120 MODERN MILK GOATS 



neglected the overgrown hoof will gather dirt and small 

 stones in its crevices, and soreness, rot, and lameness will 

 result. We have said a goat on gravelly or rocky ranges 

 " normally " needs no attention to its feet. There are fre- 

 (juent exceptions to this statement. jVIany goats have feet 

 that do not set on the ground exactly square and true. 

 Such feet will tend to grow unecjually, and in spite of 

 the friction of travel, will become o^-ergrown in some 

 direction. If this tendency is noted and recognized earlj^ 

 in the animal's life, and if its feet are kept ccmstantly 

 trimmed, the fault can he to a large extent corrected — 

 at any rate, it is controlled. If, on the other hand, the 

 feet are neglected, the fault tends to ])ecome fixed and 

 more pronounced, until actual deformity may result. 

 Therefore, too mucli stress cannot be laid on tlie necessity 

 of careful supervision of a goat's feet. 



Housing. — Discussion of tlic proper liousing and 

 ecpiipment for bucks and th.eir pi-oper rations will be 

 found in Chapters XIV and XVII. One point only may 

 be noted here. No matter liow stout and higli the fence, 

 no matter how secui'e the gates and (h)ors of liis <|uarte]'s, 

 rest assured that the bud; will sometimes escape your 

 closest vigilance and will leap suddeidy into the midst of 

 the does. If in the season, some does will certainly be in 

 lieat, some unplanned matings will certainly occur. If 

 vour herd contains animals of one breed only, the worst 



