Cashmere Breed Standard (2023)

FAQs

How much is cashmere goat worth? ›

This makes the average goat worth about Rs 10000 - Rs 12000. Overall the goat is considered one of the most expensive animals in the world. The price is high due to its possession of the world's most expensive wool type - Cashmere. Cashmere is one of the most sought-after wool types in the world.

Cashmere Goat Reproduction and Life Cycle

The average lifespan of these goats is 10 to 12 years. Males reach puberty between four and eight months while females reach puberty between seven and 10 months.

Changthangi (Kashmir Pashmina) cashmere goat

They have large, twisting horns. This bloodline produces the finest Cashmere with an average diameter between 12-13 μm and average fiber length between 55-60mm. It is very rare and constitutes less than 0.1% of global cashmere production.

A single cashmere goat does not produce a lot usable cashmere fibre – only about 4 ounces (110 grams). It takes cashmere fibre from 4-8 cashmere goats to make one cashmere sweater. In comparison to wool, one sheep can produce enough fibre to make 4 wool jumpers.

Cashmere goats are relatively new to the United States, with over 60% of the world's cashmere being produced in the East. Cashmere goats were imported into the US from Australian in the late 80s and are a new and rising industry. Cashmere goats are easy to raise, healthy and take minimal care.

Therefore, all the breeds produce the Cashmere wool that produces warmth and luxury. The exclusive breed of goats called Changra Goats is rare species of goats. These goats dwell in the region of Changhthanghi, Ladakh. The region is at a high altitude level and is the coldest in the winter season.

Not only do cashmere goats suffer through the distressing combing process—as well as painful mutilations like castration (for males) without pain relief—they are killed once they are of little financial value.

The average cashmere yield from one goat amounts to about four ounces annually, but there is a wide range of variation in yield. Fiber length and fineness, and the amount of fleece coverage on the goat's body, as well as the overall size of the goat, determine yield.

Cashmere goats thrive in the Himalayas (cashmere actually derives its name from Kashmir), Inner Mongolia and to a lesser extent Outer Mongolia, Afghanistan, Iran. The best quality comes from the Himalayas and Inner Mongolia because they have the harshest climate.

There are diverse breeds that produce Cashmere in the world. But the Ladakhi goats produce the finest Cashmere. In addition, Mongolia, China, and Tibet are the largest producers of wool. Yet, Ladakhi Cashmere has the finest grade but its production is quite low due to the rare goats of Changra.

What makes cashmere expensive? ›

A cashmere goat produces no more than 200-300 grams of cashmere in a year and is collected in spring, during the natural moulting season. It takes 3 to 4 goats to make just one coat. It's a very finite resource, there is only a certain amount produced in the world. It is rare, so it's priced accordingly.

There isn't a way of producing or farming cashmere that doesn't affect the animals, humans, and environment in some way. For this reason, many fashion companies have boycotted cashmere from China and certain parts of Mongolia to promote ethical practices.

Grade A cashmere is the highest quality of cashmere. It is used by luxury brands and is what we here at State Cashmere use for all of our products. Grade A cashmere has a width as low as 14 microns, which is about 6 times finer than a human hair. Slightly less soft than Grade A, Grade B cashmere is intermediate.

The process of boiling cashmere compacts the fibers into a tighter, felted knit resulting in a soft and luxurious hand feel. Boiling natural fibers is an age-old process that makes the yarns softer and loftier.

There is no such thing as a "purebred" Cashmere goat, Most types of goat breeds, can produce this down in varied quantities and may be called Cashmere goats..but basically any goat producing cashmere can join the club! Some breeds are better known than others, but most consider Mongolian goats the best.

Raising goats for cashmere is hard work. Each animal produces only 4-6 ounces of fiber per year. Unlike most sheep breeds that can be sheared once or twice a year for 5-8 lbs of wool, a cashmere goat must be combed in order to avoid mixing the guard hairs with the soft undercoat.

The predominant meat goat breed, the Boer, originated in South Africa. They are heavily muscled and produce a lean carcass. Boer goats are also polyestrous, which means they can breed throughout the year.

Historically, fine-haired Cashmere goats have been called Capra hircus laniger, as if they were a subspecies of the domestic goat Capra hircus. However, they are now more commonly considered part of the domestic goat subspecies Capra aegagrus hircus or the alternate version Hircus Blythi Goat.

Yak wool, AKA “khullu” is not only a cashmere alternative because it's similarly soft and comfy to wear all the time. Khullu is also considered an alternative because it's more sustainable, breathable, durable, and warmer than cashmere.

