FLOCK MANAGEMENT: Dealing with seed problems in Angoras

There is no quick or cheap way to remove seed from mohair, but good management helps, according to Pierre van der Vyver, general manager of The House of Fibre. He outlined his tips to Roelof Bezuidenhout.

- Roelof Bezuidenhout

Removing grass seed from Angora goats is time-consuming and labour-intensive, but it's definitely worthwhile. The table of the past season's average prices (see below) makes this abundantly clear by showing that a farmer can potentially lose tens of thousands of rands on a single bale.

Prevention of contamination requires a basic knowledge of the problem seed:

Small carrot seed grass (Tragus berteronianus, wortelsaad)

This is the first grass to respond to good summer rain. After a short establishment, the seeds ripen within a week following warm weather.

Keep animals in camps that are already grazed. If you move them at this stage to rested camps, they will become heavily contaminated.