CASHMERE GOATS
DIVERSIFIED, BIO-SUSTAINABLE, ETHICALLY CORRECT LIVESTOCK SCHEME WITH INNOVATIVE ALTERNATIVES FOR COMUNITIES, FOR RECLAIMING ABANDONED FARMLAND, TO CREATE LOCAL JOBS AND INCOME IN RURAL COMUNITIES,
TOTALLY ORGANIC FROM START TO FINISH
"Fantasma"
THE GOATS
CASHMERE GOATS can be found on almost every continent in the world and their origins can vary widely. Generations of continued genetic selection using the best bucks available, and relying on state-of-the art techniques such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer, can produce high producers from basic feral stock. The Cashmere industry does not recognize the Cashmere goat as a "breed", and the gene pool is vast; the quality and quantity of the fiber produced by any given animal and passed on to its offspring are more important than an animal's "pedigree", so it is important to test and select on an on-going basis to improve both the quality and quantity of fiber production
Cashmere is the fine, fluffy, downy undercoat produced by a Cashmere goat. It, like the guard hair which surrounds it, may be any color, from pure white to black, with all the beautiful, natural shades in between. Whether the goat has long or short "guard hair" is irrelevant: the importance is the number of secondary hair follicles which are responsible for producing the Cashmere undercoat.
Ideally, a good Cashmere goat will produce 200 grams or more of long, highly crimped, non-lustrous fiber, and this annual crop is either shorn or combed out in the spring as it sheds. The quality and quantity of the fiber is determined genetically and once harvested is dehaired mechanically or manually to separate the fiber from the coarse guard hair before being spun into yarn.
RAISING CASHMERE GOATS
Goats are intelligent, stubborn and extremely entertaining animals that are suitable for either small family farms or large, extensive breeding systems. Cashmere goats in particular are hardy and adaptable and can survive almost anywhere if suitable shelter is provided from the rain and severe cold. We chose Cashmere goats for their suitability to a natural, extensive breeding system which requires little time and a minimal investment in structures and equipment. They fit extremely well in many models of sustainable agriculture and can be raised alone or in addition to other animal species, to take full advantage of their particular grazing habits: goats eat the unpalatable weeds that other animals scorn.
"GOATS TURN WEEDS INTO PROFIT" and thrive on unimproved pasture and abandoned farmland that sheep and horses cannot utilize. Their preference for weeds, brambles, and thorny and prickly plants of all kinds that choke normal pastureland make them the "NATURAL WEEDWHACKER WITH NO SPARE PARTS" They can be used to great advantage to improve abandoned land, clear undergrowth in forests and complementary graze with other animals to increase the quantity of spontaneous legumes in pastures. Castrated Cashmere goats make the ideal (and very classy) horse companion.
Once a secure fence is installed, they require very little else in the way of care: Cashmere goats are low-maintenance, requiring low percentages of protein and are capable of utilizing less costly high-fiber feed. They make excellent mothers and are perfectly capable of raising more than one kid when fed properly. With some very basic husbandry practices used on our farm, we have a consistently high fertility rate and a very low neonatal death rate. There are few secrets to raising healthy Cashmere goats. Aside from their famous fiber, for which there is always a demand, Cashmere goats also produce top-quality low-cholesterol meat and excellent quality hides which command top prices.
We sell Cashmere Goats to small and medium- sized farms in EUROPE (only).
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