Hello,

I had the opportunity to attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year and was amazed at all the uses for all different types of wool and other fiber.  The fiber for roving and custom yarn is a small niche market in Ohio so resources are limited.  I am not aware of anyone in Licking County specifically raising Angora or Pygora goats for a fiber enterprise.  There are some breeders in other parts of Ohio.

There are lots of good sources of information on goat management and care provided by Extension in many states.  This link is a nice video on getting started with a sheep or goat enterprise on a small farm.  https://www.canr.msu.edu/videos/sheep-and-goat-management

With such a specialty market, profit is going to be determined by your marketing ability.  Unlike commodity crops and livestock, prices paid for fiber are widely variable.  Attending fiber festivals and networking with businesses that purchase the type of fiber your animals produce is critical to developing marketing opportunities.  There are multiple events of this type that take place throughout Ohio each year.  Ohio is home to a few fiber mills which could also be a valuable marketing resource.  Contacting these businesses to discuss markets and sale prices would also be a great starting point.

I am able to provide many resources related to goat production and pasture management.  Feel free to contact me for more information.

Thank you so much for this information! I have a few follow up questions:

1) As I am researching Angora vs Pygora goats, I am reading a lot about Angora goats being extremely susceptible to hypothermia and pneumonia. I understand they do not have the layer of fat under their skin that most meat goats may have which is why they are more vulnerable. I plan to have a large indoor area of our barn available to them during winter. Do you have any resources on preventing hypothermia for more susceptible goats during the winter? Do I need to close them in to the barn all winter or can they still go out?

2) Can you provide me some resources on pasture management for the goats? We have 3 and a half acres of pasture that we use for a few cows that we raise for beef. We do not do anything to that pasture currently. We would be taking a portion of it to make a goat pasture. In the video you sent, he talks about good pasture management but I am unsure what we would need to do to maintain it well for the goats. We do not currently have a setup that would allow for cycling through pastures, is there something else we can do?

3) Based on the video you sent, he talks about the parasite concern in pastures. I do want our goats to be able to graze outside but will plan to give more hay to help prevent them over consuming parasites. With that being said, would treating the pasture with diatomaceous earth or adding it to their loose minerals help with preventing the lifecycle of the parasites? If so, how often would I need to put DE out on the pasture in order for it to be effective?

1)  With cold temperatures the most important concerns to address are an area that has good dry bedding and is free from drafts. You don't want it too air tight as lack of ventilation can lead to increased moisture and respiratory problems.  Fall shearing should take place early enough to allow for good regrowth of their mohair coat. If they have a dry, bedded, draft free area to get out of the cold they should be good to come and go as they please.

2)  I would be glad to come to your place for a visit to walk the pasture area and discuss pasture management.  Feel free to call me at<personal data hidden>6.  We do offer Pastures for Profit classes from time to time. One just ended and we don't have the next scheduled yet.  Here is a link to our forages website that contains good information on pastures and grazing. https://forages.osu.edu/pastures-grazing

3)  Goats are particularly susceptible to internal parasites.  Some breeds are more susceptible than others and it looks like Angora's are very susceptible. A number of research studies have been conducted looking at DE for internal parasite control and the results have not shown it to be a reliable method of control. Monitoring eye lid membrane coloring using FAMACHA scoring and treating only animals that fall into the recommended treatment range has shown to be a reliable method to keep parasite numbers low while also helping reduce resistance in populations of internal parasites. Combining this with pasture rotation can help interrupt the parasite life cycle.

4)  We do have an "All about Goats" webinar series beginning September 22 and going through December 15. This takes place every other week and covers a different aspect each session.  The first 2 sessions may be particularly interesting to you.  Here is a link to sign up with the session topics.  https://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_x6TZ526nRXm8SHJBANR1SA#/registration