What is a Pygora, Anyway?
First developed as a fiber animal on the West Coast as a
solution to the fragility of Angora goats, the Pygora is a cross
between a Pygmy goat and an Angora goat, with a hardy
constitution and the personality of the Pygmy. They don't like
rain any better than any other goat, however. They come in all
different sizes, due to the fact that a goat can be up to 3/4
Registered Pygmy or Registered Angora and be eligible as a
Registered Pygora. In my experience, West Coast Pygoras
tend to be larger. That's probably because the breeders have
been fine-tuning them longer.
Pygoras come in all the colors and patterns that Pygmy
goats do, and several shades noted in Angoras. For more info
on this subject, check with the Pygmy Goat Registry - they have
a really complete description of color ID, and lots of great
photos (www.npga-pygmy.com/resources/conformation/color_chart.asp).
Pygoras can also be found in three distinct fleece types: “A”
which is a mohair type of fiber, “B” which combines the textures
of mohair and cashmere, and “C” which is strictly cashmere.
There are multiple combinations of fleece type possible - when
the fashion world coined the term "Cashgora", I'm pretty sure
they were thinking of the Pygora goat. Type "C" goats will
shed their fleeces VERY rapidly in the Spring - other fleece
types need to be shorn. All fleece types have guard hairs that
should be removed to produce the finest product - this can be
time-consuming, but the end result is a fiber that is like thistle-
down.
In addition, Pygora goats are meaty, which opens up
another market for the entrepreneur. No one likes to think of
the results of their carefully matched breedings ending up on
someone's bar-be-que, but let's face it, there are only so many
perfect bucks, and someday the market may be saturated with
fiber wethers. At least with Pygora bucklings, you have the
chance to see a decent profit across the scale, and those few
who are sacrificed will pay for the feed that the rest of your herd
will eat. You learn to think like this when you have sheep.
We have found that these goats have a lot in common with
our Icelandic sheep - they are all individuals with distinct
personalities, they are very athletic, and they are a blast to
watch. They differ from sheep in that they prefer to browse
rather than graze (no tree is safe!), and they need grain to
maintain a healthy coat. In all other aspects their care is
identical to the care we give our flock. For more info on
everything Pygora, visit www.pygoragoats.org which is the home
of the National Pygora Goat Association. You will find
Pygora breeders to be a helpful bunch, always willing to talk
about their darlings. Just ask us!
