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Are goats killed for Cashmere?

December 16th, 2020 | 3657 views
Are goats killed for Cashmere?

It is hot summers when Cashmere is gently combed off the body of a Cashmere goat. The process is carried out by professionals in an ethical way. No animals die in the process of obtaining Cashmere.

People who love to dress up in oversized cardigans and wraps have recently dropped the idea to shop for new ones of the same type. The reason being the new buzzwords of sustainability and ethical shopping catching their eye and making them guilty about being a part of animal cruelty. The same is the case with Cashmere. A back fence talking about Cashmere acquisition being cruel to animals has recently gained weight. Hence customers are totally avoiding Cashmere purchases. There have been seemingly painful pictures circulating, where goats are held by herders in inhuman ways and are shearing or picking hair from their body, leaving them bare-bodied in cold winter.

How much weight does this fact contain? Do goats die for Cashmere? Is it true that Cashmere counts for animal cruelty? Or is this a hoax? A detailed look into the matter gave us some insights into it; we realized that there is no truth to it.

What is Cashmere?

Far away, in the lands where no one seems to have travelled, a place called Changthang is located over 14000 feet. The place remains unaffected from whatever happens in the city, and follow their own religion, culture and lifestyle.

The main activity of the Bedouin herders is rearing animal and surviving in difficult conditions that nature has tested them with. It is just goat and sheep products that they are dependent on. They would have to walk miles together to get to the nearest shop, for a basic purchase. As such, Cashmere trading remains their only source of income

Cashmere is the fine unspun wool that is found on the body of the Himalayan goat. The goat is called Changthangi goat, as it is found in the Changthang area of Ladakh. As a way out to survive in winters, nature has blessed this goat with a fine and smooth down hair, which protects it from -40 degrees. This wool is the reason that the goat is able to survive such harsh conditions. Cashmere grows as an undercoat on the underbelly, back, neck and behind the ears of the goat. It is only when spring and summer arrive, that the wool makes this goat uneasy and uncomfortable. It rubs itself against the surrounding areas like rough walls, shrubs, and the floor to leave a part of the wool around.

Seeing the goats in agony, herders call for professional help, who bring along specialized tools as well as their know-how, and gently comb off the wool from the goat’s body. The goat is left free to roam around the region and herders are left with a lump of delicate wool, which needs processing to become valuable. 

The Changthangi Goat

Changthangi goat/Pashmina goat or the Cashmere goat is a mammal which produces fine as well as coarse hair called guard hair. These goats are of medium stature, and do not grow beyond 80 cm in height. Males weigh around 45-47 kg while females weigh around 35 kg. Pashmina goats have large wide horns, a blocky buildup and beautiful features which attract even casual passers by. The most dominant colour among Pashmina goats is white, but black, brown, cream, grey coloured goats are also found, however in lesser numbers. 

Pashmina goats are alert and active, and not lazy and docile. Perhaps for this reason, nature has chosen it to survive one of the harshest climates in the world. Pashmina goats sustain themselves in -40 degrees, as well as manage to grow the world finest fleece over their bodies, which becomes the source of Pashmina shawls. Changthangi goats give just one birth a year. Making Cashmere rarer and more exclusive.

One Pashmina goat yields 60 to 500 grams, spending on their size or general productivity. The wool is obtained once a year in the spring season. Being so rare and unique leads to its high pricing in the market. Wool from the goat is collected by hand as much as possible. The rest of the wool still attached to the goat’s body is acquired by combing it off with specialized combs and tools. This process is ethically carried out by professionals, who wait patiently for the Cashmere wool to loosen naturally, so that the goat doesn't feel pained. The right time for combing is indicated by the goats themselves rubbing their bodies against harsh and coarse surfaces. 

The Armed Professionals

Professionals use safe and sterilized combs and other sorts of equipment to free the goats off the wool. They usually carry paper sacks to store the wool, natural bristle brushes, pin brushes, and metal tooth combs. Combing is done by removing any dirt or foreign material from the goat’s body with a larger bristles brush.

Following the removal of guard hair, thin pinned brush is used to remove the actual Cashmere wool off its ribs, backbone and areas where the fibre is longer. Afterwards shorter hair is removed from the neck, behind the ears and other areas where less hair is expected to grow. Combing the entire body of a Pashmina goat takes a minimum of 30 minutes. The time varies with the skill and experience of the professional as well as the size of the goats. Sometimes external conditions like bad weather can also affect the overall duration of the combing process. Nevertheless, the goat is now free of this burden and roams around freely

Guard Hair vs Fine Hair

Fine Cashmere is pure and it is used to make Pashmina shawls. It is free from foreign material like dust, dirt, animal residues and vegetable wastes. It is this fine Cashmere that is transported to Kashmir to get it processed.

When Pure Cashmere is acquired, it is merged with coarse and rough guard hair. Guard hair is thicker, and is used to make products like brushes, interlinings and apparel.

Sorting fine wool:

As soon as the fine Cashmere reaches a sorting stage, it is thoroughly checked for any presence of guard hair, or dirt which is left during the combing process. Finer Cashmere too gets separated from the fibres that aren't as fine smooth. This is done to make sure that the final Pashmina shawl, stole, scarf or wrap is in the purest form.

