Length as a predictor of down weight rank in New Zealand goats

Abstract

Abstract Down length collected from 1466 and 334 shearings of cashmere and cashgora goats respectively, was used to predict down weight. Down length rank explained 34 and 55% of the variation in down weight rank in cashmere and cashgora goats respectively. In cashmere goats, the relationship between down length and down weight was similar in different flocks, sexes, and years. For each centimetre of down length, down weight was lower in yearling and 6‐year‐old cashmere does compared to mixed‐age does. Goats with a finer down and lower down yield, by weight, also had lower down weights for each centimetre of down length. In cashgora goats, bucks and does with a higher proportion of Angora genes had heavier down fleeces per centimetre length of down. In conclusion, ranking goats for phenotypic down weight using down length explained only 36% of variance.