Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of nutritional status on fibre quality from Angora goats during spring. Two groups of 28 non-pregnant Angora does were grazed on ryegrass/white clover pasture at one of two pasture allowances; 1.0 kg and >4kg DM /head/day (low and high respectively) for twelve weeks during spring. Groups were balanced for live weight, age, fibre diameter, medullation and kemp measurements and genetic background. Live weight and fibre quality (fibre diameter, % medullaltion and % kemp) were measured at the start, after 6 weeks and at the end of the experiment. Mean live weight of does at the start of the experiment was 22.6 + 0.20 kg and after 12 weeks 30.9 and 25.2; sed 0.63kg for high and low allowance respectively. Neither mean fibre diameter (35.2 vs 34.1; sed 0.66 microns) nor medullation (5.38 vs 6.51;s ed 53%), was affected by pasture allowance over the experiment (high and low allowance respectively). However, after 12 weeks, there was a trend for % kemp measured in the fleece in does on high pasture allowance to be higher than in does on low allowance (8.16 vs 6.52; sed 1.04%). All does were fibre tested again in March 1989 after grazing at a common allowance, but differences in fibre characteristics between the previous spring pasture allowances treatments were small. It appears that doe nutrition during spring can influence the kemp content in the Angora fleece. The mechanism of this effect is, however, not known.

AR, Bray, RA Moss, RN Burton, and DJ Saville

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 50, , 287-292, 1990