OUR PREGNANT ANGORA DOE

This was another "offer I couldn't refuse," so I didn't.

If you saw my recent post about picking up a flock of Jacob's Sheep, you may have heard that there were also some Angora Goats at the place that we got the sheep. Although I went up there for sheep, sheep are not the only thing that I brought back with me.

A BONUS GOAT

The sheep in the photo above were my goal, but if you look closely on the right side, you will also see the goat. I've always been interested in Jacob's Sheep ever since I heard of them, and when I was able to pick up a flock for less than $100 USD each, I jumped at the opportunity. The flock does not have the best genetics at the moment, but I plan on switching to a new sire and building up the flock from there.

Interestingly enough, the man also had a nice herd of Angora Goats, and was letting them go for $100 USD each too. Even though I was not looking for goats, I would have bought them all if I was already established and had a house built. Still, for only $100 each, I asked a few questions and was able to get a pregnant female. This opens up some interesting possibilities for us.

ALMOST ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

There are quite a few different ways that this could go, and at the moment I have no idea how it will work out. For one thing, these goats are commonly raised for their mohair which can be shorn twice a year and made into yarn. Our girls are planning on learning how to spin this spring anyway, so that is a pretty cool possibility. Besides the wool from our own sheep, we can now also shear our goat.

Another possibility is based upon exactly what she gives birth to. It is not uncommon for goats to have twins, but she is at least pregnant with something. If, perhaps, she has twins and one is a male and one is a female, then we have a pretty cool opportunity. I could ask around at that point and see if there was someone else with Angora Goats who would trade me a male for a male. In that case, I could get an unrelated male to breed this doe and eventually any daughters that she had too. At that point, I could begin raising up a herd of Angora Goats.

One different option is to potentially use this goat in a trade too. At some point I want to get a new ram to sire our flock of Jacob's Sheep. There are a few main reasons that I will share about later, but this goat could help in the process. Some people who keep Jacob's Sheep use them for spinning wool. If that was the case, perhaps they would want to trade one of their males for this pregnant female, which can also be used to harvest fiber for spinning. I've got a lead on some spinners nearby who have Jacob's Sheep, so we will see.

In the end, it was just too good of a deal to pass on. This was one cheap purebred doe to begin with, and the fact that she is pregnant just sweetens the deal. While we are not sure what will happen with her moving forward, we are glad to have met her and glad that she can be here on our homestead for now. We will see what the future holds for her, and we will keep you posted!