Today, vicuña wool can cost between $399 and $600 per kilo, compared to cashmere which is around $80 per kilo.

What is more luxurious than cashmere? ›

More extraordinary than cashmere, the softest wool in the world comes from Vicuna, the national animal of Peru. A Vicuna is a more elegant relative of Llama, a 1.8 metre tall domesticated animal of South America.

The best way to help these goats is to refuse to support this cruel industry—by never buying anything made of cashmere. No matter where it comes from or what assurances companies give, cashmere is a product of cruelty to goats, which is rampant in the industry.

Is Cashmere Vegan? Cashmere comes from goat hair, which makes it an animal byproduct. Both foods and products produced from animals are not considered vegan, including cashmere. There are vegan alternatives to cashmere, including a cashmere produced from vegetables.

Cashmere and wool are always prone to pilling – this is nothing to do with the quality of the product, but more to do with wearing it. And if you love it, you'll wear it often! Pilling is a natural process caused when the fibres in the yarn rub against each other and form small balls.

Some goats, like angora or cashmere, can bring in a great profit. These breeds are called fiber goats, and although sheep are more well known for their wool: goats have far softer and luxurious coats when raised correctly.

The most profitable dairy goat breed is the Saanen, in which you can profit up to $36 per day. So, if you're asking how much money can you make raising goats, selling their milk can give you a good profit.

Cashmere is the precious fiber in the world that could hardly be found anywhere on the planet, it only represents 0.5% of the world's wool production. It comes from the high plateaus of the Himalayas, China, and Mongolia where these goat's dwell. It takes six months of long winter when these goats get their undercoat.

Specifically for sheep and goats, heat stress is experienced when THI is at moderate (82 to <84 degrees Fahrenheit), severe (84 to < 86 degrees Fahrenheit) and extreme (≥86 degrees Fahrenheit) levels.

1. Unlike sheep, Angora goats are generally sheared twice a year, once in spring before kidding, and once in fall prior to the breeding season. Exact time of shearing will depend on climate and availability of shelter for shorn animals. 2.

A sweater made of baby alpaca wool, in terms of softness and strength, wins over cashmere. Cashmere fibers are four centimeters long, while alpaca fibers measure between eight and twelve centimeters. This means that alpaca fiber garments are more resistant, therefore long-lasting and less prone to pilling effect.

What is the good cashmere standard? ›

The Good Cashmere Standard^® (GCS) is an independent standard for sustainable cashmere, developed by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), that aims to improve the welfare of cashmere goats, the working conditions of farmers and to protect the environment.

The highest quality cashmere will feel light and incredibly soft to the touch. The feel will be noticeably softer when compared with a cashmere garment of a lower grade.

Of course other producers in the world may try to compete for these. But Scotland has established such renown for excellence in this area, that no other country can truly rival its reputation as the source of the finest cashmere.

Cashmere does not contain lanolin, so it's an entirely hypoallergenic alternative to merino and other fibres. However, cashmere is a natural yarn and this can cause mild irritation for some people. We recommend wearing an organic cotton layer underneath your cashmere knitwear if you're prone to itchiness.

Unlike other fabrics that are likely to get worn out or damaged over time, with proper care, cashmere gets better as time passes. With simple care and storage, cashmere's natural fibers get softer and warmer the more that it is worn, making it a true investment for any winter wardrobe.

Take a pinch of fibers from the garment and press them together to form a small but slightly thicker thread; then light it on fire. Genuine cashmere is fire-resistant, so it will shrink and smell like burnt hair; synthetic fibers, on the other hand, will burn much quicker and produce black smoke and plastic smell.

Cashmere is an animal product and isn't ethical since it comes from goats' winter coats and involves animal exploitation, cruelty, stress, injuries, and diseases more often than not. Goats have a nervous system and can suffer and feel pain. They want to live harm-free and stress-free as they would do in nature.

Cashmere Fabric Drawbacks

Cashmere is prone to pilling. As one of the finer fabrics with short fibers, it can also become damaged more easily than some other fabrics. Wearers should be careful with cashmere (try saying that five times fast), course jackets or other articles of clothing may snag the fibers.

The best quality Cashmere comes from North India, Ladakh. Even though Ladakh contributes to less than 1% of the total production of Cashmere, this is the best quality Cashmere ever. The same wool from other countries is not as fine and as warm as Ladakhi Cashmere.

2-ply is the ideal type of cashmere because it maintains a balance of warmth, elasticity and light weight. 3 to 4-ply is not necessarily warmer nor softer, however it will be significantly heavier than 2-ply cashmere.

