SHEEP 



625 



breed goats scarcely shear enough to pay 

 for the shearing; three-fourths-bred 

 goats shear 1 to IV2 pounds, worth 15 

 to 20 cents. Seven-eighths-bred goats 

 shear 2 to 3 pounds, worth 20 to 30 

 cents. Fifteen-sixteenths-bred goats shear 

 3 to 5 pounds, worth 30 to 40 cents." 

 The fourth cross or fifteen-sixteenths 



F/FTH Y£Xf? 



Fig. 388 — TEETH OF GOATS OF DIFFERENT 

 AGES 



blood, is the lowest grade that he would 

 use exclusively for mohair. The aver- 

 age length of the year-old fleece is prob- 

 ably about 10 inches, though lengths of 

 18 to 20 inches have been reported. It 

 is claimed that goats running together 

 in small herds will shear 30 to 40 per 

 cent more than when running in large 

 herds, showing that they require plenty 

 of room. 



Breeding Angora goats — I n growing 

 Angora goats for mohair, does must be 

 secured which are at least fifteen-six- 

 teenths Angora blood. The use of such 

 animals will cost from $8 to $12 each 

 and bucks from $50 to $100. It can 

 be readily seen that this requires a large 

 amount of capital to go into the busi- 

 ness on an extensive scale, and unless 

 there is sale for the surplus goats for 

 breeding stock, the profits would not be 

 great on the investment. 



The method commonly suggested for 

 building up a flock of Angoras, is to 

 secure pure bred Angora bucks and cross 

 them upon the common goat. In select- 



ing common goats for stock only those 

 should be used which are pure white. 

 Any other color is objectionable. The 

 does should be of the short hair variety, 

 since the long haired ones persist in 

 throwing out hairs among the mohair 

 which greatly decreases its value. With 

 a first-class buck, the flock should be in- 

 creased at least 100 per cent the first 

 year, since many of the common goats 

 will have twins. The kids reach matur- 

 ity when about 16 to 18 months old, 

 though both the bucks and does will 

 breed when about six months of age. 

 The doe kids from the first cross should 

 be crossed with another pure bred An- 

 gora buck. This will give three-fourths- 

 bred animals. With about the fourth 

 cross a high grade of mohair can be ex- 

 pected. 



By examining this method of produc- 

 ing a flock it will be seen that it is 

 rather a slower process and more expen- 

 sive than is apparent at first. For in- 

 stance, if 100 common does are bought, 

 and they drop 100 kids, the chances are 

 that only about 50 of these will be fe- 

 males. If the second year these 50 half 

 breeds are crossed,, they may also drop 

 50 kids, only 25 of which will be fe- 

 males. The third cross will likewise 

 give 12 or 13 females, and the fourth 

 cross only six or seven females. Of 

 course, the flock by this time will be 

 made up of three or four different grades 



MBIXATIOX si 

 AXD TABLE 



[EARIXG TROUGH 



of does and each year thereafter will see 

 an additional number of high-grade An- 

 goras added to the flock. 



Goats are in prime condition when 

 from two to six years old, but may be 

 bred up to 10 or 12 years old. The 

 verage life is a little longer than that 

 of the sheep. In-and-in breeding or the 

 crossing together of the related animals 

 is not generally considered advisable, as 



