CHAPTER V 



ESTABLISHING THE HOME DAIRY 



Pure Breds Versus Grades.— The average person 

 who has become interested in goats resolves at once to 

 buy a pure bred or nothing. Investigation usually 

 proves that pure breds are difficult to secure, or if to be 

 found, are held at such a price at present that they are 

 only profitable as breeding stock. But good grade goats, 

 usually very handsome animals and excellent milkers, 

 are more practical as tlie source of the family milk sujiply. 



The pure bred doe, in order to justify her high price, 

 must produce and raise pure bred kids, bucks and does, 

 and in order to justify their high price, and to turn out 

 first-class stock, they nuist be given such a quantity of 

 milk for the first fom* or five months as would leave no 

 margin at all for the family, if indeed the one mother 

 gives enough to raise the kids properly. 



A grade doe, on the other hand, would have at least 

 50 per cent, buck kids, which would be destroyed, thus 

 leaving milk enough for the liouse, even if there be a 

 doe kid to raise. In general, then, it would seem more 

 sensible for a householder to content himself with a good 

 grade doe for family use. 



41 