How can you tell if cashmere is 2 ply? ›

The label can tell you a lot about the cashmere used. Look at the ply, which is the number of threads twined together to make a single piece of cashmere yarn. When two threads of cashmere are twisted into one piece, that is called 2 ply cashmere. Three threads equal 3 ply cashmere and so on.

One hundred percent cashmere yarn is superb. Wearing clothing made from 100 percent cashmere keeps you warm in the winter and cool during spring and autumn. And high-quality cashmere gets softer with age without pilling.

Cashmere is warmer and softer than merino, but less durable, making cashmere the preferred textile for casual wear, while merino is the preferred wool for activewear. Warmer: Cashmere can be seven to eight times warmer than merino wool. Softer: Cashmere has a higher loft, which makes it softer.

Cashmere is very prone to shrinking when exposed to heat—any kind of heat. Even hot water and heat from the dryer will cause shrinkage. The only way to wash cashmere without damaging it is to use cold water. This is true for both machine and hand washing.

cashmere, animal-hair fibre forming the downy undercoat of the Kashmir goat and belonging to the group of textile fibres called specialty hair fibres. Although the word cashmere is sometimes incorrectly applied to extremely soft wools, only the product of the Kashmir goat is true cashmere.

Cashmere Goats

Much of the cost comes from the labor-intensive way in which cashmere needs to be harvested from the goat. Cashmere isn't shorn from the goat the way wool is shorn from a sheep; instead, it must be brushed out and away from the guard hairs.

Cashmere products can range from as little as $40 to as much as $2,400. Cashmere made with Mongolian goat wool is considered the highest quality, having the longest and most resilient fibers. Buyers should beware of counterfeit cashmere or "cashmere blends," which may be lower in price but not made of 100% cashmere.

A free dairy cast-off may not be the best option, so expect to pay $200-500 for a good pack goat prospect. Expect to pay $500 for a registered, purebred miniature goat. Registered dairy goats from champion bloodlines can cost $250 for kids and $500-1000 for breeding-age does.

The Malwa breed goat fetched Rs 5.5 lakh because of its flawless white colour and built in comparison to others in the market.

Cashmere goats are dual purpose animals raised for their luxurious cashmere and delicious meat. These animals are great for beginner or experienced farmers.

Who makes the best cashmere in the world? ›

There are diverse breeds that produce Cashmere in the world. But the Ladakhi goats produce the finest Cashmere. In addition, Mongolia, China, and Tibet are the largest producers of wool. Yet, Ladakhi Cashmere has the finest grade but its production is quite low due to the rare goats of Changra.

Grade A cashmere is the highest quality of cashmere. It is used by luxury brands and is what we here at State Cashmere use for all of our products. Grade A cashmere has a width as low as 14 microns, which is about 6 times finer than a human hair. Slightly less soft than Grade A, Grade B cashmere is intermediate.

Can You Wash Cashmere? Yes you can wash cashmere. Hand wash cashmere or with machine-washable cashmere put on a wool or delicate cycle with a cashmere shampoo or mild detergent at a maximum temperature of 30 degrees. Turn your cashmere jumpers inside out before machine washing to preserve their softness.

Seller rating of 90 or above: 9.5% commission fee + seller fee. Seller rating between 70-89: 15% commission fee + seller fee. Seller rating between 50-69: 20% commission fee + seller fee. Seller rating below 50: 25% commission fee + seller fee.

Some quality goats sell for $300 to $500 each. Top award winners can even sell for thousands of dollars, because they are in demand for breeding to produce other award-winning goats. Some people even loan out their goats for breeding in exchange for stud fees.

In the case of goats, a market weight of 60 to 80 lbs. is usually very desirable for the ethnic market. Even lighter lambs and kids are preferred for different holidays and by different ethnic groups. Sometimes, bigger, older animals are desired by ethnic buyers.

Boer goats are probably the most popular breed of meat goat in the U.S. They have a fast rate of growth and tend to be hardy animals. They also tend to be docile and gentle, making them easy to raise and handle. Boer does are generally very good mothers to their kids and can raise them with limited human assistance.

Immediately after the goat has been put down, it is recommended that its throat be slit to facilitate the draining of blood. This is done with a very sharp butcher's knife (or similar). Make a deep cut just below the angle of the jaw to include carotid arteries on both sides of the neck.

Goats are similar to sheep in that you can support about 6-8 goats on an acre of land. Because goats are browsers, not grazers, it will be important that the land you have will supply them with the sort of forage they like to eat—see below.