Variation of mohair quality over the body in Angora goats

Forty female Angora goats were selected at random from the experimental nuc leus of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (Pilcaniyeu, Arge ntina), with the aim of analyzing the variability of main fleece characteri stics of the Angora goats and establishing an optimum sampling site. Sample s were taken at the first and second shearings (12 and 18 months of age) fr om the following parts of the fleece: neck, midrib, back, britch, belly and shoulder. For each sample the following determinations were made: oven-dry yield (YLD); average (AFD); standard deviation (SDAFD) and coefficient of variation (CVAFD) of fiber diameter; percentage of medullated fibers (MFT); characterization of three types of medullated fibers: continuous (MFC), in terrupted (MFD and kemp (KEMP) by estimating their proportion, average fibe r diameter, standard deviation and coefficient of variation of fiber diamet er; wax (WAX); suint (SUINT); humidity (HMD); staple length (STAPLE); degre e of brightness (Y) and degree of yellowness (Y-Z). All variables studied s howed statistically significant variability among to the sampling position (P < 0.05), except of Y-Z, proportion of FMC, average fiber diameter of MFD and KEMP, and standard deviation of fiber diameter of KEMP at 12 months of age, at 18 months old for STAPLE and standard deviation of fiber diameter of MFD, and for CVAFD at the two ages of shearing (P > 0.05). The results s howed that sampling from the midrib of Angora goats gave adequate represent ation for most of the fleece variables analyzed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.