Subject: Re: Altrnative livestock--- Cashmere goats

From: John Harris <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 20:45:10 -0600 (MDT)

Cashmere Goats the new American business.  Alternative livestock on a
small acreage can mean big profits in a short time. In one year you could
be selling luxurious cashmere at $45.00 per pound. Stud service in your
locality for $300.00 per service. Registered breeding stock for up to
$1,500.00 each and much much more. We started four years ago with imported
goats from Tasmania,Australia, and New Zealand.  We have been selectively
breeding and building our herd. We have three genetically unrelated herds
of registered high quality breeding stock and are offering several of our
1993 kid crop for sale as well as a few 1992 animals.  These high quality
registered breeding stock animals could get you started in this new and
profitable American business.  We can ship Air freight in one day or
deliver for expenses.  If you are interested or want more information
contact. 
John Harris
90417 county road 17
Mitchell, Ne.  69357
call 308-635-1579  or  internet [email-masked]

Two cash crops from the same goat at the same time.  This feat has been
successfully accomplished in Texas using spanish meat goats.  The Spanish
does are crossed with a registered high quality Cashmere goat to produce
f1 crosses.  These f1's can be sheared at 9 months and the sheared
Cashmere fleece sold for $45 per pound.  The goat can then be sold for
meat as usual for the second crop at the normal market value. 
This same scheme could be used with milk goats, but its mostly untried at
the present time.  I'm not sure if fleece production and milk production
are genetically mutually exclusive or if both traits could be selected
for.  It would take an adventuresome experimentation to find out.  The
Cashmere's are not noted for their milk production but if one could
produce an animal that had good udders for milk and even average Cashmere
production youd have two crops from one goat at the same time as with the
meat goats.
I started with Pygmys and have crossed them with the Cashmere's and have
had excellent success.  Pygmys are fair Cashmere producers in their own
right.  When crossed with a full blood Cashmere in which the Cashmere
trait is 60% heritable you get great cashmere from the first f1 cross. 
The f2 or 3/4 blood cross produces approximately 80% of the cashmere a
full blood would produce and it is extreamly fine and high quality.  I
have several f2's and f3's and they are producing prime quality fibre.  
If some one were to want to experiment with crossing Cashmere with milk
goats I would work with them in that endeavor.  
I dont have room on my 5 acres but I would do a joint venture with some one
who does have room. Cashmerely yours.    John Harris

Questions asked by several interned responses.  Answers I thought you
might be interested in.
 First the question of how much does one goat produce?
 An adult billie will yield from 2 to 2&1/2 pounds per year and a female
about 1&1/4 to 1&1/3/4 pounds of which 40 to 60 percent is cashmere which
sells for $45 per sheared pound or $135 per dehaired pound .  There has never
been an over production of the worls supply of Cashmere for centuries.  
Cashmere is an old old business.  
The majority of the world supplies come from Angola, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, 
Turkey, and of course Cashmere.  You can see that these countries are not 
the most stable and reliable places to rely on for your supply of any 
thing.  That is why the Fortey Cashmere company financed the Cashmere 
breeders association to the tune of $30,000 to establish a domestic herd 
of Cashmere producing goats.  They want a reliable supply.  All of the 
animals that are in the US have been imported through the quarentine 
process at great expense.  There are about 18,000 of these critters now 
with expectations of 20 million to produce the quantities of Cashmere 
that is required now at current usage rates.  As you can see we will be 
several years in achieving this goal.  It wont happen over night like pot 
bellied pigs.  This is more than a fad livestock.  There is a solid 
industry underlying the Cashmere business.  You are correct in your 
appraisal of the need for breeding stock, now and for many years to 
come.  That is why you would want registered breeding stock yourself,  so 
you can be a supplier of breeding stock to other growers.  With the 
Mohair subsidy being discontinued there are lots of Angora goat herds 
that will be sold at 10 cents on the dollar, in exchange for Cashmere 
goats at top dollar that produce fibre that does'nt need a subsidy.  
These are some of the underlying reasons why I got into Cashmere and it 
looks better and better every year.  I hope this has answered some of 
your concerns.  I welcome questions like these because most people are 
not aware of these facts.  Thanks for your inquiry.
Cashmerely yours.   John Harris

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Nebraska Western Cashmere
John Harris  [email-masked]
90417 County Road #17
Mitchell Ne 69357   Voice:  (308) 635-1579 fax: (308) 635-6100
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