Raising Goats for Their Hair

Raising Goats for Their Hair
Into the world of cashmere and mohair. Transcript of radio broadcast:
04 August 2008
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Goats are valuable not just for their milk and meat. Or for their ability to help renew grasslands and control weeds. Or even for their ability to be friendly and gentle around children.

Goats can also be valuable for their hair.

Cashmere goats produce cashmere and Angora goats produce -- thought we were going to say angora? No, angora fiber in fact comes from rabbits. Angora goats produce mohair.

Mohair is used in sweaters, scarves, coats and other clothing. Mohair is also used in floor rugs and carpets and things like doll hair.

An adult Angora can produce as much as seven kilograms of hair each year. As the goats grow older, however, their hair becomes thicker and less valuable. Hair from white or solid-colored goats is the most popular, but the appeal of mixed-color mohair has grown in recent years.


The United States is one of the main producers of mohair, and exports most of its production.

Angora goats are also popular show animals. They require little special care. The animals need milk from their mothers for three or four months. They reach full maturity when they are a little more than two years old. But even then they are smaller than most sheep and milk goats.

Cashmere goats are usually larger than Angoras. They can grow big enough to be kept with sheep and cattle.

The outer hair of the animal is called guard hair. Behind it is the valuable material on a cashmere goat. Cashmere is valued for its softness and warmth without much weight.

Some farmers comb their cashmere goats to remove the hair. But if the animals do get a haircut, it often takes place at the time when they naturally lose their winter coat -- between December and March.

Angora goats generally get their hair cut two times a year, in the spring and fall. The job can be done with simple cutting tools or by hiring a professional shearer. Angoras may need special protection from the cold for about a month after shearing.

The value of an animal's coat depends on the age, size and condition. But whatever kind of goat you choose, be sure to have a good fence. Goats love to explore.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. To learn more about agriculture, go to voaspecialenglish.com for transcripts and MP3 archives of our reports.

----------------------------Google Translate

提高山羊为他们的头发
融入世界的羊绒和马海毛。全文电台广播：
2008年8月4日
这是美国之音特别英语农业的报告。

山羊是宝贵的不只是他们的牛奶和肉类。或为他们的能力，以帮助续约草原和控制杂草。或什至为他们的能力，友好的和温和的儿童身边。

山羊也可以为他们宝贵的头发。

绒山羊的羊绒生产和安哥拉山羊生产-以为我们会说：安哥拉？没有，安哥拉纤维，其实是来自兔。安哥拉山羊生产马海毛。

马海毛是用来在毛衣，围巾，大衣及其他衣物。马海毛也可以用来在地板地毯及地毯的事情，像洋娃娃的头发。

一成人安哥拉可产生高达七公斤头发，每一年。由于山羊成长老年人，不过，他们的头发变得较厚，少了宝贵的。头发由白色或固色山羊是目前最流行的，但上诉的混合色马海毛增长在最近几年。


美国是其中一个主要的生产者马海毛，产品大多出口其生产。

安哥拉山羊也很受欢迎显示动物。他们需要一点特别的照顾。动物需要牛奶从他们的母亲为三或四个月。他们达到完全成熟时，他们是两个多岁。但即使如此，他们是小于最绵羊和奶山羊。

绒山羊通常大于angoras 。他们可以成长不够大，以保持与牛羊。

外毛的动物，是所谓的民警卫队的头发。它的背后是有价值的材料就一绒山羊。羊绒是重视其柔软和温暖，没有多大的重量。

一些农民梳他们的绒山羊，以消除头发。但如果这样做动物得到冲销，但往往发生在的时候，他们自然失去了冬衣-之间的1 2月和3月。

安哥拉山羊普遍得到他们的头发削减2倍， 1年，在春季和秋季。工作可以做简单的刀具或聘请专业的采煤机。 angoras可能需要特别保护的从冷战约一个月后，剪切。

价值动物的外套，就看年龄，大小和条件。但无论种山羊您选择，一定要有一个良好的围栏。山羊爱去探索。

这是该美国之音特别英语农业的报告，书面，由jerilyn沃森。若要了解更多关于农业，去voaspecialenglish.com誊本和MP3档案我们的报告。