Australian Cashmere

The Australian Cashmere goat was developed from Australian feral and domestic goats selected for a fine downy undercoat suitable for cashmere fiber. It is not defined by one show color or dairy outline; the important trait is the quality and quantity of the soft winter undercoat beneath coarser guard hair. Australian selection helped turn hardy range goats into fiber animals while retaining toughness, mobility, and the ability to perform in dry grazing country.

Management differs from ordinary meat-goat keeping because fiber quality is central. Producers monitor fleece growth, fiber diameter, guard hair, shedding, nutrition, and stress, then harvest by combing or shearing depending on the system. Good fencing is important because many lines remain agile and independent. Breeding choices should balance cashmere traits with fertility, mothering, feet, and parasite resistance. Buyers interested in Australian Cashmere goats should ask for fleece records or samples rather than relying on the name alone.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Brown, Brown and White, Buckskin, Chamoisee, Cou Blanc, Cou Clair, Cream, Fawn, Gold, Moonspotted, Pinto, Red, Red and White, Roan, Spotted, Sundgau, Swiss Marked, Tan, White