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Recognition of cashmere down on the South African boer goat
SmaU Ruminant Research, 1 (1988) 123-126 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam - - Printed in The Netherlands
123
R e c o g n i t i o n of C a s h m e r e D o w n on the S o u t h African Boer Goat R.C. COUCHMAN
P.O. Box 247, North Carlton 3054, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia) (Accepted 3 December 1987)
ABSTRACT Couchman, R.C., 1988. Recognition of cashmere down on the South African Boer Goat. Small Rumin. Res., 1: 123-126. This note reports for the first time on the recognition of cashmere down on the South African Boer goat, the physical fibre features of that down, and the part the breed could play in the development of a cashmere industry in the Republic of South Africa.
INTRODUCTION
Since the late 1970's, Western cashmere processors have been seeking alternative sources of raw cashmere. This follows the development of dehairing facilities in China and the subsequent restricted flow of raw cashmere onto the open market from the world's major producing country. The presence of cashmere down on Australian feral goats was reported by Smith et al. (1973) and subsequently a major processor has encouraged the development of a cashmere growing industry in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. Similar steps are being taken in South Africa, by the Bertrand Group (Italy) based on the importation of five cashmere bearing bucks and 24 cashmere bearing does from Australia in December 1983. To facilitate development of the venture, the use of the Boer goat was contemplated as fulfilling a similar role to that of the Australian feral goat by providing base-line genetic material for upgrading (Couchman and McGregor, 1983). Campbell (1984), in describing the development and characteristics of the Boer goat as a meat producer, alluded further to this possibility when he described some Boer goats, particularly in the colder regions of South Africa, as having a certain amount of'fluff in the coat'. He further stated that this type of animal was not discriminated against by Boer goat stud breeders. 0921-4488/88/$03.50
© 1988 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
124 MATERIALS AND METHODS
In July, 1984, a group of 60 Boer goats situated at latitude 31 ° 9' S, longitude 25 ° l l ' E and 1475 m above sea level, grazing on the veld vegetation, were inspected. Some animals had obvious downy undercoats. The fleece of a yearling doe which showed better undercoat development was harvested. The fibre was dehaired in the wool testing laboratory of the Animal and Dairy Research Institute Fleece Testing Centre, Middleburg, Cape Province, South Africa. The greasy yield, i.e. the proportion by weight of greasy down fibres in the total fleece was determined utilising a technique devised by Couchman (1986) for a modified Shirley Analyser. Fibre diameter analysis was subsequently undertaken in a Fibre Fineness Distribution Analyser (FFDA) (Lunney and Irvine, 1979) measuring 1000 fibres. Fibre length was determined using a Baer Diagram ( Onions, 1962) and measuring the maximum, minimum and mid point fibre length. Results of tests undertaken on the 172 g fleece harvested, indicate that the sample had a greasy yield of 23% giving a total down production of 40.5 g. The down was white and had a mean fibre diameter of 14.96/lm ( SD 2.86). Down fibres ranged from 8/lm to 36/~m and the fibre diameter histogram featured a skewness of 2.07 and a kurtosis of 9.95. The maximum fibre length was 45 mm, mid point 30 mm and minimum 16 mm, similar to that observed in Chinese downgoats. The mean fibre diameter profile, the percentage of fibres in the ranges < 10/~m, 10-20/lm, 20-30/lm, > 30/~m was 1, 96, 2, 1, respectively, which compares very favourably with the profiles of 15.1/~m down from China ( Burns et al., 1962 ) and 14.6/~m Australian down (Couchman, 1984a), i.e. 5, 89, 6, 0 and 5, 94, 1 and 0, respectively. The fibre was classified as cashmere and satisfied processing requirements for high grade fine cashmere, i.e. white fibre with a diameter of less than 16 pm. Further work is underway to evaluate the proportion of animals carrying suitable levels of cashmere down and to evaluate the fibre production and characteristics of those animals. The initial results of this work are from bulked fibre samples. The following details in Table 1 represent the production characteristics of 90 adult does visually classed as low or high down producers ( Groups A and B ), progeny of Boer does mated to imported Australian bucks (Group C ) and the progeny of imported Australian does ( Group D ). All animals were shorn in August 1986, the fibre was bulked (in groups) to provide sufficient fibre for dehairing in a commercial dehairer (hence no production parameters are available for individual animals). The average down weights of Groups C and D are similar to those seen in unselected Australian feral goats. The recent acquisition of sample test dehairing equipment will allow production characteristics from individual animals to be assessed and to allow animal selection in an improvement programme.
