192 



Goat's Milk for Infant Feeding 



The following is the "summary" of Bulletin No. 429 of New 

 York Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y., the 

 authors of the bulletin being W. H. Jordan and G. A. Smith: 



1. During the years 1910-1912, inclusive, a herd of milch 

 goats was kept at the Station. The number of animals of which 

 complete records were kept varied from 10 to 26. 



2. In the year 1912, 31 adult and 9 partially grown animals^ 

 were fed. The quantity of food consumed was as follows : 



Dry, coarse food 37,740 lbs. 



Beets 1,550 " 



Cut grass 24,000 '' 



Pasture 132 days 



Grain 14,688 lbs. 



3. The total cost of this food, at the prices then ruling, was 

 $441.95. The average cost per month per goat varied from 

 $0,481 to $0,992. The average cost of food per goat per year 

 was $11.05, making the daily cost $0.03. 



4. The yearly production of milk, including some animals in 

 the first period of lactation, varied from 301.7 pounds to 1,845.2 

 pounds. The average yearly yield for 10 animals of which 

 records were kept during 3 years, including 28 lactation periods, 

 was 800.4 pounds. 



5. The food cost of the milk per goat for all the goats during 

 the year 1912 was 4 cents per quart and for the three years dur- 

 ing which the record was kept 3.4 cents. The lowest cost was 

 with the Saanen goat. No. 11, for the year 1911, which was esti- 

 mated to be 1.27 cents per quart. The other items of cost, such 

 as care and overhead charges, it is not possible to give with any 

 accuracy. The average food cost for a quart of milk from the 

 Station herd of 25 Jerseys during the three years has been found 

 to be .92 cent per quart. 



6. The range of composition of the mixed milk of the whole 

 flock as determined during May and June of the year 1912 was 

 as follows: Solids, 11.4 per ct. to 11.9 per ct. ; solids not fat, 

 7.72 per ct. to 8.61 per ct. ; fat, 3.5 per ct. to 3.8 per ct. 



The composition of milk from individual goats was found to 

 vary in total solids from 9.22 per ct. to 18.55 per ct. ; in protein, 

 from 2.24 per ct. to 4.96 per ct. ; in casein, from 1.56 per ct. to 

 4.6 per ct. ; in fat, from 1.08 per ct. to 8.4 per ct. ; and in ash, 

 from 0.43 per ct. to 0.8 per ct. 



7. A chemical study of the goat's milk indicated no essential 

 difTerence between the constitution of its casein and that of cow's 



