THE HALF OF THE HERD, THE BUCK 115 



buck is left adjacent to the does when the latter are all 

 coming in heat, his excitement and his violent efforts to 

 reach them result in a loss of appetite and of flesh, and a 

 deplorable arrest of his growth and develoj^ment. Car- 

 ried too far, this propinquity of the buck kid to the does 

 in heat may result in his permanent loss of fertility. The 

 importance of quarters for the bucks widely separated 

 from the does is quite apparent. 



Companionship Iviportant. — The buck kid in a dis- 

 tant pen, with other male companions, plenty of room 

 for exercise of a rather violent sort, and abundant and 

 varied rations, such a kid comes safely through his first 

 season and attains his fidl promise. He must not be left 

 alone, however. Lack of companionship may result in 

 the inception of destructive habits, and in any case is a 

 cruel torture to the little fellow, who is of all animals the 

 most sociable and the most dependent upon companion- 

 ship for his contentment. If there is but the one buck 

 kid, a wether of the same age will serve the purpose. 



However, even under the most ideal conditions he 

 will show some effects of the season in loss of appetite 

 and a slowing up of his rate of growth. For this reason 

 it is very desirable, in purchasing a buck kid, to obtain 

 one born in the late winter or very early spring. Such 

 a kid will have been completely weaned and will be well 

 advanced in his growth before the season begins. A 



