and keep the male away from the females when you are not breeding.
Males will run with the females during the breeding season for about 2-3 months. During that time, females will have their cycles every 19-21 days.
It has also been observed that peak ovulation tends to occur during the autumn months.
As stated previously, both male and female breeding goats need extra sustenance during this season through carbs, protein, and additional vitamins.
Consult your vet for recommendations.
Kids are usually born in the late winter or early spring months such as February to May. Angora goat kids are extremely delicate.
Since they are being born during the colder months (compared to summer), you need to provide extra warmth and maintenance for the young.
Angora Goat Lifespan
On average, Angora goats can live for up to 10 years. Farmers that plan on breeding them can use them for kids up to two years before their assumed deaths.
Angora Goats Conclusion
If you’re looking for a new farm animal to add to your homestead with a long, rich history and the best mohair in town, Angora goats may be right for you.
These goats are extremely profitable for their mohair, but they also make fantastic pets as well.
Their friendly, gentle personalities will brighten up any homestead.
They come in a wide variety of colors, white being the most common, and don’t take up a lot of space because of their size.
If you have the capacity and attentiveness to properly care for these delicate animals, find a certified Angora goat breeder.
Ensuring that they are parasite free and have 24/7 access to nutrient-rich food and clean water is a necessity.
Consult your local vet for more information and advice on where to start your Angora goat flock.
