The Pygora goat is a breed of

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

that originated from crossing the registered NPGA

Pygmy goat The American Pygmy is an American breed of achondroplastic goat. It is small, compact and stockily built. Like the Nigerian Dwarf, it derives from the West African Dwarf group of breeds of West Africa. Between 1930 and 1960, animals of this ty ...

and the white AAGBA

Angora goat Angora may refer to: Places *Angora, the historic name of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey *Angora, Philadelphia ** Angora (SEPTA station), a commuter rail station * Angora, Minnesota * Angora Township, Minnesota *Angora, Nebraska *Angora Lak ...

. Pygoras, along with the

and

Cashmere goat A cashmere goat is a type of goat that produces cashmere wool, the goat's fine, soft, downy, winter undercoat, in commercial quality and quantity. This undercoat grows as the day length shortens and is associated with an outer coat of coarse hai ...

, are fiber goats (goats bred for their

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

). Pygora goats produce three distinct kinds of fleece.

History

The Pygora was a purposeful cross, bred by Katharine Jorgensen of

Oregon City, Oregon ) , image_skyline = McLoughlin House.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = The McLoughlin House, est. 1845 , image_flag = , image_seal = Oregon City seal.png , image_map ...

. In 1987, the Pygora Breeders Association was formed in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and has since then been registering and promoting Pygoras. Today, the registered Pygora goat may not be more than 75% AAGBA-registered Angora goat or 75% NPGA-registered Pygmy goat.

Breed standards

First generation (F1) Pygmy-Angora crosses are not considered true Pygoras; however, these may be bred with other Pygora goats, F1 crosses, or back to pure Pygmy or Angora goats to produce true Pygora goats. This may be continued while maintaining the integrity of the breed as long as they have no more than 75% Pygmy or Angora ancestry.

Characteristics

Pygoras live for 12 to 14 years, and are commonly used for fiber, along with being show, breeding, and fiber-producing animals. The weight of a healthy Pygora depends on whether it is a male, female or kid. Most kids are about 5 pounds at birth; does range in weight from 65 to 75 pounds and bucks and wethers range from 75 to 95 pounds. Pygora fiber is frequently used by artists for

spinning Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

, spindling,

knitting Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...

crochet Crochet (; ) is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread (yarn), thread, or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term ''crochet'', meaning 'hook'. Hooks can be made from ...

ing,

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...

, tapestries, and other fiber arts. It is also commonly used in

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...

. Pygoras can also be

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...

ed, producing about one liter per day. Pygora wethers generally have higher quality fiber than the does and bucks because they do not spend all their energy producing young. Pygora are mainly for producing fiber, but some people also show them as a hobby, in fairs, fiber shows, and in 4H. Some pygora breeders and 4-H clubs show goats at the Oregon Flock and Fibre Festival (OFFF). Angoras can be found there as well. Registered Pygora goats will produce cashmere-like fleece (Classified as Type-C), a

mohair Mohair (pronounced ) is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat. (This should not be confused with Angora wool, which is made from the fur of the Angora rabbit.) Both durable and resilient, mohair is notable for its high luster ...

-like fleece (Type-A), or a combination of the two fleeces (Type-B). Type-A fleece is composed of fibers averaging 6 or more inches in length that drape in ringlets. It may occur as a single coat, but a silky

guard hair Guard hair or overhair is the outer layer of hair of most mammals, which overlay the fur. Guard hairs are long and coarse and protect the rest of the pelage (fur) from abrasion and frequently from moisture. They are visible on the surface of the fu ...

is usually present. The fibers are typically less than 28 micrometers in diameter. Type-B fleece fibers average between 3 and in length with one, possibly two, guard hairs. The fibers are usually less than 24 µm in diameter. Type-C fleece is very fine, typically 1 to in length and less than 18.5 µm in diameter. Pygoras come in a variety of colors: white, red, brown, black, gray or a mix of the colors.

References

External links

Pygora Breeders Association
{{Goat breeds of Canada and the United States Goat breeds Fiber-producing goat breeds Goat breeds originating in the United States Agriculture in Oregon