Andrew James ‘Bathampton’ Qld © ACGA 2024
| Origin of animals | Bred-on Cashmere animals | Rangeland animals | Boer/ Kalahari/ other meat breeds | Dairy breeds | Mohair | |
| How to do it? | Source animals from an established breeder. | Select sound rangeland does and mate to high quality Cashmere bucks. | Select sound does and mate to high quality Cashmere bucks. | Select sound does and mate to high quality Cashmere bucks. | Select sound does and mate to high quality very-fine Cashmere bucks. | |
| Advantages | Already well selected for Cashmere production. | Rangeland does are hardy, they are good mothers, they often produce some high-quality Cashmere. | Domesticated, and often produce some Cashmere. | Domesticated, and often produce small amounts of high quality Cashmere. | Domesticated and excellent temperament. Very heavy fibre producers. Generally produce all white progeny | |
| Disadvantages | In short supply | Rangelands will require domestication and are highly variable in quality, colour and temperament. | The Cashmere produced by these animals tends to be coarser. | The Cashmere produced by these animals tends to be in small quantities. | Very high fibre diameter and may take two or three generations of breeding before Cashmere type fibre is produced in progeny. | |
| Progeny | Should be reliable producers of Cashmere | First generation progeny are often good quality. | First generation progeny are often good quality. | First generation progeny are generally producers of fine quality cashmere on large-framed animals. | Fibre from first generation progeny may be unsaleable due to its intermediate type between Mohair and Cashmere. | |
| Health comment | Always check the health status of the flock from which you are sourcing animals. Especially pay attention to Johnes, Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis, Mycoplasma, intestinal worms and lice. Different sources and different locations have differing risk profiles. | |||||
| Resources | When purchasing a Cashmere Buck, always ask for a fleece test result for fleece weight, fibre diameter and yield of cashmere and the age of the animal at the time of the test. Younger animals are usually finer and produce much lower quantities of fibre. Similarly adult animals that are finer-micron produce less Cashmere than stronger-micron animals. | |||||
