How to Shear a Goat

Goats are often raised for their meat but their coats can also be shorn to produce fibers for clothing. Before you begin shearing a goat, you must determine how often your particular breed of goat can be sheared each year. Angora goats should be shorn twice a year, typically in the early spring and the early fall, while pygora goats should be shorn in the late winter, and cashmere goats should be shorn in the late spring and late summer, twice during its growing cycle.

Things You'll Need

  • Sheep shears, electric or hand shears
  • Grooming stand or stanchion
  • Scissors
  • Baskets or bags
  • Hanging scale
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place your goat in a standing position and secure his head and neck area between the bars of a grooming station, ensuring that he will not wiggle around during the shearing process.

    • 2

      Blow excess debris and hay from your goat's hair with a blow dryer.

    • 3

      Shear your goat's belly, taking special care not to cut the goat's nipples or groin area. Proceed to the goat's shoulder area and sides. Use long, smooth strokes.

    • 4

      Shear the goat's back, neck and rump. If using an electric shear, turn the cutting speed to low to minimize overheating that might burn your goat's delicate skin.

    • 5

      Use scissors to cut away hair that you missed while shearing your goat.

    • 6

      Provide your goat with adequate shelter. Freshly shorn goats have lost their source of warmth and must be protected from weather elements for at least four to six weeks after shearing.