30 FARMERS' BULLETIN 920. 



corn, one part crushed or rolled oats, and one-half part bran. They 

 should be allowed as much as they will clean up in a reasonable 

 time. 



If the kids are fed by hand, they can either be given the milk from 

 a bottle, using a nipple, or a tank with a number of nipples attached, 

 or they may be fed from pans. The bureau has adopted the pan and 

 trough system, and this has proved very satisfactory. The kids can 

 easily be taught to drink from a pan, and the system is much less 

 troublesome than using a bottle and nipple. Cleanliness is absolutely 

 essential for the successful raising of kids. See that the pans, pails, 

 bottles, and nipples are kept clean. After the kids are a few weeks 

 old they can drink from a galvanized iron trough. Care should be 

 exercised, however, to see that each kid receives its share of the milk. 



Kids are very playful creatures and require considerable exercise. 

 If they are kept in a small inclosure, it is a good plan to put a box 

 from 18 to 20 inches in height in the center, so that they may run 

 and jump upon it. This will not only afford them considerable 

 amusement, but will give them plenty of exercise, and they will 

 have keen appetites for their feed. Pasture or browse should be 

 afforded as early as possible. 



CASTRATION. 



All buck kids not desired to be kept or sold for breeding purposes 

 should be castrated when they are from 10 days to 3 weeks of age. 

 The older they become the more severe the operation. The opera- 

 tion of castration is very simple and can be performed best by cut- 

 ting off the lower third of the scrotum with a clean, sharp knife, 

 forcing the testicles down and pulling them away, one at a time, 

 with the spermatic cords attached. If, however, the kids are over 

 4 months of age, the cords should not be pulled out, but scraped off 

 just above the testicles. The wound should be bathed after the 

 operation with some good disinfectant. 



Buck kids should be separated from the doe kids when they are 

 about 4 months of age. Doe kids come in heat when quite young, 

 and the young bucks worry them a great deal when allowed to run 

 with them. Occasionally doe kids become pregnant when they are 

 only from 4 to 5 months of age. 



MARKING. 



Each goat in the herd should be marked in some manner for 

 identification. This may be done by the use of metal ear labels, by 

 notching the ears, or by tattooing the ears. In some instances all 

 three of these systems are used. When this is done, the kids' ears 

 are notched as soon after birth as possible, and when they are from 

 3 to 6 months of age the ear label is inserted and the tattooing done. 

 The ear label is not only numbered, but has either the initials or 