125 TABLE 1 Production characteristics of groups of Boer does and progeny of imported Cashmere goats and Boer X Cashmere goats Group
n
Averagefleeceweight Yield Averagedown Mean diameter (g/head) % (g/head) (/zm)
A B C D
61 29 70 12
209 172 267 286
6.0 10.7 16.1 14.7
12.5 18.5 42.9 42.1
17.7 17.5 16.2 19.8
DISCUSSION This note has identified the undercoat fibre grown by Boer goats as cashmere. This information and empirical observations on over 600 Boer does and the offspring of Boer does and imported Australian Cashmere bucks in addition to Campbell's observations on down coats in the Boer goat population, indicated that it has sufficient potential, through upgrading and selection programmes, to increase cashmere content of the coat. This may stimulate the development of a cashmere growing industry in South Africa. The major advantages of the Boer goat breed are its white coat colour, high fecundity and high meat producing ability. In 1981, there were 2.76 million Boer goats in the Republic of South Africa ( Campbell, 1984). Apart from their meat producing ability they are used effectively to control bush encroachment of the veld resulting from the replacement of native browsing animals by sheep and cattle. Work in Australia by Couchman (1984b) on cashmere goats, described levels of production from improved cashmere goats. To be an economically viable proposition, a source of income other than that from down is necessary. Meat production is just such an income source. The Boer goat is currently a viable economic proposition for meat production alone and a supplementary source of income such as cashmere would considerably enhance its profitability. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author thanks Mr. G. Bertrand and Mr. P. van Rooyen for their assistance in this work.
REFERENCES Burns, R.H., von Bergen, W. and Young, S.S., 1962. Cashmere and the undercoat of domestic and wild animals. J. Text. Inst., 53 (2): T45-68.
126 Campbell, Q.P., 1984. The development of a meat producing goat in South Africa. Proceedings, 2nd World Congress. Sheep and Cattle Breeding. South Africa, 2:poster 17: 1-8. Couchman, R.C. and McGregor, B.A., 1983. A note on the assessment of down production in Australian 'cashmere' goats. J. Anita. Prod., 36: 317-320. Couchman, R.C., 1984a. Studies on the Cashmere down production of goats. M. Agr. Sci. Thesis, Melbourne University, Melbourne, Australia. Couchman, R.C., 1984b. Specification of fibre diameter profiles for Australian goat down. Proceeding Australian Society Animal Production, 15: 309-312. Couchman, R.C., 1986. The utilisation of a modified shirley analyser {wool model) in dehairing Cashmere down samples for greasy yield testing. J. text. Inst., 77: (4) 255-262. Lunney, H.W.M. and Irvine, P.A., 1979. Some factors affecting measurement by the CSIRO FibreFineness Distribution Analyser. Text. Res. J., 49 (7): 371-379. Onions, W.J., 1962. In: Wool - an Introduction to its Properties, Varieties, Uses and Production. 1st Ed. Publ. Ernest Benn, London, England, p. 114-115. Smith, I.D., Clarke, W.H. and Newton-Turner, Helen N., 1973. The potential of feral goats in Australia for cashmere prodution. J. Aust. Inst. Agric. Sci., 39: 128-131.
123
R e c o g n i t i o n of C a s h m e r e D o w n on the S o u t h African Boer Goat R.C. COUCHMAN
P.O. Box 247, North Carlton 3054, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia) (Accepted 3 December 1987)
ABSTRACT Couchman, R.C., 1988. Recognition of cashmere down on the South African Boer Goat. Small Rumin. Res., 1: 123-126. This note reports for the first time on the recognition of cashmere down on the South African Boer goat, the physical fibre features of that down, and the part the breed could play in the development of a cashmere industry in the Republic of South Africa.
INTRODUCTION
Since the late 1970's, Western cashmere processors have been seeking alternative sources of raw cashmere. This follows the development of dehairing facilities in China and the subsequent restricted flow of raw cashmere onto the open market from the world's major producing country. The presence of cashmere down on Australian feral goats was reported by Smith et al. (1973) and subsequently a major processor has encouraged the development of a cashmere growing industry in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. Similar steps are being taken in South Africa, by the Bertrand Group (Italy) based on the importation of five cashmere bearing bucks and 24 cashmere bearing does from Australia in December 1983. To facilitate development of the venture, the use of the Boer goat was contemplated as fulfilling a similar role to that of the Australian feral goat by providing base-line genetic material for upgrading (Couchman and McGregor, 1983). Campbell (1984), in describing the development and characteristics of the Boer goat as a meat producer, alluded further to this possibility when he described some Boer goats, particularly in the colder regions of South Africa, as having a certain amount of'fluff in the coat'. He further stated that this type of animal was not discriminated against by Boer goat stud breeders. 0921-4488/88/$03.50
© 1988 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
124 MATERIALS AND METHODS
