Angora goat

This is an Angora goat.

These goats come from Turkey. Most of them are white. Some are black, brown, or grey.

They have long, curly hair. This hair is used to make soft cloth. People shear the hair twice every year. This means they cut it off. The hair is very shiny. Some goats have long hair and a soft undercoat. These goats are very pretty to see.

The Angora goat comes from Turkey.

These goats are slender and light. Most are white. Some are black, brown, or grey.

They have long, curly hair. We call this hair mohair. This hair is very shiny. The goat has a special undercoat. This is a soft layer of hair under the outer coat. It grows much longer than the hair on other goats.

People use these goats in two ways. Some people want the mohair. They get it by shearing. Shearing means cutting the hair off. They do this twice every year. In 2010, South Africa made half of the world's mohair. Other places like Argentina also make it.

Some people keep goats for meat. This meat is soft and tender. In the early 1900s, people said it was the best. In 1960, Turkey had 6 million Angora goats. The number dropped after that. A group started a plan to help them in 2003.

The Angora goat is a special breed from Turkey.

These goats are famous for making a shiny fiber. This fiber is called mohair. People around the world use it for many things. Many other goat breeds come from the Angora. These include the Indian Mohair and the Soviet Mohair. The Pygora is another breed found in the United States.

These goats have a very unique way they grow hair. Most of their body is covered in long, curly ringlets. This outer coat is the shiny mohair. They also have a soft undercoat. This undercoat grows much longer than the hair on other goats. This is a special trait for this breed. Most goats do not have this long undercoat. The goats are usually white. In southern Turkey, they can be black, brown, or grey.

We do not know exactly where the Angora goat began.

A man named Pierre Belon wrote about them in 1555. He saw them while traveling in southern Turkey. He said their white wool was very delicate. He thought it was finer than silk. These goats were even on Turkish money. They were on the 50 lira banknote from 1938 to 1952.

Farmers use these goats in two main ways. Some farmers want the soft mohair. They get it by shearing the goat. This means they cut the hair off twice a year. Other farmers raise them for meat. This meat is described as succulent and tender. In the early 1900s, it was called the best meat in the world.

Numbers tell us how these goats live in the world. In 1960, Turkey had over 6 million Angora goats. The number of goats dropped a lot after that. In 2004, only about 5% of Turkey's goats were Angoras. A plan to help them started in 2003. In 2010, South Africa made half of all the world's mohair. Argentina and Lesotho were also big producers. The United States and Australia make mohair too.

The Angora goat is a specific breed of domesticated goat from Turkey.

This breed is highly valued for producing a lustrous fiber called mohair. Because of its unique qualities, the Angora is widespread in many different countries. It has also served as the ancestor for several other goat breeds. These include the Indian Mohair and the Soviet Mohair. Other descendants include the Angora-Don of the Russian Federation and the Pygora in the United States.

Physically, the Angora goat is a moderately small and slender animal. It has a light frame and a small head with semi-lop ears. Most Angora goats are horned. In males, known as billies, the horns are often long, strong, and twisted. The goat is almost entirely covered in long, curly ringlets of fine mohair. This coat covers everything except for the face and the legs. While most goats are white, some can be black, brown, or grey. These colored goats are especially common in southern Turkey.

The hair of an Angora goat has a very specific structure. It consists of an outer coat and an undercoat. The outer coat is the shiny mohair that people use for textiles. This breed is unique because it also grows a down or undercoat. In the Angora, this undercoat grows much longer than the outer hair coat. This combination of layers is a trait not seen in other breeds. This structure is what makes their fiber so distinctive.

Humans use Angora goats for two primary purposes: mohair production and meat. To get mohair, farmers use a process called shearing. Shearing involves cutting the hair off the animal, usually twice per year. This is different from obtaining cashmere, which comes from combing a goat's coat. While mohair is not as fine as cashmere, it provides much higher yields. Some farmers also raise the goats for their meat. In the early twentieth century, this meat was described as the best in the world because it was succulent and tender.

We do not know the exact origin of the Angora goat. However, we have written records of them from several centuries ago. The earliest Western description comes from Pierre Belon in 1555. He was traveling from Heraclea to Konya in southern Turkey when he saw them. He described their snow-white wool as being incredibly delicate. He even suggested that the wool might be finer than silk. The importance of the breed was even reflected in Turkish currency. Angora goats appeared on the reverse of the 50 lira banknote from 1938 to 1952.

The population of these goats has changed significantly over time. In 1960, Turkey had a population of over 6 million Angora goats. Following that time, the population dropped sharply. By 2004, the total goat population in Turkey was approximately 7.2 million. At that time, just over 5% of those goats were Angora stock. The rest were hair goats. Because the numbers fell, a conservation programme was established in 2003 to help the breed.

Mohair production is now a global industry with specific major players. In 2010, South Africa was responsible for approximately half of all mohair production. Other major producers included Argentina and Lesotho. The United States, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand also contribute to the global supply. This widespread production shows how important the Angora goat is to the global textile industry.