THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PROPER FEEDING 185 



take kindly to wandering off by themselves. They linger 

 around near the home, and do not make the best use of 

 the feed at their disposal. A watchful herder who goes 

 before them, breaking new trails, varying the route each 

 day and tempting their appetite with variety will get 

 twice or thrice the food from a given range that the goats 

 will obtain if left to themselves. 



Cultivated erops. — The next source of succulent feed 

 will be from planted crops, of which a portion is cut each 

 day and fed in the mangers, green and fresh. Such 

 crops should be planted having in mind the nutritive 

 ratio of the principal hay to be used. If alfalfa hay is to 

 be used, with its high proportion of protein, plant pump- 

 kins, corn, or any of the sorgums, all of which, and others 

 as well, have a high ratio of carbohydrates. If oat hay 

 is the main dependence, plant vetch, kale, field peas, soy 

 beans or clover. All of these are high in protein, and 

 balance the high ratio of carbohydrates in oat hay. 



For the winter months; when fresh feed can no longer 

 be cut in the field or garden, there are two sources of 

 succulent feed, a storehouse of roots, such as beets, man 

 gels and carrots, and a silo. All the roots suitable for 

 storage are greatly relished by the goats if fed clean and 

 partly cut up, and they are the greatest possible aid to 

 maintain the milk flow. But all are definitely on the 

 carbohydrate side, and must be used to supplement 



