GOATS ON FAR WESTERN RANGES. 7 



It is important that this vegetation be kept thrifty, so that growth 

 will start promptly and vigorously as soon as weather is favorable 

 in the spring. Where the range is used from the kidding corral by 

 large herds during the greater part of the year, much of the choice 

 forage is killed out or is greatly weakened by continuous grazing, 

 so that the spring growth is greatly delayed and is scanty when it 

 does come. As a result the does have to travel too far, are not 

 sufficiently nourished during kidding time, and fail to provide ample 

 milk and also to mother their kids properly. Under such conditions 

 there is considerable trouble in handling the flock during kidding, 

 and it is difficult to keep down the losses. 



It is necessary to graze the does continuously from the kidding 

 corrals during the kidding period and for two or three weeks after 

 the close of kidding. Only strong-, vigorous plants which have stored 

 considerable food material in their roots during the growing period 

 of the former year can withstand such continued, premature grazing. 

 Accordingly, the does and kids should be moved to the summer-and- 

 fall range just as soon as possible, so that the plants on the kidding 

 range will have an opportunity during the summer growing Season 

 to make sufficient growth to insure an early, vigorous growth the 

 following spring. If the goats are moved shortly after kidding and 

 are not grazed on this spring area until the next spring, the plants 

 will recuperate during the summer from the heavy early spring graz- 

 ing and there will be no deterioration in the range forage. 



The spring range should have enough forage so that the goats 

 will be properly nourished during the period they are on it and no 

 part of it be overgrazed. If there is surplus forage in the fall, it may 

 be possible to graze it lightly, but care should be taken to see that 

 the grass and weed forage is not grazed so much as to injure it, and 

 that the buds of the brush are not consumed. 



It is best to refrain from grazing the kidding range during the 

 winter, and under no circumstances should the winter grazing on 

 this range be more than very light. 



Summer-ayul-falJ range. — When the does and kids are removed 

 from the kidding range the}^ should be taken to the range set aside for 

 surnmer-and-fall use. Since the kids depend largely upon their 

 mothers' milk and upon green, succulent food for nourishment dur- 

 ing the summer, there should be plenty of grass and weed forage on 

 the summer range. Such forage when young may be injured by 

 grazing. The forage, therefore, should be as far advanced as pos- 

 sible when grazing begins. 



On the summer range it is necessary to graze the plants during their 

 principal growing period and while they are producing their flower 

 stalks and seed. The summer is also the most successful period for 

 establishing seedlings. A normal plant growth, the production of 



