Castrated male goat kids (20 Alpine, 12 Angora) were individually fed isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets containing 2.28% N and S (added as CaSO4) at either .11 (basal), .20, .28, or .38% of dietary DM. Sulfate supplementation during the 8-wk growth trial quadratically increased ADG (P < .05) and tended to increase quadratically the DMI (P < .07) of goats, with a peak value for the .20% S diet. Even when analyzed using DMI as a covariate, ADG was quadratically increased (P < .05) by added S. Sulfate supplementation linearly increased (P < .001) S intake, fecal S output, and S retention. Sulfate supplementation tended to increase quadratically (P < .06) the blood plasma concentration of L-lactate. However, sulfate supplementation did not significantly affect (P > .10) plasma sulfate, plasma cystine, ruminal ammonia N concentrations, or purine N content of isolated ruminal bacteria. Sulfate supplementation quadratically increased (P < .05) fractional N retention. Urinary output of uric acid increased quadratically (P < .01) with S supplementation, presumably reflecting ruminal bacterial protein synthesis. Calculated by regression, the optimal dietary S content for maximum ADG was .22% S (N:S = 10.4:1), for maximum DMI it was .24% S (N:S = 9.5: 1), for maximum N retention it was .23% (N:S = 9.9: 1), and for maximum absorbed N retained it was .22% (N:S = 10.4:1). These results support the current estimate of the S requirement of goats for growth (N:S = 10:1).

Eight castrated male Angora goats were used in a repeated, simultaneous 4 x 4 Latin square designed experiment to evaluate metabolic and mohair responses of Angora goats to sulfate supplementation. Goats had ad libitum access to isonitrogenous diets containing a .16 (basal), .23, .29, or .34% S (DM basis), which yielded N:S ratios of 12.7, 8.3, 6.8, or 5.5:1. Feed intakes were not affected (P greater than .20) by dietary S level. Quadratic increases (P less than .05) to S supplementation were observed in grease and clean mohair production, grease and clean staple strength, and staple length. Mohair diameter, med fiber, kemp fiber, S, and cysteine contents were not affected (P greater than .05) by supplemental S. Averaged across the prefeeding, 2, 4, and 6 h postprandial sampling times, ruminal pH, ammonia N, total S, organic S, protein S, and plasma urea N and organic S concentrations were quadratically increased (P less than .05) by supplemental S. Ruminal sulfate S, total sulfide S, and plasma sulfate S were linearly increased (P less than .05) by supplemental S. Retention of N and mohair S yield exhibited quadratic increases (P less than .05), but S retention exhibited a linear increase (P less than .001) with increased S intake. Calculated by regression, the optimum dietary S concentration for maximum clean mohair production was .267% of dietary DM for a N:S ratio of 7.2:1, suggesting that the National Research Council N:S ratio of 10:1 is inadequate for Angora goats. The optimum level of digestible S was calculated to be .18% of the diet DM.

The Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser (OFDA) instrument is based on automatic image analysis technology and was recently introduced to provide a rapid, accurate measurement of average fiber diameter (AFD) and diameter distribution (SD) of textile fibers. Experiments were conducted with wool and mohair in various physical forms (top, core, and staple) to compare results produced by the OFDA with two other methods of determining fiber diameter parameters: the standard projection microscope (PM) method as described by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Peyer Texlab FDA 200 System (FDA200). The results show that the OFDA fiber diameter measurements were very closely related to PM measurements, and the OFDA partially overcame one shortcoming of the FDA200, overestimation of SD. The results suggest that the OFDA is a promising system for rapid and accurate evaluation of fiber diameter and its distribution.