Can you shear goats

David can shear an animal in 1 to 3 minutes. This is a New Zealand style. He must match the combs for different breeds and weather conditions. David spends many days on the road, away from his family and farm.

Fiber from non-Angora goats is Cashmere. Note that rabbits, not Angora goats, produce Angora fiber. Most animals produce a relatively coarse outer coat and a finer undercoat. The overcoat will shed rain and the undercoat will provide insulation. Undercoats generally grow in for winter warmth and are shed in the spring.

The undercoat provides finer quality fibers. The two types of fiber must be separated at some point in the processing of the fleece. The undercoat dominates, so that relatively little coarse hair will be included in a fleece. However, consideration of the outer, coarser, guard hairs must be included in the overall shearing plan for Angoras.

The fiber goat business in Massachusetts is not large and is confined to relatively small herds. If not doing your own shearing, try looking for a sheep shearer see below. Massachusetts 4-H has a goat program. The Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair information may be found at www. The fair features not only sheep, but other fiber-bearers such as goats and is held at the Cummington Fairgrounds in Cummington, MA. Some of these may shear goats as well. Listings are by state, so check surrounding states if you do not come up with someone local.

This publication has been funded in part by Mass. After the top line cut, the rest of the cuts should be parallel to the top line, working from top to belly.

Do not pull the fiber away from the goat to shear. This often and easily leads to cuts on the skin. After the fiber has been picked up and bagged, clean up any areas that still need to be trimmed. Gather the clipped fiber and put it in the collection bag. The neck and chest should be sheared next. Much of this will be good fiber, too.

I like to leave the beard on my goats if they have one. Finish up the shearing. The britch area, belly, and lower legs are not usually processed into roving and yarn. The fiber is often stained, matted, felted, or short in length. Be sure to clip fiber from the armpits, too.

Unlike sheep, goats can have armpit hair. Trim off the fiber around the ears and the top of the head. This fiber may be clean but short. It can be saved and used for stuffing things or used for doll hair.

Do not trim the hair at the end of the penis. This hair actually directs the stream of urine away from the body and is necessary. It is possible to shear your goats using the same method used by sheep shearers on wool yielding animals. When we have hired professional sheep shearers, most have used this method. It is quick and the fiber is still collected as you would using the scissor method.

The shearer starts by clearing the belly, inside lower legs, and britch area of fiber. Next, the body is shorn, from the belly to the top line, and repeated on the second side.

The shearer finishes by clearing the front armpits, the head and neck area, and any bits of fiber that were missed. Another method that some shearers use on fiber goats is also used for shearing alpacas. The goat shearing is begun while the animal is held in the traditional position. After the belly, britch, and lower legs are shorn, the goat is placed on its side on a mat, and the feet are held in restraints.

This lessens the chance of skin cuts because the goat is immobile. It is very quick.