ANGORA GOATS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 469, 30 March 1909, Page 2

ANGORA GOATS.

GOVERNMENT RUN AT MOTUARA. . , Ti, e Angora goat is flourishing on hfg island homo m Queen Charlotte Sound, under the caro of tlio Government Stock Depart ment. Tlio island on which the goats are' kcpfr-Motuara Island—is about 200 acres m extent, half of tho area being cleared and tho other half being still covered in virgin bush, Lho 100 acres cleared is divided iiito iivo paddocks, in which about 130 goats are ruiuiing, half of them beiug pure-bred A caretaker is in charge of tho island, and tho. surrounding scenery reserve, and, under his hand, good yards, a dip and shelter sheds liavo been erected. A resident of tlio Sounds, who takes a keen interest in tho goat farm, informed a , representative of The Dominion that tho goats have, got on very well sinco they woro placed on tlio island, about six .yoare ago, but ho thought they would do better on tlio larger neighbouring island, ■Long Island, as tho Stock Department was under bond not to foil any of tho bush standing on Motuara ■when they took the island over, Tlio first inovo made by tlio Department was to place about 60 wild mountain Jiannios on tho island, and cross them with two pure-bred Angora bucks. This was a success, and, later, 15 pure-bred Angora nannies, • which had not been mating satisfactory progress nt Trentham, woro transferred- to tho island, Tiio crossbreds aro, according to our. informant,., doing remarkably well, although, the purc-brod nannies aro not progressing quite as satisfactorily as could bo wished. Tho goats aro shorn onco a year, tho hair boing sent Homo to London. In tho shearing tho bucks aro cutting capitally, but the nannies aro not cutting as woll 'as they might do. Blackberry and fern, the plague of many farmers, get short shrift from* the. Angora, and tho demand for bucks is greater than tlio supply is equal to. As soon as a buck is ready to ivcan, an immediate sale cnii bo found for it at £3 3s, Tho nannies aro all kept for breeding purposes.