Variation of mohair quality over the body in Angora goats.

Forty female Angora goats were selected at random from the experimental nucleus of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (Pilcaniyeu, Argentina), with the aim of analyzing the variability of main fleece characteristics of the Angora goats and establishing an optimum sampling site. Samples were taken at the first and second shearings (12 and 18 months of age) from 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), interrupted (MFD) and kemp (KEMP) by estimating their proportion, average fiber diameter, standard deviation and coefficient of variation of fiber diameter; wax (WAX); suint (SUINT); humidity (HMD); staple length (STAPLE); degree of brightness (Y) and degree of yellowness (Y-Z). All variables studied showed 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 (P0.05). The results showed that sampling from the midrib of Angora goats gave adequate representation for most of the fleece variables analyzed.