Cashmere production from Scottish Cashmere kids and crossbreed ScottishCashmere x Jonica kids

This study is part of a much wider research programme to evaluate the possibility of producing valuable textile fibres, such as cashmere, from goat breeds reared in Italy. In arder to achieve this, we have used crossbreeding. The first stage of the programme consisted of evaluating cashmere production in F1 kids obtained by crossing white-haired Jonica does, which have no secondary fibres, with Scottish Cashmere bucks. The trial lasted one year starting in March 2007, and took piace in the Department of Animai Pro­ duction of the University of Bari (Italy). We used 14 male kids: 7 Scottish Cashmere (SC group), and 7 F 1 (SC x J group) derived from crossing Scottish Cashmere bucks with does of the Jonica breed, commonly reared in southern Italy. Ali the parameters considered (live weight, number and active percentage of primary and secondary follicles, S/P ratio, patch weight, growth and length of guard hair and down, yield, down production and diameter, blood protein and T 3 and T4) were significantly influenced (P<0.0l) by age. Genotype also had a significant effect (P<0.0l) on ali parameters except for the active percentage of primary follicles and the blood protein level. The factors which influence down production showed the heterosis effect to a varying extent in F11 but they stili produced significantly less than the se group kids (38.5±4.04 vs 68.5±9.16 g; P<0.01). These results are largely due to both their low number of secondary follicles (30.0±1.46 vs 39.3±1.02; P<0.0l), which aIso have a lower percentage of activity (64.7±2.47 vs 90.0±1.53; P<0.0l), and also to the down length which was 28% shorter than in SC group. This genetic combination is clearly unsatisfactory so others must be sought, probably by using more rustic local breeds, as well as more productive breeds for crossbreeding.