152 MODERN MILK GOATS 



many months ahead- of her hefore she enters into the 

 functions of maturity; that is, before her first breeding. 

 She is no longer handled in the san)e way as are the kids, 

 and in anj" convenient arrangement of the herd, she is 

 now removed from the kid quarters to quarters of her 

 own until she is old enough to join the mature does. Her 

 only duty for the present is to grow and to enjoy herself. 

 To the little doe at this stage of her life we give the 

 name " goatling." 



It is a stage when she needs little individual care. 

 Each kid passes under one's hands individually every 

 day, to be given its milk. So, too, the milking does must 

 be handled one by one, while the pregnant doe, bearing 

 the precious burden of his hopes, is ever present in the 

 thoughts of the breeder. But the care free little goat- 

 lings need only their shelter, their box of feed, and a 

 place to play. Individually they need no care at all. It 

 is the more important, then, that a regular time be set 

 aside to inspect the goatlings, to make certain that each 

 one is making the progress she ought, and that nothing 

 is going wrong with her. Beyond this general ach'ice, 

 there are few special instructions necessary for the care 

 of the goatling. 



Suggestions as to housing, equipment and feed 

 rations for the goatling are to be found in Chapters 

 XIV and XVII. If she goes out with the herd, the 

 question of exercise takes care of itself. If she is stall 



