Cashmere goat

Some goats have very soft hair.

This soft hair is called cashmere. It grows when the days get short. It stays under their coarse hair. This helps keep the goats warm.

Many goats live in China. They produce a lot of this hair. Some goats also live in India.

Some goats have large, twisting horns. Many of these goats are white. Some are black, gray, or brown.

We use this soft hair for clothes. It feels very nice. Do you like soft things?

Cashmere goats are special animals. They grow a very soft undercoat. This soft hair is called cashmere. It grows as the days get shorter. The cashmere stays under a layer of coarse hair. This outer layer is called guard hair.

Most goats have this two-layer coat. But cashmere breeds are chosen for their soft hair. They make a lot of it. Many goats live in China. In 1994, China had 123 million goats. It is the largest producer of cashmere.

Some goats are very rare. The Changthangi goat is one kind. These goats live in places like India and Nepal. They have large, twisting horns. Most are white, but some are black or brown. Their hair is very fine. It is much thinner than other cashmere.

Other goats live in the desert. The Zalaa Jinst White goat lives in the Gobi Desert. It is the only all-white breed in Mongolia. These goats are very good at living in dry lands. Many different groups of goats make this soft wool.

Cashmere goats are special animals that produce very soft wool. This wool is a fine, downy undercoat that grows on their skin. It grows when the days get shorter. This soft layer stays under a layer of coarse hair called guard hair. Most common goats have two layers of hair like this. However, cashmere breeds are chosen for the quality of their soft down.

The way this wool grows is quite interesting. The coarse guard hair grows from primary follicles. The soft cashmere down grows from secondary follicles. These two types of hair work together to keep the goat warm. Most productive herds can produce about 250 grams of this down. The thickness of the hair is measured in microns, which is a very small unit. For example, some cashmere is only 15 microns in diameter.

Many different kinds of cashmere goats exist around the world. The name comes from the Himalayan region of Kashmir. In 1994, China was the largest producer of cashmere. China had about 123 million goats that year. Some goats, like the Liaoning goat, were selected in the 1960s. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture named that breed in 1984. Other breeds, like the Wuzhumuqin, began development in 1980.

Different places have their own special goat breeds. The Changthangi goat lives in places like Tibet, India, and Nepal. These goats have large, twisting horns. Their hair is very rare and very fine. In the Gobi Desert, the Zalaa Jinst White goat lives in the sand. It is the only breed in Mongolia that is entirely white. In China, the Hexi cashmere goat lives in desert regions. About 60% of those goats are white.

Learning about these goats helps us see how animals adapt to the world. Some goats, like the Inner Mongolia breed, live in dry desert pastures. Others, like the Tibetan Plateau goats, live in high mountain areas. In 1994, there were over 7 million goats on the Tibetan Plateau. These goats are used for their soft down. You might recognize cashmere from soft sweaters or warm scarves. These items come from the hard work of these many different goat breeds.

A cashmere goat is a specialized breed of goat used for producing cashmere. Cashmere is the fine, soft, and downy undercoat of the animal. This undercoat is highly valued for its commercial quality and quantity. While most common goats, such as dairy goats, possess a two-layered coat, cashmere breeds are specifically selected for their undercoat. This soft layer grows as the days get shorter. It exists beneath an outer layer of coarse hair called guard hair.

The growth of this fiber involves two distinct types of hair follicles. The coarse guard hair is produced by primary follicles. In contrast, the soft cashmere down is produced by secondary follicles. This biological process allows the goat to maintain its warmth. The quality of the cashmere is often measured by its diameter in microns. For example, highly productive herds can average a diameter of 15 μm.

Different breeds have developed unique characteristics based on their specific environments. The Changthangi, also known as the Pashmina goat, is found across China, Mongolia, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, and India. These goats often have large, twisting horns and can be white, black, gray, or brown. Their fiber is exceptionally rare, representing less than 0.1% of global cashmere production. They produce an average fiber diameter between 12 and 13 μm and a length between 55 and 60 mm.

In China, several regional breeds have been developed through specific breeding programs. The Hexi cashmere goat lives in the desert and semidesert regions of Gansu Province. About 60% of these goats are white, and a typical adult doe produces 184 grams of down at 15.7 μm. The Inner Mongolia cashmere goat is a dual-purpose breed that adapts to desert pastures. This breed includes five strains: Alasan, Arbus, Erlangshan, Hanshan, and Wuzhumuqin. The first three strains focus on quality, while the last two focus on high production.

Other Chinese breeds show how selection can change a herd's productivity. The Liaoning cashmere goat was developed from animals selected in the 1960s. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture formally named this breed in 1984. By 1994, selected Liaoning does were producing 326 grams of down at 15 μm. Breeders focus on size, body length, and the goat's ability to climb. Similarly, the Wuzhumuqin strain was recognized in 1994 after development began in 1980. In 1994, Wuzhumuqin does produced an average of 285 grams of down at 15.6 μm.

Geographic location plays a massive role in goat populations and types. In 1994, China was the largest producer of cashmere with an estimated 123 million goats. On the Tibetan Plateau, there were more than 7 million goats. This population included 5 million in the Tibet Autonomous Region and 1 million in Sichuan. In Mongolia, the Zalaa Jinst White goat is the only breed recognized by the Mongolian Wool & Cashmere Association as entirely white. This breed is adapted to nomadic herding in the Gobi Desert.

Cashmere goats belong to a group of fiber-producing animals. This group includes the Pygora goat, the Nigora goat, and the Angora goat. These animals are all utilized for the specific qualities of their hair or fleece. Understanding these breeds helps us see how humans select animals for specific traits. From the fine Pashmina of the Himalayas to the desert-adapted goats of Inner Mongolia, these animals are essential to the textile industry.