Selecting a Mitch Coat. 95 



is also a sign of a good constitution. I never, however, 

 regard a narrow chest in a milch goat as a defect, provid- 

 ing that it makes up for this by being wide behind. The 

 best milkers are generally narrow-chested, with long thin 

 necks, meagre bodies, and protruding hip-bones. Thinness 

 is no drawback if the animal is a good feeder. The food 

 must be transformed into something, and if a goat eats 

 largely without getting fat, supposing the creature to be 

 in health and milking, it must go to supply the mammary 

 gland. Another point is the skin ; this should be loose 

 and supple, with hair rather soft and fine in quality. 



As regards the udder, which is so often deceptive in 

 appearance, let no one be attracted merely by the size of 

 the bag independent of other considerations. A goat may 

 have an immense udder and yet give a comparatively small 

 yield, for the simple reason that it is composed mostly 

 of flesh instead of milk. It should not only be large, 

 but thin in substance and soft and elastic to the touch. 

 When quite full it will be greatly distended, but after 

 milking it should shrink up to a very much smaller size. 

 Thus a goat which, when in profit, has a large udder, 

 when she becomes dry may exhibit very little. 



The teats should be situated fairly well apart from 

 each other, and point forwards, the nicest being those that 

 are long and tapering and of a size easily grasped in 

 the palm. The udder should by preference be round 

 rather than long and narrow, though it must be admitted 

 that many heavy milkers possess bags of the latter shape. 



Colour is a matter of taste. It has, in my opinion, no 

 influence as regards the yield. of milk; black goats are 

 often considered the best, but I cannot say that I have 

 found these preferable to any other. 



The type of animal to study as showing most the 

 points of a good milch goat is that of Mr. Woodiwiss's 

 Sedgemere Faith, illustrated on page 36. 



