IN GOAT-KEEPING 21 



whether the milk is used or not, Personally, I do net 

 care for this plan, principally because I do not care to use the milk 

 for ten days or two weeks, (the same is true with a cow), and it is 

 much more convenient to have the kids do the milking, and by al- 

 lowing them to continue until three or four weeks of age, they can 

 then be killed and dressed for the table and make the finest kind 

 of a roast. 



If the kids are to be raised, the simplest method is to allow 

 them to run with the dam all the time for six weeks (longer if milk 

 is not required), then separate entirely or separate them during 

 the day and put them together after the evening milking; after 

 two to four weeks on half rations, they can be separated entirely. 

 The other method is to separate the kids from their mother when 

 two or three days old and bottle them, milking the mother night 

 and morning and giving the kids such quantity as necessary, grad- 

 ually shifting over to cow's milk or calf or lamb meal, which is 

 prepared for this purpose. If the kids are to be bottled, they 

 should be started promptly, as after a week or two it is much more 

 difficult to break them to it. Kids will nibble at hay, grass, etc., 

 when only two weeks old and at six weeks, will be eating bran, 

 bread, etc., and can be fully weaned if desired. Each one must 

 handle the matter according to their own requirements, giving the 

 kids or the milk the preference, according to which may be the 

 most valuable. 



FEEDING, ETC. 



The notion that goats require no care and thrive on any old 

 thing in the way of feed is of course ridiculous. If compelled by 

 necessity, they will pick up a living under adverse circumstances, 

 but if results are desired, proper care and feeding must be given. 

 I kept cows for over twenty years and know by experience how 

 quickly they respond to proper treatment and so it is with the goat. 

 Goats, however, will do well on a diet that would hardly do for a 

 cow. They prefer leaves and twigs of trees, bushes and weeds 

 rather than grass and will eat with great relish all ripe or unripe 

 fruit, vegetables, parings, bread crusts, etc. All food must come 

 to them clean as they will eat nothing that is dirty or greasy. 

 While giving milk, they should have about one pint of grain morn- 

 ing, noon and evening, and if confined should have all the hay they 

 will eat ; alfalfa, clover or mixed hay being much better than tim- 

 othy and cheaper. They stand confinement well if allowed a small 

 yard or enclosure for exercise. This winter I am stabling 10 goats 

 in one building (3 of them in milk), and find it requires about 45 

 minutes morning, noon and night to properly care for them and 

 the cost for all feed is about $1.25 each per month. 



The cost of feeding will vary according to conditions. In the 

 foregoing, the figures are based upon cost of feed in Plainfield as 

 iollows : 



