Shearing ...

Two weeks ago was shearing time for the Angora's. An angora goat is a goat that is raised for its hair rather than meat or milk. The hill country is one of the most common places in Texas for this type of goat because of their ability to thrive in rocky hills and utilize brush in their diet.
Cody's family has raised angora goats for over 3 decades.

The goats are shorn two times a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The hair is called mohair. The hair is is graded on fineness or coarseness of the fibers. Fine hair is more valuable and can be used to weave into yarn and make clothing. More coarse hair can be used for rugs or even string for braiding horse gear like headstalls and reins.

Shearing goats is not easy. It takes practice and patience to learn. Cody and his family hire a crew to come shear their goats. I hope you enjoy the pictures below and let me know if you have questions.

Goats up next to be shorn

Angora goat

Shorn goat

First you get the goat down....

Then you shear it....

All over....

Then you grade it by fiber coarseness or fineness.

But don't forget the most important help ... The dog :)

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