60 BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



keep other goats in or out, and the rain would not blow in, but the goats would have 

 plenty of fresh air. There should be a good fence around the shed at a distance of 

 at least 50 yards, to keep cattle and horses from trampling up the ground arid work- 

 ing it into mud. Have the fence high enough for the goats to go under, but never 

 allow hogs to run into the goat shed, for goats are easily frightened after dark. 



In some parts of the country the strong winds will blow rain under 

 a shed such as Mr. Tom describes. In such cases, the side from which 

 these storms usually come might be boarded to the ground. A better 

 plan, in the opinion of some, is to have a few solid movable panels of 

 fence to place around the openings of the shed on such occasions. 

 This plan is convenient, too, as the panels ina}^ be taken away in fair 

 weather, thus permitting a free circulation of air from all sides. 



Shelter from the sun's rays should be provided for summer time. 

 Although goats are able to withstand intense heat, they do not thrive 

 well when subjected to it. For this purpose sheds more open than 

 that described above are preferred, for the reason that the air will 

 have freer circulation. Better yet than a shed against the sun's rays 

 are large trees. In this case there is no obstruction whatever to the 

 air. 



FEEDING. 



The principal reason why goats will be raised instead of sheep in 

 some places is because they are practically inexpensive so far as feed- 

 ing is concerned. This phase of the subject is quite full}^ discussed 

 under the head of "Browsing and pasturage" (p. 26). They eat the 

 leaves in summer and the soft twigs in winter, and if there is an 

 abundance of either they will not require anything else to sustain life; 

 but this condition exists only in certain localities, and other means 

 must be adopted elsewhere. They are fond of straw and fodder of 

 any kind. Plate XI shows where a herd in Iowa has access to a straw 

 stack. 



Notwithstanding the ability of goats to subsist upon coarse fodder 

 in the winter season, the impression must not be held that they will 

 thrive well upon it in the absence of browse. They will extract from 

 these fodders all the nourishment obtainable, which is not very great, 

 but must receive some supplementary feed. An}^ kind of grain will 

 answer this purpose. Probably the best feed is oats, and if it is sheaf 

 oats better still. In Texas some of the large goat raisers feed cotton 

 seed l)y scattering it upon the snow so that goats will have to exercise 

 somewhat in picking it up; besides, the time consumed in picking up 

 the seed thus scattered insures better mastication. 



In feeding grain care must be taken not to make the supply too 

 liberal, unless the object is to fatten for slaitghter. Goats easily 

 become lazy on a plentiful supply of grain and will decline to go out 

 to feed upon the brush. This is an important point, as their hardi- 

 ness to a large extent is attributed to their feeding upon browse and to 

 the resulting exercise. 



