Cashmere goat
Goat bred for its fine, soft winter undercoat.
A cashmere goat is a type of goat that produces cashmere wool, the goat's fine, soft, downy, winter undercoat, in commercial quality and quantity. This undercoat grows as the days get shorter and is associated with an outer coat of coarse hair, which is present all the year and is called guard hair. Most common goat breeds, including dairy goats, grow this two-coated fleece but cashmere breeds have been selected for quality and quantity of their undercoat. The down is produced by secondary follicles, the guard hair by the primary follicles. The goats take their name from their origin in the Himalayan region of Kashmir with the word 'cashmere' deriving from an anglicisation of Kashmir.
- field
- Fiber goat
- known_for
- Production of cashmere wool (fine undercoat)
- origin
- Himalayan region of Kashmir
Lore & Background
Cashmere goats produce a two-coated fleece: a coarse outer coat of guard hair present year-round and a fine, soft downy undercoat that grows as days shorten. The down is produced by secondary follicles, while guard hair comes from primary follicles. Breeding programs have been started in past decades to develop productive breeds. The cashmere goat is a fiber goat along with the Pygora goat, Nigora goat, and the Angora goat. Several cashmere-producing breeds are recognized. The Changthangi or Pashmina goat, found in China (Tibet), Mongolia, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and India, produces the finest cashmere with an average diameter between 12 and 13 μm and average fiber length between 55-60mm; it is very rare and constitutes less than 0.1% of global cashmere production. Other breeds include the Australian cashmere goat, Hexi, Inner Mongolia cashmere goat, Liaoning cashmere goat, Licheng Daqing goat, Luliang black goat, Tibetan Plateau goat, Wuzhumuqin, Zalaa Jinst White goat, and Zhongwei cashmere goat. Each breed has distinct characteristics in terms of down yield, fiber diameter, color, and adaptation to local environments.
Reader's Guide
Cashmere goats are significant for their role in producing one of the world's finest natural fibers. The cashmere undercoat, selected for quality and quantity in specialized breeds, is harvested to make luxury textiles. China dominates global production, with numerous local breeds adapted to diverse climates from desert to plateau. The Changthangi goat yields the finest cashmere (12-13 μm diameter) but represents less than 0.1% of global output, while breeds like the Liaoning and Wuzhumuqin have been developed for higher production. Breeding programs, such as those for the Australian cashmere goat and Chinese breeds, continue to improve fiber characteristics. The goats' dual-purpose use—for cashmere and, in some breeds, as pack animals or for kid fur—adds to their economic importance. The legacy of cashmere goats is tied to traditional herding practices in regions like the Gobi Desert and Tibetan Plateau, as well as modern selective breeding efforts.
Did You Know?
- The word 'cashmere' derives from an anglicisation of Kashmir, the Himalayan region of origin.
- The Changthangi goat produces the finest cashmere with an average diameter between 12 and 13 μm.
- The Zalaa Jinst White goat is the only entirely white breed of cashmere goat in Mongolia recognized by the Mongolian Wool & Cashmere Association.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Cashmere goat?
A fiber goat originating in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, selectively bred over generations to yield a commercially useful quantity of fine, soft winter undercoat called cashmere.
What are Cashmere goat's powers/role?
Its signature ability is producing cashmere down through secondary follicles, a fine undercoat that appears as days shorten, layered beneath the coarser year-round guard hair made by primary follicles.
Why is Cashmere goat important?
It is the principal source of cashmere fiber for the textile trade, and its two-coat system of fine undercoat plus coarse guard hair distinguishes it from common dairy or meat breeds.
Where does Cashmere goat come from?
The breed takes its name from the Kashmir region of the Himalayas, its original homeland, before being distributed and further selected across other countries.
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