Angora goat
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The Angora goat is a goat from the Angora region in Asia Minor, near present-day Ankara.
It is first mentioned in the time of Moses, roughly 1500 B.C. The first Angora goats were brought to Europe by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, about 1554, but, like later imports, were not very successful.
The fleece taken from an Angora goat is called mohair. A single goat produces between five and eight kilograms of hair per year.
Angora goats are more susceptible to external parasites (ectoparasites) than similar animals, because of the density of their fiber. They are not prolific breeders, nor are they considered very hardy, being particularly delicate during the first few days of life. Further, Angoras have high nutritional requirements due to their rapid hair growth. A poor quality diet will curtail mohair development.
For a long period of time, Angora goats were bred for their white coat. In 1998 the CAGBA, Colored Angora Goat Breeders Association, was set up to promote breeding of colored Angoras. Now Angora goats come in white, black (deep black to greys and silver), red (the color fades significantly as the goat gets older), and brownish.
Today the United States, Turkey, and South Africa are the top three producers of mohair.
See also
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