Quick Facts
Breed Overview
The Changthangi is the legendary pashmina goat of Ladakh's Changthang plateau, the source of the world's finest cashmere used in genuine Pashmina shawls. Reared by the nomadic Changpa herders at altitudes above 4,000 metres, it grows an extraordinarily fine, soft undercoat to survive temperatures that plunge far below freezing.
White (also black, grey or brown) with striking spiral horns, the Changthangi is a small, extremely hardy breed whose entire value lies in its precious fibre — a fibre whose fineness is a direct product of the brutal high-altitude cold it endures.
- Fine, dense pashmina undercoat — the world's finest cashmere
- Usually white (also black, grey, brown)
- Large, backward-sweeping spiral horns
- Small, extremely cold-hardy high-altitude frame
🐐Physical Characteristics
A small, hardy breed, most often white though black, grey and brown occur, with large backward-sweeping spiral horns. Beneath a coarse guard coat it grows an exceptionally fine, dense pashmina undercoat.
🥛Milk Production
A very low 0.4–0.9 litre/day — just enough to rear kids in the harsh highlands. The breed's value lies almost entirely in its cashmere fibre.
🌦Climate Suitability
Adapted to the extreme cold of the Changthang plateau above 4,000 m, where winter temperatures fall below −20°C. This brutal cold is precisely what makes its pashmina the finest in the world.
🌾Feeding Requirements
Grazes the sparse alpine desert of Ladakh with the nomadic Changpa, browsing hardy high-altitude vegetation and needing almost no supplementation.