Characterization of goat fiber physical properties from indigenous Ethiopian goat breeds

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This study aimed to characterize the physical properties of goat fibers from some indigenous Ethiopian goat breeds. Ethiopia has different indigenous goat breeds, which are the livelihood of Ethiopian farmers and are mainly used as a source of meat, milk, fiber, hides, etc. The fiber samples were collected from Abergelle, Central Highland, and Western Lowland indigenous Ethiopian goat breeds. After shearing, scouring was applied for the removal of some impurities using ionic and non-ionic detergents and chemicals. In this study, fiber length, fineness, tensile strength and elongation, and fiber diameter were evaluated using scientific test-standard methods. The study results showed that the average tensile strengths of goat fibers obtained from Abergelle, Central Highland, and Western Lowland were 13.38, 13.31, and 13.26 cN/Tex, respectively. Similarly, the elongation percentage values were found between 22% and 24% and 32% and 34% in dry and wet conditions, respectively. The moisture regain and moisture content values ranged from 14.04% to 14.10% and 12.61% to 12.68%, respectively. The fiber length values were between 38 and 43 mm, with a diameter ranging from 18 to 21 μm. Even though there was a slight difference in some values of physical properties, the fibers obtained from each goat breed have satisfactory mechanical properties: good strength, fineness, elongation, moisture regain, and low density. Generally, this study proved that the goat fiber obtained from some indigenous Ethiopian goat breeds is a potential source of raw material for textile manufacturers and researchers.