In July, 1984, a group of 60 Boer goats situated at latitude 31 ° 9' S, longitude 25 ° l l ' E and 1475 m above sea level, grazing on the veld vegetation, were inspected. Some animals had obvious downy undercoats. The fleece of a yearling doe which showed better undercoat development was harvested. The fibre was dehaired in the wool testing laboratory of the Animal and Dairy Research Institute Fleece Testing Centre, Middleburg, Cape Province, South Africa. The greasy yield, i.e. the proportion by weight of greasy down fibres in the total fleece was determined utilising a technique devised by Couchman (1986) for a modified Shirley Analyser. Fibre diameter analysis was subsequently undertaken in a Fibre Fineness Distribution Analyser (FFDA) (Lunney and Irvine, 1979) measuring 1000 fibres. Fibre length was determined using a Baer Diagram ( Onions, 1962) and measuring the maximum, minimum and mid point fibre length. Results of tests undertaken on the 172 g fleece harvested, indicate that the sample had a greasy yield of 23% giving a total down production of 40.5 g. The down was white and had a mean fibre diameter of 14.96/lm ( SD 2.86). Down fibres ranged from 8/lm to 36/~m and the fibre diameter histogram featured a skewness of 2.07 and a kurtosis of 9.95. The maximum fibre length was 45 mm, mid point 30 mm and minimum 16 mm, similar to that observed in Chinese downgoats. The mean fibre diameter profile, the percentage of fibres in the ranges < 10/~m, 10-20/lm, 20-30/lm, > 30/~m was 1, 96, 2, 1, respectively, which compares very favourably with the profiles of 15.1/~m down from China ( Burns et al., 1962 ) and 14.6/~m Australian down (Couchman, 1984a), i.e. 5, 89, 6, 0 and 5, 94, 1 and 0, respectively. The fibre was classified as cashmere and satisfied processing requirements for high grade fine cashmere, i.e. white fibre with a diameter of less than 16 pm. Further work is underway to evaluate the proportion of animals carrying suitable levels of cashmere down and to evaluate the fibre production and characteristics of those animals. The initial results of this work are from bulked fibre samples. The following details in Table 1 represent the production characteristics of 90 adult does visually classed as low or high down producers ( Groups A and B ), progeny of Boer does mated to imported Australian bucks (Group C ) and the progeny of imported Australian does ( Group D ). All animals were shorn in August 1986, the fibre was bulked (in groups) to provide sufficient fibre for dehairing in a commercial dehairer (hence no production parameters are available for individual animals). The average down weights of Groups C and D are similar to those seen in unselected Australian feral goats. The recent acquisition of sample test dehairing equipment will allow production characteristics from individual animals to be assessed and to allow animal selection in an improvement programme.
125 TABLE 1 Production characteristics of groups of Boer does and progeny of imported Cashmere goats and Boer X Cashmere goats Group
n
Averagefleeceweight Yield Averagedown Mean diameter (g/head) % (g/head) (/zm)
A B C D
61 29 70 12
209 172 267 286
6.0 10.7 16.1 14.7
12.5 18.5 42.9 42.1
17.7 17.5 16.2 19.8
DISCUSSION This note has identified the undercoat fibre grown by Boer goats as cashmere. This information and empirical observations on over 600 Boer does and the offspring of Boer does and imported Australian Cashmere bucks in addition to Campbell's observations on down coats in the Boer goat population, indicated that it has sufficient potential, through upgrading and selection programmes, to increase cashmere content of the coat. This may stimulate the development of a cashmere growing industry in South Africa. The major advantages of the Boer goat breed are its white coat colour, high fecundity and high meat producing ability. In 1981, there were 2.76 million Boer goats in the Republic of South Africa ( Campbell, 1984). Apart from their meat producing ability they are used effectively to control bush encroachment of the veld resulting from the replacement of native browsing animals by sheep and cattle. Work in Australia by Couchman (1984b) on cashmere goats, described levels of production from improved cashmere goats. To be an economically viable proposition, a source of income other than that from down is necessary. Meat production is just such an income source. The Boer goat is currently a viable economic proposition for meat production alone and a supplementary source of income such as cashmere would considerably enhance its profitability. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author thanks Mr. G. Bertrand and Mr. P. van Rooyen for their assistance in this work.
REFERENCES Burns, R.H., von Bergen, W. and Young, S.S., 1962. Cashmere and the undercoat of domestic and wild animals. J. Text. Inst., 53 (2): T45-68.
126 Campbell, Q.P., 1984. The development of a meat producing goat in South Africa. Proceedings, 2nd World Congress. Sheep and Cattle Breeding. South Africa, 2:poster 17: 1-8. Couchman, R.C. and McGregor, B.A., 1983. A note on the assessment of down production in Australian 'cashmere' goats. J. Anita. Prod., 36: 317-320. Couchman, R.C., 1984a. Studies on the Cashmere down production of goats. M. Agr. Sci. Thesis, Melbourne University, Melbourne, Australia. Couchman, R.C., 1984b. Specification of fibre diameter profiles for Australian goat down. Proceeding Australian Society Animal Production, 15: 309-312. Couchman, R.C., 1986. The utilisation of a modified shirley analyser {wool model) in dehairing Cashmere down samples for greasy yield testing. J. text. Inst., 77: (4) 255-262. Lunney, H.W.M. and Irvine, P.A., 1979. Some factors affecting measurement by the CSIRO FibreFineness Distribution Analyser. Text. Res. J., 49 (7): 371-379. Onions, W.J., 1962. In: Wool - an Introduction to its Properties, Varieties, Uses and Production. 1st Ed. Publ. Ernest Benn, London, England, p. 114-115. Smith, I.D., Clarke, W.H. and Newton-Turner, Helen N., 1973. The potential of feral goats in Australia for cashmere prodution. J. Aust. Inst. Agric. Sci., 39: 128-131.