title: Effect of sex and rearing system on the quality and mineral content of fiber from raeini cashmere goats.
abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the quality characteristics and mineral content of the fiber from male and female cashmere goats raised under different management systems. Male and female Raeini cashmere goats (<1.5 years of age, n = 48) were selected from flocks raised at a government breeding station or raised commercially under either rural or nomadic conditions. The staple length, cashmere fiber diameter, coefficient of variation for fiber diameter, percentage of cashmere in a fleece, percentage of guard hair in a fleece and cashmere tenacity averaged 4.6 ±0.1 cm, 18.0 ±0.1 μm, 20.9 ± 0.4%, 66.1 ± 1.5%, 33.8 ± 1.5% and 1.8 ± 0.2 gf/tex, respectively. The sulfur, copper and zinc content of the cashmere averaged 2.8 ± 0.1%, 0.00065 ± 0.00002% and 0.01276 ± 0.00025%, respectively. Rearing method significantly affected staple length, coefficient of variation of fiber diameter, cashmere tenacity and copper content. Males had a higher coefficient of variation of fiber diameter and cashmere tenacity than females (P < 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Dehghan Villa, 31585, Karaj, Iran. farmir2003203@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shamsaddini-Bafti
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maghsoudi
authors.forename: Ali Mostafa
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tehrani
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mirzaei
authors.forename: Syed Mojtaba Syed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Momen