Processing Cashmere

The lump of wool is sent to Kashmir where it is, on its arrival, cleaned thoroughly and sorted. A clean lump of wool is handed over to womenfolk coming from different underprivileged areas. They clean the wool, and place it in a container, and over this powdered rice is scattered. This mixture stands for a few days. It makes the fibre stronger and smoother. After 3-4 days, the fibre is removed from this container and cleaned again to get rid of any rice residue left.

Clean fibre is handed over to women, who group together and start spinning Cashmere into fine threads. This is a laborious process and takes high skill and patience to do. A perfect rhythm and balance between the hands of the spinner and the movement of the spinning wheel is a must. Or else the fine fibre would easily break and lose its value. Spun threads are of a diameter of 12-16 microns, thus being one of the finest and luxurious ones. Perfection is achieved, as Kashmiri women have mastered the skill, and are able to spin fine hair with ease and perfection.

Hand Weaving - a one of a kind skill

The threads are now ready to be handwoven, as such fine threads can't tolerate machine strain. Hence they are handed over to men weavers who have a specialization of decades to hand weave the finest fibre in the world. Men weavers mount the fibre onto a traditional wooden hand loom and start weaving it in classic techniques. This takes place for a period of 4-5 days. Hence a solid fabric comes out as a result of meticulous labour of these craftsmen. This is the raw form of a Pashmina shawl. Later it goes through a number of procedures like smoothening the base, geting rid of foreign threads and materials that attached during the weaving process, washing the wrap in spring water, sun drying it, ironing and packing. If the shawl is to be embroidered, then it takes a few months to years to embroider Pashmina shawls.

A solid piece is sized as per the requirement of a customer of Cashmere wraps and scarves. It can be a large wrap of 100*200 cm size, or a medium wrap of 70 * 200 cm, or a small scarf for accessorizing. Some Cashmere wraps are hand embroidered with fine threads and needles, which are intricate enough to suit the gossamer base underneath. While some are embroidered in metallic threads (Tilla Dozi) which needs more skill, as metal can perforate the fabric underneath. Thus are produced beautiful and exquisite wraps, which are cherished by royalty all around the world. 

Do goats die for Cashmere?

As rumours hover over the manufacturing of Pashmina shawls, and in turn the processing of raw Cashmere wool, we are proud to say that Pashmina goats do not die for Cashmere. 

As we saw the process of Cashmere weaving in Kashmir, we realized that there is nothing unethical or cruel when it comes to the entire journey. The animals are carefully reared in the region of Changthang, and given proper food and drink. Their wool is not sheared or plucked; in fact, it is professionally and gently combed off its body, and the process is completely harmless and painless.

Combing is, again, done in the summer season when the wool has already made the goat uneasy, and it itself wants to get rid of it. It is never done in winters or early spring. The animal again grows the wool in early winters and remains safe from the freezing cold. Hence what we saw, was a complete ethical process that did not include a single step or process of cruelty. No animal dies; in fact, no animal is even slightly harmed. 

Why aren't goats hurt in the process of acquiring Pashmina

If animal activists and vegans claim that every animal product is cruel, we are confused why Cashmere sourcing is not. Why do herders take special care of their goats. There is a reason why the herders who rear Pashmina goats do not wish to hurt or kill them. After all, the goats are all they have.

Nomads have lived the life of a bedouin always. They survive harsh climatic conditions, and live thousands of kilometres away from the main city. And it is just the goats that help survive them, even in the worst of environmental conditions. The wool of the goats for clothing and flooring, their milk for drinking, and their company to survive and roam around the arid region, is what is their lifestyle. Hence, killing them would be like killing yourself

Another reason for the goats not be even slightly harmed is that they are domestic. When taken for combing, goats are well aware of the entire process. Hence they lie down calmly and patiently until all of the hair is combed. Had they been wild animals, they would certainly shake and try to run away. But since Pashmina goat habitually goes through the process for years, they know they are out of danger

Also read: Everything you need to know about Cashmere

Responsible Shopping

In addition to bring compassionate for animals, we found Cashmere and its processing to be planet friendly too. Infact, processing Cashmere is sustainable. The process empowers small-scale units, hence encouraging people to work, which in turn uplifts their social and financial status. Cashmere processing minimizes wastage, and doesn't include any machine work. There is no associated pollution with regards to processing Cashmere, and the entire process is manual. We found Cashmere shopping responsible and ethical. A Cashmere wrap lasts for a lifetime (around 30 years). It is a heritage piece, which is gifted to brides as well as bridesmaids. In today’s world of fast fashion and ever-changing trends, Cashmere is one such fabric that becomes more and more graceful as time passes. It has not remained rooted in traditional patterns only but mixed with contemporary designs too, to gel with the young generation. 

If you shop Pashmina, you are in turn helping an underprivileged artisan, and helping revive a dying heritage as well. You are contributing towards slow and sustainable fashion, which helps the planet be free of the much spread carbon footprint.

We, Pashmina.com, are the largest curators of pure and handcrafted Pashmina products in the online space. We are on a mission to revive this dying art by spreading our wings throughout the world by way of our online platform. Our website serves as a window to our range of products that are luxurious and have the highest quality. We offer the widest range, certified quality, luxurious packaging and free shipping to over 150 countries.

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