MILK GOATS. 23 



10 pounds of linseed-oil meal. During the breeding season the grain 

 ration for mature bucks is usually increased to 2 pounds. When the 

 bucks are out on good pasture, no grain is necessary. 



During the breeding season, it is usually necessary to keep the 

 bucks separate or they will fight and are likely to injure each other. 

 A wood lot with plenty of browse is an excellent place for the bucks 

 during the summer. It must be noted that goats are browsers by 

 nature and they prefer leaves and twigs and weeds to grass. The 

 common short-haired American goat or any of the milk breeds are 

 just as valuable for clearing land as the Angora. 



Under the conditions which many people keep goats it is necessary 

 to protect the trees in the lots and pastures by putting around them 

 a framework covered with close-woven wire. This is especially true 

 of the young trees. If no lot is available for feed and exercise, the 

 buck can be tethered out. This system is practiced by many people 

 who have only a small lot. Vacant lots can very often be utilized 

 to good advantage for this purpose. Fresh feed as well as a variety 

 would thus be afforded. 



THE DOES. 



Most of the feeds that are valuable for the production of milk for 

 the dairy cow are also suitable for does. It is ordinarily considered 

 that from 6 to 8 goats can be kept upon the feed required for one cow. 

 When does are in milk, they should be allowed all the roughage that 

 they will consume, such as alfalfa, clover, or mixed hay and corn 

 stover. They should receive a liberal quantity of succulent feed, 

 such as silage, mangel wurzels, carrots, rutabagas, parsnips, or 

 turnips. The grain feeds best suited for their ration are corn, oats, 

 bran, barley, and linseed-oil meal or oil cake. Other feeds that are 

 often available and that can be utilized are cottonseed meal, brewer's 

 grains, corn bran, gluten feed, and beet pulp. 



A ration that has been used in the Bureau's herd and proved very 

 satisfactory for does in milk during the winter season has consisted 

 of 2 pounds of alfalfa or clover hay, 1J pounds of silage or turnips, 

 and from 1 to 2 pounds of grain. The grain ration consisted of a 

 mixture of 100 pounds corn, 100 pounds oats, 50 pounds bran, and 

 10 pounds of linseed-oil meal. When the does are on pasture they 

 receive from 1 to 1 J pounds of grain per day of the mixture mentioned, 

 with the exception of the linseed-oil meal. 



It must be noted, however, that there is a great difference in 

 individual goats; one goat may readily eat a ration that another 

 may not like so well. As in the case of dairy cows, each doe should 

 be studied if the best results are to be obtained. It is best, of course, 

 to feed separately each doe giving milk. This not only gives an 

 opportunity to study each individual but also insures that each one 

 receives the quantity intended for her. 



