This review summarises the properties, nutritional requirements, and production of a natural fibre called mohairs produced by Angora goats. One of the most valuable natural fibres is mohair, produced by Angora goats. Angora goats, also known as Ankara, have their origin in Asia Minor, but today, South Africa is home to over 23% of the global population of Angora goats, where it produces over 60% of the world's mohair, generating about 4 million kilograms annually. Eastern parts of South Africa account for over 72% of the total Angora goats in the country, hence producing the highest number of mohair. The physical properties of Angora mohair, such as lustre, non-inflammable, breathable, durability, elasticity, and resistance to soiling, make it unique and different from other natural fibres of other animal sources. These properties are affected by age, nutrition, and management. The role of nutrition is particularly crucial, as Angora goats require 3-4% of their body weight DM, whilst meat goats and lactating dairy goats require 3-5% and 4-6% of their body weight DM. When Angora goats were fed diets with 18% crude protein, mohair growth increased by about 33% annually compared to diets containing 12-15% CP, while feed intakes were the same. Also, copper, sulphur, molybdenum, and water intake affect the quality of mohairs. In conclusion, inadequate nutrition significantly impedes productivity and sustains financial losses. Hence, promoting sustainable farming practices is vital, investing in research to develop resilient grazing systems and drought-tolerant feed crops, and building capacity for small-scale farmers to improve mohar production and quality in South Africa. Keywords: Angora goats, Mohair, Nutrition, Physical Properties, Processing.

Background and Aim: Sheep scab is one of the most contagious diseases of sheep found in rural communities worldwide and is a major health and welfare concern for sheep farming. Information on the attitudes of communal farmers to sheep scab remains speculative in the Eastern Cape Province. This study aimed to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the prevalence of sheep scab among communal sheep farmers in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Materials and Methods: From June to August 2022, a cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire (n = 160) was conducted in two rural communities of the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality in Eastern Cape Province. Purpose sampling was used to obtain respondents’ knowledge, attitudes, and management practices regarding sheep scabs. Results: Among respondents, 81% were males and 19% were females. The majority of sheep farmers (59%) in both communities were aware of sheep scabs, but the majority (64%) did not receive any farming training. The majority of sheep farmers (65%) believed that sheep scab was the most serious threat to their sheep production since it increased mortality. In the past 3 years, approximately 57% of respondents reported an increase in the prevalence of sheep scab. The majority of farmers reported wool loss as the most noticeable clinical symptom (73%). More than 80% of sheep farmers do not use acaricide on a regular basis. Sixty-one percent of farmers prefer a pour-on topical application method. The frequency of annual dipping was every fortnight (40%), during summer and winter (24%). Most farmers (66%) regularly vaccinate their sheep. Conclusion: The prevalence of sheep scab is increasing in these communities; however, a better understanding of the factors that facilitate its transmission is required to allow improved management and control of this disease. The government must involve extension officers and distribute them to disseminate information to farmers. Thus, it will be easy to translate the literature into action. Keywords: communal sheep farmers, Eastern Cape Province, season, sheep scab control methods, sheep scab.

The present study determined the effects of varying inclusion levels of baobab oilseed cake (BOSC) combined with fossil shell flour (FSF) diets on body condition scores, body weight gain, and nutritionally related blood metabolites of Angora goats. Twenty-four Angora goat wethers aged 5–6 months, weighing 12.75 ± 1.5 kg, were kept in individual pens for 105 days of successive feeding, including a 14-day adaptation period. Goats were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments: 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% BOSC (n = 6). Each goat was offered experimental diets at 4% of its body weight daily at 08:00. Goats were then released to graze on natural pastures at 10:00 and returned to their respective pens at 16:00 daily. Body weight gain, body condition scores, and blood concentrations were determined. Angora wethers BCS linearly increased (p < 0.05) as weeks progressed in all inclusion levels of BOSC. Body weight gain increased linearly (p < 0.05) in goats fed 0% and 10% BOSC across the 13-week feeding period, while goats fed 5% BOSC showed a sharp quadratic increase (p < 0.05) between weeks 5–6 and those fed 15% BOSC between weeks 3–8. Creatinine levels showed a sharp quadratic decline (p < 0.05) between 10–15% BOSC inclusion, while urea levels quadratically declined (p < 0.05) between 0–5% inclusion. Phosphorus concentrations also decreased quadratically (p < 0.05), reaching their lowest values between 5% and 10% BOSC, while total protein, glucose, magnesium, albumin, and calcium remained unchanged (p > 0.05) across dietary treatments. In conclusion, this preliminary study suggests that the inclusion of 15% BOSC improves BWG, BCS, and nutritionally associated blood metabolites in Angora goats. Further studies with a larger number of animals are recommended to confirm these findings.