Zhongwei goats are produced only in the arid desert steppes of some counties in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Gansu Province. They live chiefly, if not solely, on salty or sandy plants or shrubs. The kids are slaughtered at 35 days of age for their pelts, which have white, lustrous staples and attractive curls.

 

Both sexes are horned with the male's horns stretching upward and twisted. The males average 39 kg (85 pounds) and females 24.5 kg (55 pounds).

 

These goats also produce cashmere. The males produce approximately 140 g of cashmere and the female 120 g. The percentage of cashmere in both sexes is 25% of the total fleece. The cashmere length is 7.0 cm and 12.5 microns.

 

The Zhongwei reach sexual maturity at five to six months and are generally mated at 18 months of age. The kidding percentage is 104-106 percent.

 

 

References

Cheng. P. (1984) Livestock breeds of China. Animal Production and Health Paper 46 (E, F, S). Publ. by FAO, Rome, 217 pp.