The Poultry Keeper

Kristal · Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 115 Location: Shrewsbury

Hi,
I'm sure I've read on here that there are people who keep Angora goats. Our current situation is that we have a small paddock which is not being used and is going over to nettles and brambles, it seems a crying shame not to use it and it is desperately in need of grazing. Goats would be ideal, but my husband and I haven't eaten dairy products in over 3 years; we tried last week and my husband was violently ill, so we aren't interested in milk production. Pygmy goats are cute, but we prefer to keep animals that produce something useful other than fertiliser! we saw Angora goats at the Royal Welsh show yesterday and fell in love. They would seem to be ideal for us and I would love to learn how to spin and process the fleece.
So, if you keep Angora goats...would you recommend them? And are they extremely expensive to buy? I've been looking around online but no one mentions prices. We originally wanted a couple of Alpacas, as my husband adores them and had one as a pet for 10 years but they are well out of our price range at £500 - £800 for a wether, bearing in mind we would need 2 for company. Breeding stock would be available in our dreams, many thousands for a breeding female Sad

bearing in mind we have no plans to make a fortune or build up a large herd we will never afford these animals. We are willing to pay a fair price for healthy animals, don't get me wrong but we don't have thousands of pounds to spare!

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2588 Location: South Cumbria

Did you try Goats milk products or cow, I can be violently ill with dairy products but ok with goats milk and goats cheese I especially like the soft one grilled on Ciabatta or French bread ! I hope one day to get my own milking nanny, I too looked into Alpacca's but out of my price range Sad

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7313 Location: isle of lewis

sky girl has angora goats ,she came and saw mine ,and then because she didn't want to milk brought angoras ,she is also starting to spin and weave
i hope she will not mind me telling you ,they are rescues as they where about to be put down ,due to an allergy in the daughter of the people who owned them ,she ended up in intensive care ,there was a craze a few years ago the same as llamas ect now ,a lot of people got stung ,so there are not so many around as there was years ago ,try the back of the smallholding magizine ,i've seen adverts there ,boar goats don't produce milk but are a meat goat ,and don't go over fences to much ,the angoras are the same ,but don't quote me on that Wink

in other respects they are the same as other goats ,although with angoras
wethers ,can produce fiber ,so what to do with males is not the same problem as it is with dairy goats ,
wool and knitting seems to be on the up ,i saw some buffulo wool the other day it was selling for 49 pounds for 50 grams ,the camel was cheaper Wink

on prices i remember them fetching really high prices Shocked

,a lot of smallholders brought them and breed them ,then there was no market left
and you saw them for a few pounds at markets Sad

,so nobody then keep them because they where difficult to sell nobody wanted them ,
does that make sence they are nice goats and not as bolchy as my dairy goats

tuzo2k · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 193 Location: charente sw france

There is quite a big herd of Angoras at Gloucester (Hartpury I think), or should I say it was there a few years ago. Jill King breeds and shows them and this is where we bought ours - mainly for my OH to spin the fleece. We had a few nannys and two castrated males. The males were cheaper and just as good for the fleece. Jill King is very knowledgeable and willing to help people - she must have a web-site - I'll try and find it unless someone else knows it. My OH used to card the angora with sheep's fleece sometimes and others she would spin separately but ply the two together. There are some good books around on spinning and weaving.

tuzo2k · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 193 Location: charente sw france

- forgot to mention that goats - especially Angora - absolutely hate wet weather - so a shelter is a must. They need to be wormed regularly and need their hooves checking and trimming if necessary. They are quite hardy animals but have all the usual problems sheep have. We haven't got angora here in France but have 8 Pygmy goats instead. Adorable but relatively shy.

tuzo2k · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 193 Location: charente sw france

It's me again - just 'googled' Angora Goats Gloucester and in the sites listed it says that The Mohair Centre at Longhope (the one I mentioned) is now being phased out to make a children's entertainments centre. Such a pity - not sure what Jill Kings will do now - worth finding out perhaps. How near is Longhope to where you live. Possibly the goats are being sold off a bit cheaper? I also discovered that there are over 8000 Angora goats here in France kept for fleece - you learn something everyday, as they say.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1426 Location: Leicestershire

Kristal · Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 115 Location: Shrewsbury

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1426 Location: Leicestershire

Yes - but you can't just stick a goat (or two) into something so unkept and expect them to clear it for you, sure goats are browsers not grazers and will therefore eat stuff other grazers reject, but no animal will do what you are asking it to, any grazed field that looks half decent has a lot of other work by humans put into it to make it grazeable. They will eat the brambles - but only the leaves so you'll have stalks left, nothing eats fresh nettles, but most animals will eat wilted or dried ones, same with thistles and docks will be there forever unless you spray them. It sounds as though this field will nicely do for a goat or alpaca or two - but you'll have to put some serious work in first.

Itsybitsy

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7313 Location: isle of lewis

yep we've put ditches to inprove drainage , top it ,although we encourage docks,just collected 2 wheelbarrows full of nettles to feed over winter
drying in the polytunnel , we are also drying pea holms to feed ,

Kristal · Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 115 Location: Shrewsbury

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7313 Location: isle of lewis

good to hear it ,when i did a goat stand a couple of years ago i was surprized at the amount of people that wanted them as a lawnmower
questions like do i have to bother with a shed ,well we live on the western
isles Rolling Eyes

,we seem to have our rain back after it's visit to the south east of england ,

skye girl · Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 638 Location: Isle of skye

my goats are brill Very Happy

the Angora goats are like puppy dogs follow me to heel and I get kisses on demand ( well you all know I kiss goats and CHICKENS now Embarassed

)

first month I had them wondered what I had done, but they are so much fun and I dont know I got on with out them

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7313 Location: isle of lewis

knew you'd love them ,i look forward to seeing them when deb and i bring the puppies over ,they are really lovely and getting bigger Cool