Mohair is a fine, long, lustrous and silky fibre. It is hard wearing and resilient. The scales on the surface of mohair fibres are large and lie flat which makes it smooth and slippery, reflecting the light to give it the characteristic lustre. The flatter scales also give mohair a softer handle than other animal fibres of a similar thickness.
The micron count report gives a snap shot of the fleece quality grown since the last shearing. A sample of fleece is cut close to the skin on the mid-side of the animal and the sent away for testing. The figure stated is the average diameter of the fibre and just a part of the full report. A micron (μm) is one one-thousandth of 1mm, so the lower the number the finer the hair.
As the diameter increases with the age of the goat, it’s the grade of the fleece which will determine it’s suitability for different uses. Ultra fine first clip for the softest lace weight yarn. Older adult fleece for sturdy furnishing fabric and rugs.
This table shows the expected range for mohair from different aged goats, figures taken from several sources.
| Grade | Clip | Age of goat in months | Micron count | Approx. weight of clean fleece per clip in kg |
| Kid | 1st | 6 | 20 – 27 | 1 |
| 2nd | 12 | <27 – 30 | 1.5 – 2 | |
| Young goat | 3rd & 4th | 18 – 24 | 30 – 33 | 2 – 3.5 |
| Fine adult | 5th + | 30 – 60 | 33-36 | 2.5 – 4 |
| Adult | mature | >36 |
A few years ago new genetic lines were introduced into the UK herds through imported South African angora embryos. This is now spreading out in the countries angora herds through sale or loan of bucks.
I have been breeding a few does each year, always using champion show bucks, gradually improving my goats and their fleeces.
I decided to monitor the micron count of the mohair from my 2023 goat kids to see how it changes as they grow.
They were sired by Corrymoor Quintus, British Angora Goat Society Champion buck & Supreme Champion in 2022.
Cwmstwrdy Elspeth was Reserve Champion doe at the RWAS Smallholding & Countryside Festival in 2022 and 2023.
Cwmstwrdy Heulwen’s 3rd shear fleece won Champion fleece at the RWAS Smallholding & Countryside Festival in 2022.
Cwmstwrdy Heulyn is her twin sister.
In March Elspeth had a buck and doe kid and Heulyn had two girls. After a difficult birth, Heulwen couldn’t be persuaded to feed her twin boys, so they were castrated and bottle fed.
The adult fleeces were tested in July ‘23 as a base line. Elspeth’s was repeated in Jan.‘24 because I thought it must have been muddled with Heulyn’s. I know Elspeth still has a fine fleece but wasn’t expecting that result from a 6 year old goat.
| DOB | July ‘23 | Jan. ‘24 | July ‘24 | |
| Quintus | 8-9-2018 | 34.4 | ||
| Elspeth | 9-3-2017 | 28.4 | 27.5 | |
| Heulyn | 27-2-2020 | 33.8 | ||
| Heulwen | 27-2-2020 | 25.8 | ||
| 1st clip | 2nd clip | 3rd clip | ||
| Kristoff | 16-3-23 | 19.5 | 20 | 24.8 |
| Kaitlin | 16-3-23 | 19.7 | 23.2 | 26.5 |
| Keziah | 15-3-23 | 21 | 25.6 | 32.1* |
| Kim | 15-3-23 | 22.3 | 22.9 | 27.3 |
| Kaleb | 15-3-23 | 20.1 | 20.5 | 25.6 |
| Kasper | 15-3-23 | 19.9 | 21 | 23.8 |
* I forgot to take a sample from Keziah before shearing so had to take some cut fleece out of the box therefore it may not be an accurate result.
I was delighted when Kristoff won
Supreme Champion Angora Goat
at the
Smallholding & Countryside Festival in May 2024.