598 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



Milk goats are of considerable importance in continental Europe, 

 many families, especially of the poorer classes, relying on goats for their 

 daily supply of milk. In Germany alone there were over 3,000,000 milk 

 goats before the World "War. While they have not yet become numerous 

 in this country, milk goats are receiving increasing attention in some 

 districts, as they are especially well suited to families living in small 

 towns and in the suburbs of large cities. Often they can secure much 

 of their feed by grazing in waste places, such as vacant lots and rocky 

 hillsides. In such localities as some of the western mining towns, goats 

 have a decided advantage over cows as they always come home at night 

 from wherever they have been grazing. 



In general the same feeds which are used for dairy cows are suitable 

 for milk goats. From 6 to 8 goats can be kept upon the feed required for 

 a cow. Shaw reports 87 that a ration of 2 Ibs. alfalfa or clover hay, 1.5 

 Ibs. silage or turnips, and from 1 to 2 Ibs. concentrates has proven very 

 satisfactory for the milk goats in the experimental herd maintained by 

 the United States Department of Agriculture. On pasture 1 to 1.5 Ibs. of 

 concentrates were fed. The concentrate mixture used should be similar 

 to those used for dairy cows. Often the use of refuse from the kitchen 

 will considerably reduce the feed bill. At prices in 1912 to 1914 the cost 

 of feeding a goat a year was found to be $11.05 by Jordan and Smith 

 at the New York (Geneva) Station 38 and $11.24 by Voorhies at the 

 California Station. 39 A good milk goat should yield 2 quarts or more of 

 milk a day and continue in milk for 7 to 10 months. The principles of 

 feeding and care which have been presented for sheep also apply in 

 general to goats. 



37 U. S. D. A. Farmers* Bui. 920. 

 N. Y. (Geneva) Bui. 429. 

 39 Cal. Bui. 285. 



