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Our herd is mostly Pygora and PCA fiber goats, but we also have a few Nigerian Dwarfs. Originally, I looked into getting goats to help us keep the brush down around the house, but when I discovered Pygoras, I was hooked on their curly cuteness and oh-so-soft fleeces! Ever since then it has been a whirlwind of learning about breeding fiber goats, how to spin and process fiber and running a ranch. It has been such a great experience. I purchased the Nigerian Dwarfs to diversify my herd and because I love their friendly, inquisitive nature. My Nigerian does come from exceptional milking lines.
If you are not familiar with Pygoras, they are a breed that originated from crossing a registered Pygmy goat with a white AAGBA registered Angora goat. They are now a registered breed of their own with the Pygora Breeders Association. There are also PCA Goats that are a cross between a registered Pygmy and a CAGBA registered colored Angora goat. They are like Pygoras, but have there own registry -The PCA Goat Registry. They all produce one of three types of fiber :
Type A is the most like the mohair from the Angora goats, but unlike Angora goats, Pygoras will hold their fleece fineness even as they grow older (mohair will coarsen as the goat matures). The fiber has a lovely luster and soft feel.
Type B is a cross between mohair and cashmere. This is many peoples favorite type. So very soft and fluffy, very wearable near skin and faces, with a long enough staple that it is easy to spin.
Type C is very much like cashmere. This is luxurious stuff! So very nice to wear, great for baby clothing too.
All of these fiber types have a extrememly soft, luxurious feel and are great for spinning. Pygora is usually combined with a little fine wool like merino before spinning to help it retain its memory (the fiber strands are "slippery" and the garment may tend to "grow" as its worn - not a problem with scarves, but might be with a sweater). Pygoras come in white (which takes dye wonderfully) as well as many wondeful natural colors.
Pygoras are a medium size goat and Does run around 80 pounds compared to Saanen milk goat Does that average 150 pounds (and Boer meat goat Does averaging 200 pounds). For more information on Pygoras, visit the Pygora Breeders Association (click here), or feel free to contact me - I love talking goats! info@crickviewranch.com or 541-938-6756
Nigerian Dwarfs are miniature milk goats and they can be wonderful milk producers. The amount of milk they produce each day is usually just the right amount for a small family. They are also very friendly and make wonderful pets and "lawn mowers." It seems they come in every color of the rainbow, and often have blue eyes. My Nigerians are some of my favorite goats because of their friendliness and personalities. Most of my Nigerians come from Camanna's, a ranch that breeds many prize winning goats each year, and they have excellant milking backgrounds.
Feel free to check out our other does, kids, and bucks pages and see our herd up closely. If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to contact me at info@crickviewranch.com or call 541-938-6756.
Crickview Ranch • 80344 Steen Road, Milton-Freewater, OR 97862 • 541-938-6756 •info@crickviewranch.com