Thirty Angora (16±2 kg) and 20 Spanish (19±2 kg) 8-month-old doelings, having not previously consumed Leucaena leucocephala, were used to determine effects of dietary inclusion of a moderate level of Leucaena on fleece shedding and subsequent fibre characteristics. A diet of 22.5% Leucaena leaf meal (0.17% mimosine in total diet dry matter) was consumed ad libitum for 8 days starting on November 13, with daily mimosine intake in the first 3 d averaging 56 mg/kg body weight. At d 10, fleece shedding was clearly visible in 17 of the 30 Angora doelings and in 9 of the 20 Spanish doelings. Doelings in which the visual shedding score was above 2 (5-point scale: 1 = no shedding and 5 = excessive shedding; mean of cashmere and guard shedding scores for Spanish doelings) on d 19 were categorized as exhibiting a shedding response to Leucaena. By d 35, six Angora and three Spanish doelings had completely shed fleece. Clean mohair growth rate in Angora doelings was lower (P<0.05) for shedding vs nonshedding doelings on d 8 to 40 (0.29 vs 0.68 mg/ (cm² d^-1)) but similar (P>0.10) between shedding groups on d 41 to 63 (1.51 vs 1.46 mg/(cm² d^-1)), although cashmere growth rate was not different (P>0.10) between shedding groups on either d 8 to 40 or d 41 to 63. Secondary follicle activity was lower (P<0.05) on d 8 for shedding than for nonshedding Angora doelings (89 vs 99%), but activity on d 63 was similar (95 and 96%, respectively). Secondary follicle activity for Spanish does was similar between shedding groups on d 8 and 63 (P>0.10). In conclusion, feeding of Leucaena holds promise as a means of inducing fleece shedding in goats, apparently without marked subsequent effects on productivity. However, further research with higher dietary levels of mimosine is necessary.