THE HEART OF THE HERD— THE DOES 159 



tion of the flow, but is thought to encourage in an ani- 

 mal the habit of " holding up " part of her milk. The 

 drying off process is best accomplished by lengthening 

 the period between milkings, but stripping the doe clean 

 when she is milked. 



The feed rations for the dry doe in kid are indicated 

 in Chapter XIV. If confined to the corral the doe will 

 take little exercise. This is perhaps the chief objection 

 to the system of stall feeding milk goats, for moderate 

 exercise at this time is of the greatest benefit, both to the 

 doe and the oncoming kids. On the other hand, the 

 range doe must be carefully guarded against over- 

 fatigue, and, above all,, from the precipitate headlong 

 running to which herds of goats are prone. The ideal 

 conditions for the pregnant doe in her later months are : 

 the daily exercise of ranging a moderate distance, and 

 the care of a wideawake herder and efficient, well trained 

 dogs, who know how to forestall and prevent panic and 

 stampede. Remember that this is no wild doe, who 

 cheerfully travels miles and miles up to the very day of 

 kidding. In the first place, your milk goat this year 

 was subjected to the drain upon her system of giving 

 milk ten months, the wild goat only three. Your milk 

 goat is bearing two, very likely three, kids, whose weight 

 will aggregate 18 to 22 pounds — the wild goat one, or 

 possibly two kids, very much smaller and lighter. Do 



