Skin and fleece characteristics of two groups of feral goats

Abstract

Fibre and skin data were obtained from two groups of Australian feral goats that displayed obvious undercoats of cashmere. Similar goats are used as foundation stock in Angora and cashmere goat breeding enterprises. Mean length and diameter of cashmere fibre in one group of 62 does were 5.5 cm and 15.9 µm, respectively. Follicle density on their ten-month-old progeny was 22.9/mm2. In the second group of 16 goats located at latitude 33°S, fibre was sampled over the period April to September. Maximum cashmere length was obtained in May and moulting occurred from July to September.