Texas Angora goat genetics destined for Tajikistan

Texas Angora goat genetics destined for Tajikistan

Annual goat field day and sale event honors the late Mac Gilliat

SONORA — The 30th annual Sonora Angora Goat Performance Test sale took an unusual twist. The genetics from the top selling and indexing animals and five additional sale bucks are destined for flock improvement in Tajikistan, a former USSR republic, according to an international consultant.

The July 29 field day, which this year honored the memory of Mac Gilliat, longtime Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent in Real County and Angora goat industry supporter, is an annual event conducted by Texas AgriLife Research at the Texas AgriLife Research Station at Sonora. The field day and sale is a cooperative effort hosted by Angora goat producers, AgriLife Research and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

At the sale’s conclusion, 27 head passed under the gavel for a total of $10,625 or an average of $393.52 per head.

This year’s top-selling animal consigned by Bonnie and Dale Naumann of Bandera brought a winning bid of $900 from Dr. Liba Brent of Madison, Wis.

The sale’s top-indexing buck, consigned by John Justice of Cerulean Farm, Harrah, Okla., also sold to Brent for $350, as did five other bucks making her one of the sale’s top two volume buyers with $3,725 paid for the seven head. The high-indexing buck produced a clean fleece weighing 13.1 pounds with a lock length of 7.12 inches.


Scott Mitchell of Sanderson was the other volume buyer with 13 head purchased for a total of $3,925.

Brent, an international development consultant for the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas, said semen from the goats she bought will be shipped to Tajikistan and used to improve the genetics of Tajikistan’s 250,000 Angora-type goats. She said since the country’s fiber processing is done by hand, the superior U.S. genetics should improve the country’s mohair production and reduce the work needed to remove poor-quality fibers.

A special highlight of the day was the tribute and plaque honoring Gilliat, who passed away April 25 at the age of 67. Presenting the plaque to Gilliat’s sister Mary and brother-in-law, James Bridges and longtime friend Vicky Cantrell, was Fred Speck, Kerrville Angora goat producer. Speck, a friend of Gilliat, said the Boerne native was one of the best county agents he’d ever known, and that he continued supporting the Angora goat industry and performing community service years after his retirement from Extension work.

Dr. Dan Waldron, AgriLife Research geneticist and the test’s coordinator, said the test helps producers identify and develop better Angora goats. He said the sale affords them and others wanting to add superior genetics to their flocks a convenient way to do so at a central location using animals all compared in the same way.

“The Angora producers that have supported this test program are nationally and internationally recognized because of their genetic improvement efforts,” Waldron said. “Agricultural development efforts such as this Tajikistan project are willing to make investments because the breeders have data to show the quality of their goats.”

The test’s top 30 percent based on index value – which were not sifted for undesirable traits and which met all the independent culling levels – were awarded certificates of performance by AgriLife Research, Waldron said.

He said the index ranked the bucks for overall merit and sale order.

For complete sale results and for more information on the test, go to: http://safiles.tamu.edu/genetics/angoratest.htm .

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