What is a Pygora Goat?

By Kathy Blackett, owner of Snokist Farm Pygmy & Pygora Goats

A Pygora goat is a breed purposely bred and then registered in Oregon by Katherine Jorgensen. She wanted an animal which would produce fine fiber for hand spinning. She bred the Pygmy, a goat with short, soft "down" to the Angora, a goat with long silky fleece. The Pygora Breeder's Association was formed in 1987. Since then, the Pygora has increased in number and popularity.

Technically, the first generation of Pygora is an "F1" and is not a true Pygora, but a hybrid. A hybrid is not a breed until it breeds "true". The PBA does, however, register "F1" goats and they can be shown in "F1" classes at sanctioned shows. They are not eligible for championship awards.

In order to register the kids with PBA, both parents must be registered. Parents of first-generation goats must be registered with the National Pygmy Goat Association (NPGA) and the American Angora Goat Breeders Association (AAGBA). No other registrations are accepted. In order to register kids from Pygora parents, both parents must be registered with PBA as either "F1" generation Pygoras or descendents of "F1" generation goats which are true Pygoras.

A Pygora does not have to be 50% Angora and 50% Pygmy. The Registered Angora and the Registered Pygmy can be used as an outcross in the Pygora breed as long as the resulting kids do not contain more than 75% of one of the parent breeds.

Does range in weight from 65 to 75 pounds, while bucks and wethers range from 75 to 95 pounds. PBA has minimum height requirements of 18 inches for does and 23 inches for bucks. There is no maximum height restriction.

To be permanently registered, a Pygora must produce fleece. Pre-registration is issued to a goat under 8 months of age. For permanent registration a fleece sample and picture of the goat in fleece must be submitted with the application. Once the goat is a proven fleece producer, permanent registration papers are issued and the fleece is given a designated "type".

Pygoras come in all Pygmy goat colors, the dilutions of those colors, plus white. Colors or markings resembling other breeds, such as patterns well known in dairy goats, are not permitted. The basic color of the Pygora is the color it is when it is born. This is because the Pygora coat on a new born goat is made up mostly of guard hairs. When the fleece comes in, the Pygora can look a totally different color. Fleece colors are listed separately on the registration papers for this reason. For example, a Pygora that is born black may produce a fleece that is black, dark brown, light brown, or gray. When the goat is sheared or sheds it's fleece, it generally appears the same basic color it did when it was born. Genetics play an important roll in the color of the fleece produced and the intensity of the color of the fleece.

To read more about the fleece produced by the Pygora, please go to our reference page on Pygora Fleeces listed in the directory of Pygora information.