Contents
As you know, all existing breeds of goats are divided into: meat, dairy, downy, woolen and mixed. Each type has its own characteristics and advantages. Thanks to this, each farmer can choose a breed for breeding the desired type of productivity. But in this article we will consider the characteristics of downy goats, as well as the best breeds of this species.
Characteristics and features of downy goats
Downy goats are large animals with strong, well-developed bones. They have a deep chest and strong hooves. The wool of downy goats consists of a dense awn and soft, light down. Rarely there is a transitional hair, which in its structure is very similar to down.
Downy goats, in turn, are divided into 2 groups, differing in the structure of the coat. The first includes the Orenburg breed, as well as impurities of this type. This also includes goats bred in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Gorny Altai. In this group, the awn is longer than the down, and completely covers it. And the second group is distinguished by long down, which can be on a par with the awn or longer than it. Such a cover is typical for such breeds as the Don, Gorno-Altai, Uzbek Black and Kyrgyz.
For the entire period of lactation, females can give from 200 liters to 300 liters of milk. Dairy species produce 2 times more milk, but do not forget that downy goats are grown not at all in order to obtain dairy products.
The most important thing in downy goat breeding is quality down. It is worth noting that more fluff is combed from goats. The reason is rather not the productivity of the goat breed, but the large size of the males. From one goat you can get up to 1,6 kg of fluff, and no more than 1,4 kg are combed from a female. These are the maximum figures, and on average, the piles are about half a kilogram of fluff. Individuals aged 4 to 6 years are considered the most productive. The wool cover of downy goats is 70% down. The average length of the down is about 8,5 centimeters, the length of the awn is 5,2 centimeters. The skins of young individuals are suitable for sewing outerwear (sheepskin coats and coats). The meat is used in cooking.
What are the best breeds
Of course, the main advantage of the best breeds of downy goats is the presence of high-quality down. Due to a small amount of grease, the hair separates itself during the haircut. They begin to comb out the downy fibers during the molting period, when they are most easily separated. This process takes a lot of time and effort. Goats need to be combed and sheared very scrupulously.
The second combing is carried out half a month after the first. To do this, you need to purchase special tools. Also prepare a container for fluff in advance.
The most valuable and expensive is the fluff obtained after the first combing. It differs in quality and color. The most valued down is white and gray. It is from this fiber that downy shawls known to everyone are knitted.
But, in addition to high-quality down, the best downy goats have high fertility, give a large amount of milk, and are also valued for tasty meat and high-quality skins.
But, these are not the only downy breeds of goats that can boast of the quality of raw materials. We will talk about these and other downy goats in this article.
Orenburg breed
These goats are quite large and have a strong build. Females can weigh up to 60 kilograms, and goats – about 90 kilograms. Most often they are black in color without interspersed with another color. The coat is braided, very thick and soft. These animals are multiparous. They are bred in order to obtain high-quality fluff, but their wool is of average productivity. From one individual you can get half a kilogram of fluff.
This breed was bred by breeders in the Orenburg region. These animals are highly resistant to various weather conditions. Weather changes have a very positive effect on the quality of down. The formation of a warm woolen cover is influenced by:
- severe frost;
- wind;
- drought.
Representatives of the Orenburg goats can adapt to any climatic conditions. And thanks to the quality of the resulting fluff, they are considered one of the best breeds. Animals give little milk. The meat is of high quality, making up 40–45% of the carcass weight.
Pridon breed
One of the most ancient breeds. It was bred and bred in the area of the Don River. The breed was created by crossing local species with angora goats. Coat color can be white, grey, black and various shades of these colors. The body is strong and well developed, the limbs are strong. At birth, a goatling can weigh about 2,5 kilograms. An adult goat has a weight of up to 70-80 kg, and a female – up to 40 kg. Don goats are prolific.
The wool of the Don goats consists of:
- 68–75% – fluff.
- 25–32% – awn.
Wool has the same length and thickness. The down is much longer than the awn, and can grow up to 10 cm, and the awn, respectively, up to 7 cm. The wool cover is 80% high-quality down. From one individual, you can comb out up to 1,5 kilograms of fluff, gray or white.
Don goats were exported to India and Mongolia to cross with local goats, and to obtain more productive species. The skins are used for making clothes and shoes. The meat is of good quality, with one individual you can get up to 10 kilograms of slaughter yield. Farmers love these animals for their unpretentiousness to conditions and adaptability to any climate.
Gorno-Altai breed
The name clearly shows that the breed was bred in Altai. The Don breed was taken as the basis. The result of the work of breeders can be assessed in the photo. Animals are very hardy, they can live all year round in pasture conditions. They quickly gain mass, and have a high quality of meat. Goats of the Gorno-Altai breed can weigh about 65 kilograms, and females – up to 40 kilograms. Meat can make up to 75% of the entire carcass. The fertility of the breed directly depends on the pastures and conditions of detention; on semi-desert pastures, two kids are rarely born at once.
The amount of down in Gorno-Altai goats is 3 times higher than that of the Altai breed. Up to 600 grams of pure fluff is combed out from one individual. Its length can reach up to 8–9 cm. Wool consists of 60–80% down.
The quality of the fluff is high. It is soft, strong and elastic. Suitable for various down products. A feature of scarves made from it is the brilliance of products. While most breeds have a more matte texture down. Gorno-Altai breed is profitable to breed even on small home farms. Animals quickly fatten up, and it will not be difficult to fatten them.
Angora breed
Angora goats are quite small in size, but this does not prevent them from being the largest source of Mohair. Usually these animals are white in color, although individuals of gray, silver and black color are sometimes found. The mass of the Angora goat can be up to 60 kg, and the females – about 35 kg. The body of the animals is short, the head is small. The chest is shallow, narrow. The limbs are strong, though short. The body is completely covered with thick shiny hair. It is curled into long braids. The length of the strand can be about 30 centimeters.
Angora goats are not afraid of changing weather conditions, and can adapt to any climatic features. They can be kept on mountain pastures, goats are not whimsical about food. It is believed that it was the Angora breed that was used to breed most other wool species.
black down breed
The breeding of this breed of goats took place in Uzbekistan. The wool of animals is black, which is why the breed got its name. A goat can weigh about 50–55 kg, and a female 40–45 kg. The coat is not uniform. The down is quite long, although it can be the same length as the awn. The awn of these animals is thick and shiny, but the fluff is matte and very thin.
In terms of down quality, black goats are very similar to the Don goats. From one individual, you can get from 300 g to 500 g of raw materials. The length of the down depends on the sex of the animal. In goats, it can grow up to 10 centimeters, and in females – up to 8 centimeters. Animal skins are used in the manufacture of shoes.
Conclusion
So, we examined the best breeds of downy goats. Based on their description, we see that the breeding of such animals has a high profitability. From them you can get excellent fluff for all kinds of products, the skin that is used in the manufacture of clothes and shoes, high-quality meat and milk. At the same time, animals do not require complex care, and are not picky about food. They can graze on pastures, as the photo shows, and this will be enough for full growth. You can breed downy breeds of goats at home, on small farms and large enterprises.
