<P> Male goats are generally not required for the dairy - goat industry and are usually slaughtered for meat soon after birth . In the UK, approximately 30,000 billy goats from the dairy industry are slaughtered each year . </P> <P> Most goats have soft insulating hairs near the skin and longer guard hairs on the surface . The desirable fibre for the textile industry is the former; it has several names including "down", "cashmere" and "pashmina". The guard hairs are of little value as they are too coarse, difficult to spin and difficult to dye . Goats are typically shorn twice a year, with an average yield of about 4.5 kg (10 lb). </P> <P> In South Asia, cashmere is called "pashmina" (from Persian pashmina, "fine wool"). In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Kashmir (then called Cashmere by the British), had a thriving industry producing shawls from goat - hair imported from Tibet and Tartary through Ladakh . The shawls were introduced into Western Europe when the General in Chief of the French campaign in Egypt (1799--1802) sent one to Paris . Since these shawls were produced in the upper Kashmir and Ladakh region, the wool came to be known as "cashmere". </P> <P> The cashmere goat produces a commercial quantity of cashmere wool, which is one of the most expensive natural fibres commercially produced; cashmere is very fine and soft . The cashmere goat fibre is harvested once a year, yielding around 260 g (9 oz) of down . </P>

Where does a goat live on a farm