# Angora goat does fiber cover cost for feed?



## kannm (Mar 18, 2009)

I would love to get an angora goat or two. I would happily brush her out and take care of her. My question is that if I got a couple colored angora goats, would it be possible to cover the cost of their feed by selling their fiber?


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## Thanatos (Mar 16, 2009)

I have no idea, but my wife did a bit of looking cause she to wondered and it seems as tho the money is more in product, like yarn, thread or actual products(hats etc.) unless you have a spinner around.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Are there any "fiber artists" or a "spinning guild" etc., in your area? We just had a little discussion about this...Lori gets $13.00/ounce (I think that's what she said)...that's cashmere, though, once it's cleaned and dehaired. Don't know how mohair compares to cashmere...maybe Keren can help.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I really do not think so only because they do produce a LOT of mohair and they are sheered twice a year. I believe you would have to have quite a few goats to really make any head way. Now that does not mean that you can not make any money or much, it all depends on the market where you are. Here in Colorado I would not be able to sell all my fiber every year but I was matched up with a Alpaca breeder that just so happened wanted to blend in some cashmere. So the place I have my fiber cleaned told them about me and now I sell all my fiber to her every year. :leap: 

The nice thing with Mohair is you can wash it yourself and clean it, in your washing machine, where cashmere I have to have it sent out.


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## kannm (Mar 18, 2009)

Sounds like a nice addition, then. I was thinking about getting a doe. What colors are the most popular?


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

kannm said:


> Sounds like a nice addition, then. I was thinking about getting a doe. What colors are the most popular?


 Cashmere or Angora? Just so you know you really can not BRUSH out a Angora goat because their locks are curly, and the Cashmere you can brush them until their Cashmere starts to grow, then you just have to be careful not to brush the fiber straight and out.


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## kannm (Mar 18, 2009)

Arg. I think I have things confused. So, if I got an angora goat, I would get mohair and it would require me to shear the goat?


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

That's right. Angora goats grow mohair...it must be sheared (this is called the fleece, it must be "skirted" to cut out the dirty, crappy stuff). Cashmere goats grow cashmere...it must be combed (not a huge amount, 8 ounces or so, you have to have it dehaired). Pygora goats grow, well, some of both, some goats you comb, others you shear, depending on their coat type.

I had Pygora goats, but decided I preferred the combing to shearing. I have Cashmere goats, but Lori has a bigger herd. So, she has more "product" then I do. Keren has Angoras', she's the one to talk about them. I like the Cashmere goats because they are tough and eat weeds that others don't. My Pygoras got alot of "crap", weed heads, seeds, etc., in their fleece, I think the Cashmere goats stay cleaner.

If you go on YouTube, they have videos of folks working with wool, picking, carding, spinning. Pretty interesting. Good luck!


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Di said it all. Angora goats have to be sheered twice a year also, the cashmere are combed once.

Another one to talk to is Powderhooves, Becky, she has some very beautiful Angora goats. She just had Mohair all over her house from washing ans skirting it.


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## kannm (Mar 18, 2009)

I am really starting to want a few fiber goats. The only problem is that I really would need them to help cover the cost of having them. I don't expect to make money, just buffer their costs or come out a little ahead.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Here are a few finances for you, taken from my herd:

Tag no 874 (hogget angora doe)
2008 produced 8.4kg mohair, classed as A strong kid, free of kemp and veg matter, sold $25/kg
= $210
produced twin kids in August, buck and doe. Sold in January, $150 for doe kid, $50 wether kid

Profit = $410

Expenses:

Feed = $1/day = $365
Vacc. @ 30c each, 2 for the doe, 2 for each kid, 6 total = $1.80
Worming @ 40c each, 2 for the doe, 1 for each kid, 4 total = $1.60
Ear tags for kids ($1 each) = $2
Mohair selling fees = $10
Shearing @ $3/goat = $6

Total expenses = $386.40

Still leaving you with a profit of $23.60

So there is some profit there, however you need to realise that that is a VERY high producing animal and the lower quality ones just wont cut that much, or that valuable, mohair. You can see that if you dont have to full feed these animals (ie if you can run them on pasture) then there is some serious money that can be made. And if you are going to feed them, and want to make any sort of decent money, you need to be on a very large scale.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Wow, Keren, I'm so embarrassed :doh: I guess I need to keep track of what I spend on my "hobby", but, I keep 'em because I'm having fun (don't remember having to carry 5 gal. buckets of warm water out on frigid mornings). I told Hubby, "you are supposed to be using them for stress relief"! Think of how much you are saving on "therapy"!


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Di, I guess I need to justify having these animals because I cant afford for them not to at least pay for themselves. If they dont do that they cant stay. So I'm pretty aware of what I'm spending on them. Similarly, I have to make back the purchase price of the animal within 2 yrs or I dont buy it. The buck I am getting - is costing $100 - cheap as chips really. Will have roughly 8 kids from him to sell by the end of the year - if you figure 50% male to female and $40 per wether, $150 per doe kid (and thats conservative on the doe kids) thats a total of $760 and I guess you should probably quarter that because the buck doesnt nurture the kids at all, but you can still see he has paid his way. Plus he will be leased out once my breeding is done, so that will help cover his costs also.

Basically, my livestock is supposed to be putting me through uni. At the moment, what with the drought and pasture availability thats not really happening lol because I am having to hand feed. Which is why I had to sell more than half of them. It doesnt help that the bottle lambs are late to arrive this year. Normally they would be paying me quite well at the moment.


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## powderhooves (Jan 30, 2009)

I'm so far behind on my reading. I chuckled when you asked if you would make enough to cover costs. I'm afraid to even figure that one out!


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Oh yah! I'm not the only one!


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## powderhooves (Jan 30, 2009)

I do "save" on property taxes.....about $12,000 a year; however, just build a barn and see where that savings goes! My husband said once it would be over 30 years before we turn a profit. Unfortunately, both of us will probably we turning over dirt for a grave by then!


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## rebelshope (Sep 21, 2008)

Di said:


> Wow, Keren, I'm so embarrassed :doh: I guess I need to keep track of what I spend on my "hobby", but, I keep 'em because I'm having fun (don't remember having to carry 5 gal. buckets of warm water out on frigid mornings). I told Hubby, "you are supposed to be using them for stress relief"! Think of how much you are saving on "therapy"!


I have to do this too, but I found 4h goat project print outs with a simple search on google and with them you can keep track of expenses and profits.


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## sgian (Jun 18, 2008)

There was a good point about when including the start up costs of buying the goats and building pastures and shelters, it will be many years before turning a profit. In that regard, with us the goats keep the grass and brush down on our land so I don't have to mow it. Plus we enjoy the goats. Now just calculating the cost of feed during the winter vs income from fiber, we estimate that we should turn a tiny profit every year with 10-15 goats.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Well for my cashmere goats, so far this years profit 2009 has been $1955.00. That is from selling all the goats that I have sold, and still paying for some feed and having my fiber cleaned and processed. I have not sold that yet so it will be way more then that. I still have 4 more goat at least that I will be selling. 

See we do not have to pay to have someone sheer the cashmere, we comb them, we get the tags free from the state because we only tag with the Scrapie tags, and the needles and syringes, I buy in bulk so they are really cheap, I work by a Whole Sale vet supply place so the meds are really cheap and I get a discount because i am a 4H leader.


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