Angora
Angoras are shorn twice a year for mohair, and weeks of cold vulnerability follow every shearing.
About 12–35 lb of fleece a year, up to 35 lb of mohair a year, more than any other fiber breed here.
Not a goat for wet, wormy pasture, and not a goat to leave to itself outdoors.
Registered by American Angora Goat Breeders' Association (AAGBA).
Good for
- Fiber for handspinning4
Angoras are bred solely for mohair, and the breed delivers: up to 35 lb of fleece a year from a buck, more than any other fiber breed here, in staples that run 4 to 6 inches between the two shearings a year the breed standard calls for.
That fiber comes at a cost most buyers don’t expect. Angoras are among the more delicate breeds here: vulnerable to cold, damp weather for up to six weeks after each shearing unless given real shed shelter, and notably susceptible to internal parasites compared with other goats. This is not a low-maintenance animal wearing a low-maintenance coat.
Breeding follows a fixed fall season rather than running year-round, and litters tend toward single kids, with twins in maybe 15 to 20 percent of pregnancies. Population estimates are old and imprecise, but the breed carries no formal conservation flag here.
A serious fiber breed for someone prepared to manage shearing risk and parasite load carefully. Not the breed for anyone who wants fiber without the husbandry that goes with it.
How Angora compares
Too few sourced figures for a group median: 3 of 5 fiber breeds have one.
Does are cited at 90 lb, below the median of 100 lb across the 17 breeds in our list with a sourced doe weight.
Ranked 1st of 3 fiber breeds on fleece yield. 2 more fiber breeds are in our list without a sourced figure for this.
Full record
Size
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Size class | Standard2 |
| Mature doe weight | 80–100 lb2 |
| Mature buck weight | 90–120 lb2 |
2 more fields not found in our sources
| Height at withers (doe) | Not found in our sources* |
| Height at withers (buck) | Not found in our sources* |
Appearance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Coat type | Mohair fleece1 |
| Coat length | Long1 |
| Colors | white1 |
| Patterns | Not applicable, AAGBA's standard is a solid-white requirement; no accepted patterns exist. |
| Horns | Horned2 |
| Distinguishing features | Long, lustrous ringlet-forming mohair fleece, Both sexes horned, bucks with pronounced spiraled horns, Sheared twice yearly rather than once1 |
1 more field not found in our sources
| Ears | Not found in our sources* |
Fiber
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Fiber type | Mohair1 |
| Annual fleece yield | 12–35 lb2 |
| Fiber diameter | 20–40 micron3 |
| Staple length | 4–6 in6 |
| Shearings per year | 22 |
| Down percentage | Not applicable, Mohair is a single-coat fleece; down percentage is a cashmere/cashgora-specific measure that does not apply. |
Breeding
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Litter size | 1–2 kids (typical)2 |
| Kidding rate | 120–140%2 |
| Breeding season | Seasonal breeder3 |
| Age at first breeding · sources disagree | 12–13 months (typical)2 One source reports 18–30 months (Puberty and Estrus in Goats | Merck Veterinary Manual, record). |
| Weight at first breeding · sources disagree | 55 lb or more3 One source reports 60 lb or more (Puberty and Estrus in Goats | Merck Veterinary Manual, record). |
Temperament and management
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Hardiness | Low5† |
| Cold tolerance | Moderate2 |
| Parasite resistance | Low2 |
| Browse clearing suitability | Moderate5† |
Housing: Sheared twice a year, Angoras can freeze to death in cold, damp weather for up to six weeks afterward unless they're given shed shelter and adequate nutrition.7
5 more fields not found in our sources
| Docility | Not found in our sources* |
| Temperament tags | Not found in our sources* |
| Handler experience level | Not found in our sources* |
| Heat tolerance | Not found in our sources* |
Fencing: Not found in our sources*
Health and lifespan
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Common health issues | High susceptibility to internal parasites (Haemonchus contortus / stomach worms), Coccidiosis2 |
Availability
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | Not listed (The Livestock Conservancy, 2026)8 |
| Population estimate | 3,000 head9 |
1 more field not found in our sources
| Availability in the US | Not found in our sources* |
History and registries
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin country | Turkey5† |
Breeds like this one
Cashmere
Cashmere isn't really a breed, just a fiber qualification any goat can earn.
Pygora
A single Pygora can be born into any of three officially recognized fleece types, each spun completely differently.
Nigora
Nigora is a miniature fiber breed from the United States, also kept for dairy.
About goats generally
The facts below are stated by extension and veterinary sources for goats as a species, not for this breed specifically, shown separately from the breed's own cited record above.
| Fencing / escape difficulty | High10‡ |
| Hardiness | High10‡ |
| Heat tolerance | High11‡ |
| Cold tolerance | Low12‡ |
| Browse clearing suitability | High10‡ |
Housing: Goats generally don't need elaborate housing -- a simple three-sided structure that blocks wind and rain is enough, at roughly 15 square feet of bedded space per animal. The real hazard is cold, damp drafts rather than fresh air itself: sustained drafty, wet-cold conditions can quickly bring on pneumonia and scours in young kids more than in adult stock.13‡
Fencing: Goats are notorious escape artists, so fencing built for cattle or sheep usually isn't enough. A multi-strand, electrified high-tensile fence with hot wires worked into the first, third and top strands is the standard effective approach; plain woven wire works too, but needs an extra interior electric strand to stop goats climbing on it or catching their heads and horns in the mesh.10‡
† Descriptions marked with a dagger come from Oklahoma State University's breed pages, an educational encyclopedia rather than the breed's own registry or a university extension service. We use it for descriptions only, never for a number.
‡ Facts marked with a double dagger are about goats generally, not specifically this breed. See "About goats generally" above.
Sources (13)
- The American Angora Goat Breeders Association Breed Standard For Angora Goats · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05
- RP375 Angora Goats in the Midwest, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Angora Goats | UC Small Farms Network · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Home | American Angora Goat Breeder's Association · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Angora Goats | Oklahoma State University · Oklahoma State breed pages (lower confidence), retrieved 2026-09-05
- Angora Goat and Mohair Production, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- About Us | American Angora Goat Breeder's Association · breed registry / association, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Conservation Priority List - The Livestock Conservancy · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05 (as of 2026)
- RP375 Angora Goats in the Midwest, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05 (as of 1990)
- Meat Goat Production | Penn State Extension · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Nutritional Requirements of Goats | Merck Veterinary Manual · peer-reviewed / government / conservation body, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Shelter, Fencing and Predator Control Needs on Pasture | Langston Ag Research · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
- Goat Housing and Facilities | Penn State Extension (Meat Goat Production and Management Home Study Course) · university extension, retrieved 2026-09-05
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