The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-26
Grading Up with Angoras.

report of the United States De-
partment of Agriculture, in the build
ing up of a flock of goats by crossing
the Angora on the common goat, says:
1t is noted in the historical part of
this paper that the Turks many years
ago began the practice of crossing An
CORA bucks upon Kurd does. They
probably had in mind the twofold pur-
pose of reproducing thereby a harder
goat than the pure Angoras, and of
increasing the number of goats in or
der to supply the increased demand
of Europe for mohair. Crossing the
Angora bucks upon the common goats
of the United States has been prac-
ticed since their introduction, and the
results have been very satisfactory in
many respects. Many of the large
floeks of Texas and New Mexico have
had Mexican does for their foundation
Building up a good mohair-producing
flock upon this plan requires five or
six years. The advantages are that
the does with which the beginning is
made are cheap, costing from $3.50 to
$3.50 per head. During the first and
second crosses there are many twin
kids, thus increasing the herd in that
proportion-a condition not existing
except to a small extent among either
the pure-bred or thoroughbred Ango-
ras; the size and hardness of the
progeny are increased and the liabil-
ity to disease decreased.
Care should be exercised in starting
flock by this method to select only
such common does as are entirely
white; any other color, however slight
is Objectionable. Ii otherwise, the re-
suits might be satisfactory, but the
probabilities would be the contrary
In handling the crosses the breeder
often finds that atavism becomes APP
parent when il is most Objectionable
For instance, the progeny of two gem
erations of a doe having black spots
might appear all that is desirable,
while the third generation would pro-
duce the latent color.
1t is always quite necessary that the
common does should be of the short
haired variety. Long haired ones will
give trouble in persisting to throw out
long hairs among the mohair.
The buck used upon these does should
be the best one can afford. The better
the buck, the better the result. There
will be many twins among the kids
from this first cross, and if proper care
is exercised at kidding time it will not
be difficult to increase the flock as
much as 100 per cent. The higher the
cross the fewer twins will be dropped
As the fleece upon the first cross is
not worth more than the effort to clip
It, the males among them should be
castrated when about two weeks old
and disposed of for meat as soon as
old enough. The females among them,
being half-blood Angoras, are kept
for service with another thoroughbred
buck. The result of this second cross
is three-quarter blood Angoras. The
mohair from them has a marketable
value. but is very limited in quantity
and usually mostly kemp. 1t is best
10 deal with this cross in the same
manner as with the first cross. If this
method Of procedure is followed up to
the NTH or sixth cross a flock will re-
suit that viii produce most excellent
mohair
1t has no doubt occurred to the
reader that we now have -four or five
different grades of does, beginning with
the common breed Therefore after "A
thoroughbred flock has once been pro-
duced In this manner. each year brings
forth another one from the same
sources, and this condition continues
as long as the breeding life of the
does continues.