Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the quality characteristics and mineral content of the fiber from male and female cashmere goats raised under different management systems. Male and female Raeini cashmere goats (<1.5 years of age, n = 48) were selected from flocks raised at a government breeding station or raised commercially under either rural or nomadic conditions. The staple length, cashmere fiber diameter, coefficient of variation for fiber diameter, percentage of cashmere in a fleece, percentage of guard hair in a fleece and cashmere tenacity averaged 4.6 ±0.1 cm, 18.0 ±0.1 μm, 20.9 ± 0.4%, 66.1 ± 1.5%, 33.8 ± 1.5% and 1.8 ± 0.2 gf/tex, respectively. The sulfur, copper and zinc content of the cashmere averaged 2.8 ± 0.1%, 0.00065 ± 0.00002% and 0.01276 ± 0.00025%, respectively. Rearing method significantly affected staple length, coefficient of variation of fiber diameter, cashmere tenacity and copper content. Males had a higher coefficient of variation of fiber diameter and cashmere tenacity than females (P < 0.05).
Highlights
Despite the availability of inexpensive, flexible and stable synthetic fibers, the demand for cashmere is growing, presumably because of the revolutionized distribution of wealth around the world which has increased the demand for luxury items such as cashmere textiles [1]
The top quality cashmere (14 to 15 μm), which is used in knitted garments, comes from China while the lower quality cashmere (17 to 18 μm) used in weaving comes mainly from Iran [2]
The results of our study demonstrated a value 1.76 ± 0.19 gf/tex for this trait and indicated a large variation (70.9%) between samples in cashmere tenacity from 0.5 to 5.60 gf/tex (Table 1)
Summary
Despite the availability of inexpensive, flexible and stable synthetic fibers, the demand for cashmere is growing, presumably because of the revolutionized distribution of wealth around the world which has increased the demand for luxury items such as cashmere textiles [1]. The down fiber content of commercial raw cashmere can vary between 15 and 90% depending on the coat type and the sorting method used in the country of origin. The Raeini goat is one of the most famous cashmere breeds raised in Iran [6]. It is raised in large numbers in the Kerman province of Iran where goat production contributes significantly to the agricultural economy. In this region, farmers keep goats for meat, milk and cashmere, but little effort is made to select and breed better quality cashmere goats. Down yield of raw cashmere fibers ranges between 30 and 70% and averages 16 to 19 μm in diameter and 4 to 7.5 cm in staple length [7]
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