20 BULLETIN 749, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the drop band. Another man should herd the wet band. While 

 not herding, these men may work about the corrals. One other man, 

 usually the foreman of the crew, is needed about the corrals at all 

 times and to direct the work. 



CARE OF DOES WHILE GIVING BIRTH TO KIDS. 



If a doe while kidding is with the herd in a large corral, or even 

 is with only a few other does in a medium-sized pen, there is danger 

 of her disowning her kid. Among the preventable causes which may 

 lead a doe to disown her kid immediately after kidding are, chiefly, 

 separation of the doe and her kid, interference of other does or of 

 other kids than her own, fright, and excitement. To persuade a doe 

 which disowns her kid to mother it properly usually causes con- 

 siderable trouble. If, however, the doe is kept quiet during kidding, 

 and just afterwards is kept close to and alone with her kid, she ordi- 

 narily recovers quickly from her labor and fright and properly 

 mothers her kid. 



To have the mother in quietness while giving birth, and alone with 

 her kid immediately afterwards, and to facilitate the giving of assist- 

 ance to the doe if necessary, or to the kid should it fail to draw milk, 

 individual kidding pens about 4 feet square should be provided. 

 About 60 of these pens should be provided for a herd of 1,200 does, 

 though it is well to have more if possible. At morning, noon, and 

 night all does that show signs of immediate kidding should be quietly 

 separated from the drop band by means of the shepherd's crook, and 

 each doe placed by herself in one of the individual kidding pens. It 

 is best to leave the does and their kids in the kidding pens until the 

 following morning; but if there is a shortage of these pens, does 

 that have kidded in the morning may be removed in the afternoon if 

 they eve properly mothering their kids. 



CARE OF DOES AND KIDS. 



There are two systems of handling the kids during the first few 

 weeks of life, "' the toggle system " and " the pen or corral system." 

 In the toggle system the 3 r oung kids are staked, while in the pen 

 S3 7 stem they are turned loose in small pens. The does in either case 

 are taken out to feed each day and are returned to the kids for the 

 night. 



The toggle system. — Formerly the toggle system was used in a very 

 haphazard way, the kid being staked wherever it was dropped, or as 

 near by as possible, under a bush or in some other place where it 

 would have shade. The heavy losses and extra work incident to such 

 methods caused progressive goat growers to improve the system. 

 The best results are obtained by the methods outlined below, which 

 are based upon the experience of these men. 



