LENGTH AS A PREDICTOR OF DOWN WEIGHT RANK IN NEW-ZEALAND GOATS

Down length collected from 1466 and 334 shearings of cashmere and cash gora goats respectively, was used to predict down weight. Down length rank explained 34 and 55% of the variation in down weight rank in cash mere and cashgora goats respectively. In cashmere goats, the relations hip between down length and down weight was similar in different flock s, sexes, and years. For each centimetre of down length, down weight w as lower in yearling and 6-year-old cashmere does compared to mixed-ag e does. Goats with a finer down and lower down yield, by weight, also had lower down weights for each centimetre of down length. In cashgora goats, bucks and does with a higher proportion of Angora genes had he avier down fleeces per centimetre length of down. In conclusion, ranki ng goats for phenotypic down weight using down length explained only 3 6% of variance.