Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-04-25
PROFIT IN ANGoRA GOATS
NO Longer Fad, but an Estab-
lished Business Has
: Developed Slowly.

slowly, mainly because the average
farmer does not like goats of any kind
and few can be induced to make a
{ careful study Of the Angora in all it's
l relations as profitable side issue to
i farming.
The alluring advertisements at first
published by some breeders gave rise
Z . .sis impression that an Angora goat
could live on brush, weeds and snow
pals. and when these We're not avail
able he could climb trees in search of
provender. Gradually this error has
been discovered but at serious cost to
many eonfiding farmers, and now the
goat is pretty generally understood
The Angora, like the sheep, is fond
OF browsing on weeds, coarse grass and
tender twigs. and will, under proper
conditions, prove to be an excellent
one place long, but picks over an en-
tire field day after day and week after
week, so that in a month or two he
will have reduced the weeds and small
brush evenly in every part.
But the Angora cannot live on brush
and weeds alone. He must have some
grain and hay and be fed exactly as
sheep are fed to thrive properly
The Angora needs dry, hilly coun-
try and should thrive we'll in the noun
famous regions of Missouri and Ar
kansas. A good, stiff wire fence, at
least six feet high, is required to keep
him within bounds.
Good bucks bring from $40 to $50
and 1t will always pay to buy the very
best one can afford. Does can be
bought from SIS to SIS and by careful
selection f1rst-class herd can be de-
veloped in from four to five years.
These animals find their own food
except in the cold months of Novem-
Der, December, January and February
Throughout these months they should
be fed on hay and fodder and during
April and May, at which time the in
crease is expected, the does should
have oats in addition. They should
have salt the year around.
The mohair is sheared in the spring,
sometimes as early as April. The
shearing is generally done by men, but
machines can be purchased that will
do it better A machine operated by
one man can shear from $50 to 200
! pounds day.
The does shear from 21s to pounds
Of hair, while the bucks and wethers
shear from to IA pounds, The mo-
hair is then sorted into the various
grades required by the buyers.
The prevailing prices are from 80
cents to 81 per pound for doe hair and
81 to IS per pound, according to length
and finess Of fiber, for buck hair.
1t is difficult to estimate the profit
to be derived, because this will depend
entirely upon the length and texture Of
the hair, which will vary according
to the breed and care given them.
The ratio of increase annually for
goats is about so per cent of the total
number of does maintained The ac-
tual Increase is nearly 100 per cent, and
with proper care at Kidding time the
net increase can be made greater than
80 per cent It has been found advis-
able to limit the breeding to one time
each year because of the degeneration
In stock by more frequent breeding.
At night it is natural for them to
seek the sheds for shelter. Very little
loss has ever resulted from contact
with dogs, because as rule they
1dogs) are repulsed without loss to the
herd. The goats are as a rule free
from any disease.
The meat Of the Angora surpasses
that Of any Of the goat species In
fact, it more closely resembles lamb,
and is said by many to be even better.
The mere fact that these animals pro-
duce fine, feecy coat suggests a su-
periority over the common goat It's
habits are different and it is entirely
free from the odor of the evil smelling
Billy of ''tin can" fame.
The uses of the hair are many. Ar
tificial flowers, which formerly were
made Of silk are now produced from
mohatr at very much less cost The
golden curls used in the wigs worn by
the average chorus girl were the over
coats of patriarchal goat. The kinky
mohair is used for rugs, blankets and
pushes.
The skin Of the Angora is very often
made up into robes. Real monkey
skin" muffs and cloaks are oftentimes
the product of the Angora-
Points About Ansora Goats.
Some people think they will thrive
on brush and weeds, but they will not
Ihey browse on brush and weeds,
but need the same food as sheep.
They are not very easily controlled,
but are not vicious.
They weigh on the average as much
rs Shropshire sheep
The best grades will produce from 8
to 6 pounds of 1nohair per year. but the
! average is about two-thirds as much
Mohair is worth from 35 to 40 cents
1 per pound and the demand is good
Angoras should be clipped twice
every year. Common hand shears are
the best
Each doe drops one kid every wear
and sometimes two.
In the north kids are dropped in
April and May, but in the south they
come about a month earlier
Goats sell at So to s4 in the big mar
kets, but pure bred ewes bring from
s5 to 81 for breeding purposes; rams
from $40 to 800.
Goat flesh is often sold for mutton
and the tallow is used for cooking
Angora goats generally live twice as
long as sheep.
Poultry fence-not wire netting
makes the best Enclosure for goats
Goats are fond of the bark of maple
and apple trees and will quickly kill
an orchard.