Yangtze River Delta White Goat

Yangtze River Delta White Goat

　　The Yangtze River Delta White Goat is of medium size, with a triangular head and slightly concave face. Its tail is small and curled upward. It has slender limbs and a sturdy body. The coat is dense all over, pure white in color, and glossy. Both males and females have horns; the male's horns are thicker and longer, extending backward and upward in an inverted "V" shape, while the female's horns are thinner, shorter, and resemble long chili peppers, mostly extending outward and upward in an inverted "八" shape. Both sexes have beards; males have more and longer beards, while females have fewer and shorter ones. Both males and females have ears that extend forward and outward, and their eyes are yellowish-brown. The male’s eyes are larger, more expressive, and slightly protruding, while the female’s are slightly smaller. The male has a thick, short neck, a straight back and waist, a well-developed chest, and a narrower hindquarters; the female has a slender neck, a slightly concave back and waist, a narrower chest, and wider, deeper hindquarters. The male’s neck, back, and chest are covered with long hair, and most males also have longer forehead hair.

　　 The Yangtze River Delta White Goat grows and develops quickly, reaching about 71% of the adult weight by one year old. During the fattest period in autumn, adult males can exceed 40 kilograms, and adult females can reach 30 kilograms.

　　 The fine, straight, and elastic hair of the Yangtze River Delta White Goat, which has crimp, is an excellent raw material for making brushes. Brush hair with a block content of over 20% is considered brush material hair, while the loose, non-blocky hair is called goat float hair. The block content of the Yangtze River Delta White Goat is generally around 60%, and can be as high as over 80%. On average, each male can produce about 320 grams of brush material hair, and each female about 245 grams. After processing and sorting, the brush material hair becomes finished brush hair. A single strand of brush hair is divided into three parts: the tip (crimp), the shoulder, and the body. The quality of brush hair is mainly determined by the quality of the crimp, as well as the thickness, length, and color of the body, and it is categorized into 3 classes and 21 varieties. Class 1 and 2 hairs are lower to mid-grade and can be used for making brush sets or lower-quality brushes; class 3 hair is high-grade, used for making various premium brushes, among which “Hu Brush” (湖笔) is the most famous and considered a treasured item among the “Four Treasures of the Study.”

　　 The yield and quality of brush hair are closely related to the goat’s sex, age, weight, castration status, slaughtering season, and feeding management conditions. The production of class 3 hair is highest in uncastrated male goats aged 5–8 months and weighing 10–12.5 kilograms. Goats slaughtered from the Beginning of Winter to Pure Brightness (Qingming) are considered winter products, which are of better quality—their crimps are fine and straight, the blocks are firm and neat, and there is less float hair. Early autumn products before the Beginning of Winter and late spring products after Qingming are of lower quality, with coarse, short, and curled crimps, and loose, less solid blocks.

　　 The skin of the Yangtze River Delta White Goat is thick, oily, compact, and supple. The quality of goat leather is closely related to the climate, with the best quality produced in late autumn and early winter, and the worst in late spring and early summer.

　　 The meat of the Yangtze River Delta White Goat is tender, with a mild gamey flavor and evenly distributed fat. When cooked, it is rich but not greasy, delicious, and favored by many consumers. It has long been well-known in the Shanghai-Nanjing area. The meat is available either with or without the skin; the slaughter yield of skin-on mutton is generally over 40%.

　　 The Yangtze River Delta White Goat is an early-maturing breed, reaching sexual maturity at 3–5 months of age. The initial breeding age is 6–7 months for females and 8–10 months for males. The average estrus cycle for females is 17 days, lasting 2–3 days. Females can come into heat year-round, with an average gestation period of 143 days and a lambing rate of 230%. Most females give birth to three lambs in two years, and some can produce two lambs in one year.

　　 The Yangtze River Delta White Goat is a precious Chinese goat breed known for its high-quality hide, meat, and wool. Its class 3 hair is unique and an excellent material for brush-making, hence it is also called the “Brush Hair Goat.” The meat is tender and flavorful. The hide is thick, compact, and supple, making it a good-quality leather. The breed is hardy, tolerant of heat and humidity, matures early, is highly fertile, adaptable to extensive management, and has stable heredity. Future efforts will continue to strengthen the selective breeding of this breed to further improve both the individual quality of the Yangtze River Delta White Goat and the yield of premium brush hair, thereby increasing economic returns.