Overview
- Susie Paterson manages around 250 breeding goats in southern Queensland, breeding for resilience, animal health and high-quality mohair production.
- Producing fine, strong and consistent mohair relies on careful breeding, balanced nutrition, good animal health and management suited to local conditions.
- For producers considering Angora goats, Susie Paterson recommends starting with high-quality wethers, seeking advice from experienced breeders and learning what makes quality fibre.
Susie Paterson farms goats on a property between Toowoomba and Warwick in southern Queensland, Australia. With a herd of approximately 250 breeding goats, Susie manages her goat-farming operation in a challenging environment by breeding for resilience and focusing on quality fibre production.
It is a passion that has grown over many decades, farming goats in different environments. Her success in this agricultural niche highlights the potential of goat farming as an alternative to traditional livestock farming.
Managing nutrition in a challenging climate
The southern Queensland climate can be harsh, particularly during the winter months, which impacts pasture growth.
As a result, Susie provides the goats with supplementary feed and uses a high-protein feedlot ration pellet (with added minerals to reduce the risk of urinary calculi in wethers).
This helps support the goats through the colder months and periods of low pasture growth.
The right infrastructure
To protect the goats from harsher weather (especially cold winds and storms after shearing), sheds are provided in most paddocks, offering shelter during adverse weather.
While goats often have a reputation for lacking respect for fencing, Susie has observed that, "Some of the sheep breeds are worse at getting through fences than Angoras … they're not difficult to keep in." She has found that normal sheep fencing works well.
"I kind of like their quirky nature. They are highly intelligent. But, aside from that, they are the fastest fibre-growing animals in the world, and that's been very rewarding," Susie explained.
Breeding strategy
Susie's breeding strategy focuses on producing strong, resilient goats with high-quality fibre.
Paterson places an emphasis on the health and structure of the animals, particularly their teeth, mouths, legs and feet.
Breeding animals are also carefully selected for their ability to produce fine fibre with good length and strength.
Producing high-quality Mohair
Fibre quality and quantity is always front of mind, as the value of the goats is determined by their fibre production.
The focus is on producing fine fibre with excellent tensile strength and consistent length.
These characteristics are valued by buyers, as the fibre needs to withstand mechanical processing without breaking or wastage.
When looking at fibre quality, Susie highlights 'character' and 'style', referring to the crimp and twist in the fibre that contribute to its strength and appearance, as well as handle and lustre.
The alignment of fibres is another critical factor-fibre that grows uniformly from a follicle produces a smoother, higher-quality product.
She also stresses the importance of minimising contaminants, such as 'kemp' (or coarse) fibres, which can affect the dyeing process and reduce the value received for the fibre.
What to watch out for
Paterson faces challenges with maintaining fertility and fleece weight together.
Selective breeding and paying attention to animal health work to mitigate losses in either area.
She highlights the importance of providing balanced minerals and nutrients, as deficiencies can affect kidding success.
Experience has proven that diet is critical to maintaining fertility and ensuring healthy offspring.
Balancing the timing of shearing (to get the most value from the mohair) around other considerations (such as flystrike management and kidding) takes planning and needs to be adjusted for different environments.
Susie has also found that many in the farming community do not understand the complexities of managing goats, but she emphasises that with the right approach to fencing, shelter and feed, goats can thrive and generate a healthy profit.
Advice for getting started with Angora goats
Susie has clear advice for someone considering mohair production.
"I recommend they start with high-quality wethers. It's just a great place to learn how the animals are going to work on your country," Susie explained.
She also emphasises the value of consulting with and learning from others, "Take a breeder with you if you're not confident about what you're looking for," and, "Be in touch with your fibre … learn as much as you can about it."
Her enterprise represents a successful model for profitable goat farming in southern Queensland. With a clear breeding strategy, and by focusing on nutrition, animal health and fibre quality, she has created a resilient and high-performing herd that thrives, even in these challenging conditions.
