Practical Angora Goat Raising

In Short

Published in 1905 by C. P. Bailey & Sons Company, this practical handbook guides turn-of-the-century American farmers through the intricate business of Angora goat husbandry. Combining history, agricultural science, and ranching advice, it details how these Asian Minor animals were imported to the United States and bred to perfection. The book tracks the journey of raw mohair from domestic pastures to global mills while outlining every operational step of ranch life. It endures as an authentic visual and historical document of early industrial agriculture, written by experienced pioneers who successfully acclimatized a exotic livestock breed.

The Story

The book opens by establishing the history and origins of the Angora goat, tracing its roots back to the mountainous vilayet of Angora in Asia Minor. Early naturalists like Tournefort observed the breed centuries ago, preserved by Turkish customs that remained unchanged for generations. The narrative then shifts across the ocean to document the perilous 19th-century importations that brought these animals to American soil. Visionaries like W. W. Chenery, Israel S. Diehl, and A. Eutichides braved long sea voyages to bring initial herds to Massachusetts, Virginia, and California. Highlighting international efforts, the text details parallel importations into South Africa, demonstrating how global cross-breeding with native stock built massive new textile industries.

From historical foundations, the text transitions into the economic reality of the global mohair trade. It demystifies how fleece is gathered by Armenian and Greek buyers in Turkish villages, sorted in central warehouses near Constantinople, and shipped to the industrial mills of Bradford, England. The authors contrast these foreign methods with domestic American processing, explaining how industrial paddle-scouring machines and Noble or Lister combs separate long "top" fibers from short "noil." Readers learn how mohair transforms into everyday commodities ranging from fine clothing and hats to wigs and carriage trimmings.

The core of the book shifts directly onto the American ranch, laying out an authoritative guide to herd management. It meticulously outlines the multi-generational process of grading up common goats using purebred Angora bucks. A half-blood cross yields rough, low-value hair, but successive generations rapidly adopt the dense, valuable white fleece of the true Angora. The authors emphasize selecting breeding stock for fine, kemp-free fiber over sheer body size.

Operational chapters cover every practical element of daily care across a goat’s life cycle. The authors prescribe specific feeding routines, winter shed constructions to prevent smothering, and sturdy fencing strategies to utilize goats for clearing stubborn brush like scrub oak and blackberry vines. The critical kidding season demands precise management: ranchers build jump-boards across corral gates to keep young kids contained while mothers range, and implement strict sanitary procedures during castration to prevent infection. Beyond fleece, the book presents the complete economic utility of the animal, promoting "Angora venison" as a superior meat, advocating goat manure as high-grade fertilizer, and detailing hide tanning. It concludes with an accounting of the Bailey company’s own forty-year enterprise, championing their registered stock and continuous contributions to American agriculture.

How It Unfolds

The oriental heritage The narrative begins in the high plains of Asia Minor, recording the ancient origins of the breed under Turkish care. Early European naturalists document the animal's distinct ringlet fleece centuries before modern breeding programs begin.

Crossing the Atlantic Importers bring the first small herds to American ports through grueling maritime journeys during the mid-to-late 1800s. Early California pioneers purchase these initial stocks at public auctions, battling high mortality rates and sterile animals to establish baseline breeding bands.

The global mill Raw fleeces pass from rural Turkish collection points to expert sorting rooms in Constantinople before arriving at the textile behemoths of Bradford, England. Mechanical scouring vats and rotating comb teeth process millions of pounds of raw mohair into commercial yarn.

Grading the flock Ranchers transform common goat herds into profitable mohair producers by systematically crossing them with purebred Angora bucks. Over successive generations, coarse, low-grade outer hair gives way to heavy, high-luster fleeces.

Mastering the ranch The guide details daily seasonal operations, explaining how to construct jump-board corrals, clear overgrown brush, and manage kidding season without losing stock. Precise surgical practices and sheep-dip routines protect the valuable herd from disease and parasites.

The People

• The Turk Breeders: Traditional Turkish animal husbandmen who maintained the original Angora goat strains for centuries. Uninterested in artificial breeding selection, they retain ancestral methods—cooking on braziers and keeping small, heavily-herded flocks—which preserved the pure genetic stock that western importers later sought.
• The American Importers (Chenery, Diehl, and Eutichides): Enterprising 19th-century agriculturalists who risked capital to transport fragile herds across the Atlantic. Diehl investigated Turkish production for the U.S. government, while Eutichides and Chenery established the baseline genetics that spread across Virginia, Massachusetts, and the Pacific Coast.
• C. P. Bailey and Dr. W. C. Bailey: The authors and premier pioneers of American Angora breeding. Financing early importations in 1868, C. P. Bailey spent forty years refining stock across California and Nevada, surviving industry collapse to establish the world's oldest Angora registry and manufacture local mohair goods.

In Its Own Voice

"Men who have more money than they need put that money into mohair, as mohair is always salable, and it is so bulky that there is not much danger of it being stolen."

This line captures the practical financial realities of rural Asia Minor, where raw fleece served as a secure store of local wealth.

"To-day the Turk is treading in the paths of his forefathers. What was good enough for them, certainly ought to be good enough for him, so he reasons."

Here, the authors contrast traditional Turkish agricultural conservatism with the aggressive, scientific breeding methods adopted by Western farmers.

"A buck will usually stamp his individuality upon every kid, hence the necessity of carefully selecting breeding stock."

This direct warning stresses the foundational role a quality sire plays when grading up a commercial goat herd.

What It's Really About

Beneath its instructional tone, the book is an argument for domestic agricultural self-reliance and the scientific modernization of livestock raising. It contrasts static, ancient practices with dynamic American industry, insisting that careful selection and systematic management can outpace centuries of unmanaged tradition. The text fundamentally addresses how to extract maximum economic value from harsh, scrub-covered environments. By detailing the conversion of worthless brush into high-grade fiber, leather, and meat, the authors map out a complete blueprint for sustainable ranching. It reveals the late-19th-century drive to establish national independence in crucial raw materials like mohair, transforming exotic foreign animals into standard American farm assets.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to social historians, agricultural enthusiasts, homesteaders, and readers fascinated by 19th-century industrial history. Reading it feels like sitting down with a stern, exceptionally knowledgeable 19th-century ranch manager who values clarity above all else. The prose is refreshingly direct, entirely free from modern marketing fluff or romanticized countryside nostalgia.

The book carries minor reading challenges typical of its era: specialized textile terminology like "noil," "kemp," and "lister combs" requires visual imagination, and its brief commentary on foreign cultures reflects the unvarnished period attitudes of 1905 American businessmen. Yet these elements only add to its authenticity as a historical document. What stays with the reader is the incredible grit of the early livestock importers and the elegant efficiency of historic farm design. From the mechanics of a jump-board corral gate to the logistics of sailing goats across the sea, it offers a vivid window into how modern animal husbandry was built step by step.