lambs do well on it. This Company also makes an especially prepared meal 

 that is a perfect milk substitute for other young livestock, such as calves, 

 pigs, etc. 



As soon as the kids are old enough to eat they should have some green 

 feed if it is available. Leaves, weeds or grass will furnish a mixture of 

 diet which is very essential for goats to have at all ages of life. Grain may 

 be fed to the kids if a scarcity of pasture prevails. Oats, corn, kafir corn, 

 and in fact any kind of grain will be readily consumed but exercise judg- 

 ment in feeding and don't feed too much grain. Weaning is done when the 

 kids are from two and one-half to three months old, depending upon the 

 season of the year in which they are born. After the kids are two to three 

 weeks old they begin rapidly to develop a hardy nature, but prior to this 

 time they are a very delicate animal. Cold rains upon them is almost cer- 

 tain death. They must be kept dry and warm and well nourished, but after 

 they are three weeks old they are as hardy as any domestic animal. 



TIME TO BREED AND AGE 



LITTLE further need be said regarding the times of breeding since the 

 goat dairyman can arrange that matter to suit his individual purposes. 



Of course some does have longer periods of lactation than others, which 

 will necessitate the dairyman breeding some does oftener than others. Suf- 

 ficient to say, the milch goat can be bread any time in the year, excepting 

 some times they do not breed in the very warmest weather, but this is only 

 from six to eight weeks as a rule. 



If a doe is bred at the age of one year, she will drop her kids five 

 months later, which is considered young enough, if the purpose of milk 

 production is the prime factor. A buck may be put to service at ten 

 months old, but it is better to wait until he is 14 to 18 months old. Care 

 must be exercised not to allow breeding at too young an age, which is apt 

 to occur if young bucks and does are allowed together after five months 

 old. The young bucks will sometimes serve when much younger than this. 



No other animal, perhaps, develops younger than a goat and they will 

 often breed at three months. Of course this should not be allowed. Breed- 

 ers differ as to the age they should be bred first, some contending they 

 should be two years old, others from ten to twelve months. A doe will not 

 do her best until the third kidding. If she gives one and one-half quarts 

 with the first kid she will usually give two and one-half or three by the 

 time of the third kidding. When bred at an age before the bones are suf- 

 ficiently hardened, the extra weight of carrying the foetus bends down the 

 back bone, and not only deforms the doe permanently, but stops her growth. 

 A great many breeders make this mistake. In the judgment of the writer 

 a doe should be about 18 months old before being bred. 



The period of gestation in milch goats is five months, or the same as 

 with sheep. The does are in heat about every three weeks and the period 

 lasts from two to four days, depending upon the season of the year. A doe 

 will remain in heat longer in the fall or winter than any other time of the 

 year. 



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