Angora goats produce mohair, a smoother fibre than wool with fewer scales. This fact has both advantages and disadvantages; the smooth mohair requires more twist to spin than wool but does not retain bacteria so easily - mohair socks don't smell!

The angora goat produces mohair at the rate of 2.5cm 1" per month. Mohair is a soft, lustrous and hard wearing fibre, Mohair is shorn from goats twice a year , at approximately six month intervals.

The Angora is very picturesque animal in which both sexes are horned. The bucks usually have a pronounced spiral to the horn, which comes back and away from the head; the horns of mature bucks sometimes reach two or more feet in length. In contrast, the horn of the female is comparatively short, much smaller, and has only a very slight tendency to spiral. The horn of the female seldom exceeds nine or ten inches. The ears are heavy and drooping.

The Angora goat is a small animal as compared to sheep or dairy goats. There is considerable variation in the size of goats, but mature bucks will usually fall in a weight range of from 180 to 225 pounds but do not reach their maximum weight until after five years of age. Does will fall in a weight range of from 70 to 110 pounds when mature.

The Angora goat is a very ancient breed with mohair clothing being written about as early as the 14^th century BC. The breed originated in Ankara (formerly known as Angora)in Turkey. The first recorded shipment of Angora goats out of Turkey occurred in 1554. Shipments to South Africa (1838) and the United States (1849) followed. Imports to Australasia were later still and the Angora goat did not reach the UK until 1981.

We purchased our first Angora goats in December 2006 from the Wing herd in Rutland. All of our goats are named and all goats born in a single year have names beginning with the same letter. We currently have: Wing Mercedes (1999); Wing Nightingale & Wing Natalia (2000); Wing Penny (2001); Wing Tiffany & Wing Topaz (2003); Wing Vasache, Wing Viera & Wing Veronica (2004); Wing Angus, Wing Astrix, Wing April, Wing Annabel, Wing Amber & Wing Amanda (2006); Griffiths Blossom, Griffiths Brandy & Griffiths Britney (2007). The 2009 kids are: Dougal, Dylan, Darwin, Dennis, Dottie, Damson, Dizzie, Dixie, Debbie, Dawn, Donna & Destiny.

Angora goats rarely require assistance when kidding, and although single kids are most common, twins and triplets are not unusual. This year, however, we did have an occurrence which was a first not only for ourselves but also the vet. Britney had a single kid, Dylan, who was so large in comparison to his mother that he had to be delivered by caesarean!