THE CUBA REVIEW. 



27 



CUBAN MILCH GOATS. 



Especially written for THE CUBA REVIEW by DR. N. S. MA YO, formerly Chief of the Department 

 of Animal Industry, Cuban Agricultural Experiment Station. 



An important branch of the animal industry in Cuba, and yet one that has received 

 practically no attention from a scientific or economic point of view is that of milch goats. 



There is no record of the numbers of goats kept in the live stock registers of Cuba, 

 but to one who has traveled about the island the large numbers of milch goats kept, 

 particularly in the smaller towns and villages, is surprising. The amount of milk fur- 

 nished by goats for family use, and particularly for infants and children, is very large. 



The milch goats of Cuba are probably descended from goats brought from Spain 

 and the Canary Islands. It is a common opinion among Cubans that the goats from 

 the Canary Islands are the best for milking purposes, as they give a larger quantity. 



The Cuban milch goats are of good size and excellent disposition. They vary in 

 color from jet black to pure white, the great majority being spotted, and often marked 

 with brown. The hair is coarse, but the coat is not heavy. The udder is of good size 

 and form. The females are prolific, usually giving birth to twins, and frequently to 

 triplets, and they breed at any season of the year. 



A good Cuban milch goat will give two quarts of milk daily under favorable con- 

 ditions, and reports of much larger amounts are common. Very little attention is given 

 to developing the milking qualities of the goats. A goat is similar to a dairy cow. With 

 careful attention as to feeding and handling the quantity of milk secreted can be greatly 

 increased, and the value of the animal correspondingly augmented. Without these good 

 conditions a milch goat, like a milch cow, may be of little value for milking purposes. 



SELLING WATER— Goat and wagon in the Isle of Pines. 

 Vendiendo agua en una poblacion de campo en Cuba. 



