680 



SHEEP 



The weight of milch goats varies considerably. Voorhies states ^ 

 that mature Toggenburg bucks weigh from no to 140 pounds 

 and the does from 100 to 140 pounds, while Saanen bucks weigh 

 from 17s to 200 pounds and the does from no to 140 pounds. 

 In England, according to " Home Counties," ^ the heaviest weights 

 of goats published have been 1 70 pounds for a six-year-old Anglo- 

 Nubian nanny and 195 pounds for a billy of the same breed. 

 The size is not regarded as of prime importance. T. F. Jager, in 

 submitting standards of both Toggenburgs and Saanens for criti- 

 cism in a report on the first American milch-goat show, held in 

 Rochester, New York, in 191 3, suggests 130 to 180 pounds for 



Toggenburg bucks and 



80 to no pounds for 



the does, and 140 to 



1 80 pounds for Saanen 



bucks and 100 to 150 



pounds for the does. 



The age attained by 



milch goats naturally 



varies. They have been 



known to live to be 



sixteen years old, but 



will probably attain to 



ten or twelve years of age with reasonable care. ,The doe is in 



her prime at from five to seven years of age. 



The cost of producing goat's milk is a subject of interest to 

 many people who desire to keep this animal if the expense is not 

 too great. In extensive experimental feeding at the New York 

 Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, the average cost of 

 the food per month varied from 48 to 99 cents, while the average 

 cost of the food for a year was ^i 1.05, a daily expense of 3 cents. 

 The food cost of the milk for a period of three years was 

 3.4 cents per quart, while the lowest cost was for the Saanen 

 goat No. II, of 1.27 cents per quart. During the same period 

 of time the average cost of a quart of milk that was produced 



1 Bulletin 28^, University of California Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 September, 1917. 



^ The Case for the Goat. London, 1908. 



Fig. 321. A pair of fine young Saanen goats. From 



photograph by the author, talcen at Interlaken, 



Switzerland 



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