FARMERS' BULLETIN 920. 



The milk goat is adapted to this country and the industry is likely 

 to become of greater importance every year. The goat is especially 

 useful to those who desire a small quantity of milk and do not have 

 the room, or can not afford, to keep a cow. In fact, a goat can be 

 kept where it would be impossible to keep a cow, and it will consume 

 considerable feed that otherwise would be wasted. The fact that 

 goats are rarely affected with tuberculosis is another point in their 

 favor. The demand for good goats appears to be far greater than 

 the supply. . 



GOATS' MILK. 



YIELD. 



About the first question that most people ask concerning milk 

 goats is, "How much milk will they produce?" This is, of course, a 

 very important consideration, as the value of a doe is estimated 

 largely by her milk production. Even if a doe is pure bred, she is of 

 little value from the utility standpoint unless she is capable of giving 

 a good quantity of milk. Many persons in purchasing pure-bred or 

 even grade goats have been disappointed to find that the milk could 

 be measured in pints and not quarts or gallons as expected. 



A doe that produces 3 pints a day is considered only a fair milker, 

 while the production of 2 quarts is good, and the production of 3 

 quarts is considered excelle'nt, provided the lactation is maintained 

 for from 7 to 10 months. There is probably no better way to treat 

 this matter than to state that good does should produce from 8 to 15 

 times their weight in milk in a lactation period. It is stated by Ger- 

 man writers that many goats yield 10 times their body weight of 

 milk annually, and exceptional animals as much as 18 times their 

 weight. The production of some of the goats in this country will 

 be noted in the section dealing with the different breeds and types. 



PRICES. 



The price to be obtained for goats' milk depends upon a number 

 of conditions. If the milk is to be sold for ordinary uses the price 

 will, of course, be much lower than if a special market has been 

 developed. In the past the price has ranged from 10 to 50 cents a 

 quart, and the highest prices have been obtained when the milk has 

 been supplied for the use of infants and invalids. The demand and 

 the cost of production will serve as a guide as to what price should 

 be obtained. Just as long as good goats are scarce and high-priced 

 it will be necessary to get good prices for the products, whether in the 

 form of milk or cheese, to encourage people to engage in the industry. 



It will be of interest to note that there is a brand of evaporated 

 unsweetened goats' milk upon the market that retails for 20 cents a 

 can of 11 ounces, which is equivalent to about 30 cents a quart for 

 the original milk. 



