Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: Chemistry4me on 13/02/2009 04:11:21
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Do goats need shearing?
I have no idea!! [???][???][???] [:I][:I][:I]
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And if they do need shearing, it is done as often as sheep?
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AFAIK their hair grows much like ours does.. eg to a certain length and in cycles.. while sheep fleece grows continuously. Following that little theory all a goats coat would need is a clip...
it's just a theory mind..
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Depends on the breed of goat! For the breeds that are produced for their milk or meat characteristics, generally the goats will moult periodically so their coats don't become noticeably overgrown. The wool breeds, such as the angora (producing mohair) and the cashmere goats, do produce a relatively thick coat and require shearing once or twice a year.
Primitive sheep would also have shed their wool seasonally but to maximise fleece yield, the modern domestic sheep has been selectively bred to grow thick fleeces minus the shedding, thus producing the need to shear. A few breeds of sheep are an exception and remain as seasonal shedders. While keeping these sheep decreases the amount of labour required to shear the animals, it can result in an amount of fleece being lost out in the field.
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Thanks SquarishTriangle [:)]
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Primitive sheep would also have shed their wool seasonally but to maximise fleece yield, the modern domestic sheep has been selectively bred to grow thick fleeces minus the shedding, thus producing the need to shear. A few breeds of sheep are an exception and remain as seasonal shedders. While keeping these sheep decreases the amount of labour required to shear the animals, it can result in an amount of fleece being lost out in the field.
ah very interesting.. thanks.
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In wales, you need your own...there is no sharing!
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Need your own what? [???] Goat?
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The wool breeds, such as the angora (producing mohair) and the cashmere goats, do produce a relatively thick coat and require shearing once or twice a year.
How does this compare to sheep? How often are sheep shorn?
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The short answer: On average, 1-1.5 times a year (at least here in Australia).
Traditionally, the number would be 1 but breeding processes have pushed towards producing sheep that grow more wool at a greater rate. Wool processors look for a fleece that has a staple length between 60 and 90 millimetres. Farmers may alter their shearing frequency to meet that criteria.
A range of other factors influence the farmer's decision to shear more or less frequently including: flock genetics, nutrition, parasite control, reproductive performance, timing of lambing, climate (temperature/rain/wind exposure), staple strength (how resistant the fibre is to breakage), and risk of contamination of the fleece (by feed/dirt/dust etc.)
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Wow! [:o] so sheep are only shorn only 1-1.5 times a year. I would never have guessed that it was so seldom [:)]!