74 BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



MANAGEMENT OF THE HUCK. 



Bucks usually come in heat about the middle of July and continue 

 so about six months; does, however, do not usually come in heat until 

 the latter part of August or the 1st of September. As the period of 

 gestation in goats is from 147 to 155 days (or about five months), care 

 must be taken in mating the animals in order to have the kids dropped 

 in proper season, which will vary somewhat with the locality. The 

 kids should not come before the warm days of spring, or when vegeta- 

 tion begins to put out- vigorously. Therefore the buck should be put 

 to service from November 1 to December 1, so that the kids will come 

 about the 1st of April or May. The only objection to earlier kidding 

 is the extra care required to preserve the life of the kids, for they are 

 exceedingly delicate for a few days, as has been stated before, and even 

 a little cold at this season will probably prove fatal. 



A buck, like any other domestic animal, should be in the best possi- 

 ble condition when put to service. He should be well fed with grain 

 for a few weeks before this time, and the feeding should be kept up 

 until a few weeks after his service is ended. 



As to the number of does which a buck may serve, there is a great 

 diversity of opinion. The greater number of goat raisers, however, 

 think forty or fifty is all that may be served with good results. Col. 

 Richard Peters wrote that he had obtained the best results with two 

 hundred breeding does by turning in with them ten selected bucks. 

 His object was to have the kids come as nearly at one time as possible, 

 thus shortening the period of careful watching. Referring to Colonel 

 Peters's practice. Dr. J. R. Standle}^ says he regards it a great success, 

 and will adopt it in the future. He says, further: "I have tried the 

 one-service system, also turning in bucks at night, removing them 

 during the day, and other plans, but decidedly prefer Colonel Peters's 

 plan." 



Where there are very large flocks it is not always desirable that the 

 kids should all come at one time. If they are dropped at intervals for 

 a month one attendant may thus be enabled to look after a large num- 

 ber, whereas if all come about the same time one attendant could not 

 do the work, and assistants who may be strangers to the flock would 

 be necessary. (It is not well to have many strangers with these goats 

 at any time, and certainly not at kidding time.) Upon this point Mr. 

 G. A. Hoerle has written out a plan, given below, which is quite gen- 

 erally followed where there are large flocks: 



A great difference of opinion exists as to how many ewes an Angora buck should 

 be allowed to serve. This depends both upon the bucks and the condition they are 

 in, as well as upon the length of the period during which you want the kids to drop. 

 In a small herd, and where ample conveniences for kidding are furnished, so that 

 good care can be taken of all the kids at once if necessary, one buck should serve 

 from thirty to fifty (as above said, according to the animal); but should the flock be 

 large, and owing to the uncertainty of the climate or the insufficient help or shelter 



