Uvalde, Texas, is Home to Angora Goats and Mustang Mares

Uvalde is a small town in Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Uvalde County. The city has a population of 15,217, according to the 2020 census. It is situated in the Texas Hill Country, about 80 miles west of downtown San Antonio, and 54 miles east of the Mexico–United States border.

Angora goats

Hayden Haby started raising Angora goats on his ranch in Uvalde, Texas, in the late 1800s. He grew the breed from seed stock obtained from William M. Landrum of Laguna, California, who had moved to Texas in 1883. By 1887, he had switched his operation from sheep to Angora goats, with the goal of producing quality mohair for clothing and home furnishings. He also began breeding Angora goats with mustang mares to produce a riding horse that was durable and strong.

The Angora goat industry in Texas was burgeoning, with increased production and prices. Rising land prices in the western United States prompted more Texas ranchers to begin raising the goats. Additionally, stock raisers from California began transferring their operations to Texas, and William M. Landrum moved his herd of thoroughbred goats to Uvalde County. By the middle of the century, almost two-hundred ranchers raised Angora goats in the state. Many of these ranchers eventually sold their goats to ranchers in other states.

Angora goats were originally brought to Texas in 1857 by William Walton Haupt. He crossed Angora goats with Mexican goats and received good reviews from the public. Soon, other ranchers in Texas started raising Angoras. In the 1920s, Texas ranchers raised two million Angora goats, producing 80 percent of the American mohair clip. Texas ranchers continued to grow the breed after the American Mohair Growers Association moved its headquarters from San Antonio to Rocksprings.

Judge Bob David Davis was the premier Angora goat breeder in the state. The family originally came from Turkey, where they discovered the forebear of the Angora goat. In 1881, Judge Davis and his father settled along Hackberry Creek in Uvalde County. The Davis family had four children.

The study was carried out on castrated male Angora goats across two rangeland sites, including oak savannah and mixed-brush shrublands on the South Texas Plains. Goats were given typical management, including shorning twice a year in February and July or August. The fleeces were evaluated for grease weight, average fiber diameter, and percentage of medullated fibers. Additionally, daily rainfall was recorded.

Cattle

The illegal drug trade in the Uvalde area is a major concern for local farmers and ranchers. The government is doing little to stop the flow of drugs from Mexico into the Uvalde area. Ranchers have told stories of their cattle being driven into neighbors’ yards, and farmers have reported their fences being broken into. Often, repairs are not even possible. Other complaints include car thefts and abduction attempts.

Residents in Uvalde say law enforcement is essential to keeping the town safe. Local taquerias and salons offer free haircuts for law enforcement officers. Many residents say they are more reliant on the Border Patrol since the increase in drug activity. They see law enforcement officers as part of the family, and residents are grateful for the help they provide.