It grows as an undercoat during the cooler months of the year. In the south-west of Western Australia the down begins to grow in late summer and begins moulting in late winter. The goat also grows guard hair which sheds cyclically throughout the year, but has no commercial value. There are about 68 breeds of goat from 12 countries that produce cashmere fibre. Cashmere-type goats range in colour from the more prevalent white to the darker browns, greys and blacks.
Goats bearing cashmere appear 'fluffy' as the undercoat grows through the coarse guard hair.
More recent work at Avondale Research Station, Beverley, by Agriculture Western Australia, assessed cashmere production from feral goats originating in the pastoral regions. This project showed that unselected feral goats averaged 59 g of cashmere, with a range of I g to 186 g. The top 30 per cent averaged 95 g of cashmere. The average fibre diameter from feral goats was 15.5 microns. The cashmere goat originated in Asia Minor.