of the costic potash on any part of the goat but the horn knobs for if any 

 of it should get into the eyes it would destroy the sight. 



BREEDS OF MILCH GOATS IN UNITED STATES. 



THE milch goat industry in the United States is barely in its infancy 

 as it can hardly be said that it has more than just started, only a 

 few breeds of Swiss, German, Nubian and Spanish goats have ever 

 been tried to any great extent in our country and as years roll by many 

 new breeds may be tried with good success, the Swiss Toggenburg milch 

 goats have proven exceptionally valuable animals for our country, adapting 

 themselves readily to our climate, and will probably be one of the leading 

 breed of milch goats, just as the Jersey cow leads in milch cows. The Tog- 

 genburg might be called the aristocrat of the milch goat family and is 

 from the Togenburg valley in the northeast portion of Switzerland, about 

 70 or 100 miles from Berne. In this great valley they have been bred for 

 centuries by the Swiss who are a queer peop.e in that they will not allow 

 their best animals to be taken out of this country. This is piobably the 

 principal reason why this fine breed of milch goats has never been known 

 better to the English and American people. 



The color of the Toggenburg is a light brown with a white bar down 

 each side of the face, this is a mark characteristic with the breed. They 

 are usually hornless, but occasionally one will develop horns. They are 

 some what slender and one of its principle characteristics is its great lean- 

 ness. Notwithstanding this fact they are quite attractive in appearance. 

 The does of this breed are about the best milkers we have, being large in 

 size, and having a form well developed for milking purposes. The udder 

 when distended is carried high up and the teats are usually very large and 

 long, making the task of milinking them a very easy one. 



The Swiss Saanen milch goat is another valuable milk producer. It 

 takes its name from the Saanen Valley of Switzerland, where they are 

 quite numerous. They are also popular in the upper Simmen Valley. The 

 Saanen is probably the largest breed of Swiss milch goats. It is quite tall 

 and resembles very much in anatomy the Toggenburgs. Its color is pure 

 white or creamy white. The hair is rather short except a strip along the 

 spinal column and on the flanks. They are a very graceful appearing 

 animal having long, slim necks and small heads. They are usually horn- 

 less as with the Toggenburg which they very closely resemble in many 

 ways. They seem to be well adapted to the more mountainions sections of 

 our country, and when they are more thoroughly tried in our country the 

 writer is firm in the belief that they will be a close rival of the Toggen- 

 burg breed. 



The Nubian milch goat is the largest breed of milch goats known, it 

 is also the heaviest milker of all breeds of milch goats. They are ex- 

 ceedingly prolific and often give birth to three kids at one time and oc- 

 casionally four kids at one birth. When pure bred.it does not stand our 

 northern winters very well, but when crossed with either the Toggenburgs 

 or Saanen it is one of the very best milch goats for our climates, particular- 



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