ANGORA goats are becoming increasingly popular as a dual-purpose animal that provides a regular cashflow, according to Aanaarden stud principal Nick van den Berg
"They are perfect for small-area farmers, because they are easy to handle and manage, inexpensive to buy into and they are not capital intensive," said Nick, who runs a stud and commercial flock at Cherry Gardens in the Adelaide Hills.
He started off his Angora goat enterprise at 15, with four goats from Opium Stordhalen stud at Hahndorf.
Today, he runs about 200 Angora goats, including between 40 and 50 breeders.
"The great thing about Angora goats is that they not only produce up to six kilograms of luxury mohair - one of the highest quality fibres in the world - annually, they also provide a quality meat carcase as well," he said.
And they are easy to look after.
"They have a very good temperament and are easy to handle," he said.
Nick says it does not cost a lot to get into mohair production.
"One of the great things about Angora goats is that they offer a great return on investment," he said.
"They are very affordable. You can purchase good-quality does for $50 and you can purchase good-quality yearling wethers that you can run as dry stock, just for a couple of shearings, for only $25.
"This makes Angora goats a great choice for younger farmers. There's really no other livestock you can buy in at this price."
Nick says South Australian farmers are also lucky to have great genetics in their own backyard, with three of the top five studs in Australia based in SA - Opium Stordhalen, Cedar Grove at Border Park and Lynndon Grove at Moonta.
He said setting up a farm for Angora goats was very simple.
"If you already have sheep yards there's no need to make any changes, and cattle yards are easily adaptable," he said.
Some shelter, whether trees or shedding, is important.
Predator control is another important aspect - guardian animals such as alpacas or sheep dogs can protect the herd.
"It's also important to have a good drenching program in place, to manage parasites, particularly coming into winter and then through any summer rains," he said.
"One of the great things about the Angora industry is that we have a really strong industry group - the SA division of Mohair Australia.
"The group meets four times a year on different properties across the State. This offers a great chance to network and learn from other farmers."
The meetings are open to members and non-members.
"I went to a couple of meetings before I got my first goats, and I'd really encourage anyone thinking about getting into Angora goats to come along to a meeting," he said.
The goats are shorn every six months, usually between February to the end of March and the second shearing from August to early October.
"Angora goats are an incredibly productive animal and can increase a farmer's cashflow," Nick said.
"Yearly clips are usually above 5.5 kilograms.
"With adults, you usually get 3kg with each shearing, and kids are more about the 2kg mark."
They kid-down in the middle of September, so there are fewer issues with weather, and bucks are put in with the does in April.
Kidding can be as high as 150 per cent, but are generally at about 125pc.
The return from Angora fleece is generally about $13-$14/kg.
"Kid fleeces can make up to $26/kg, and adult fleece is generally $8-$12/kg," he said.
"Fleece from a young goat, about 18 months old, on its third or fourth shearing, will make $14-$18/kg."
Full report in Stock Journal, February 14 issue, 2013.