May, IgII 
ing his goats to the 
tront partition by 
chains which are 
long enough to al- 
low the animals suf- 
ficient freedom of 
movement and short 
enough to prevent 
them from annoying 
one another. The 
partition is little 
more than three 
feet high. In front 
of each goat is a 
rectangular opening 
through which the animal can thrust its head and feed 
from a galvanized iron trough placed below the opening, 
outside the partition. Scattering of the fodder is prevented 
by surrounding the trough at feeding time with a portable 
wire screen. 
A water trough is affixed to the inside of the partition, 
between each two openings. All partitions and other parts 
are removable, so that the stable is easily kept clean. In 
these conditions the goats, secure from annoyance, lead a 
peaceable existence and attain a maximum size and yield of 
milk, if they are kept clean and are not crowded. They 
should be placed at least three feet apart and the depth and 
height of the stable should be not less than six or seven 
feet, giving about 140 cubic feet of air space to each 
animal. 
Although goats endure cold very well, they are injuri- 
ously affected by dampness. Hence the stable should be 
heated in winter. An old German proverb says: ‘‘Grape- 
vines and goats are never too warm.”’ Goats also require 
Nubian goat 
an abundance of clean and wholesome food of the best 
quality. The Alpines and other great milk producers have 
Alpine goat 
enormous appetites. They will browse upon woody plants 
and leaves and buds of trees, but their milk is greatly im- 
proved, in quantity and quality, by a diet of lucerne and 
sainfoin. They thrive upon good meadow hay, but not 
upon hay made from soft, watery grasses. The aftermath 
suits them better than the first cutting, and, even in summer, 
Improved stable for goats 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 187 
green fodder should not 
be given to them, except 
as a stimulant in case 
of loss of appetite. A 
pound or so of bran is 
given as an appetizer 
before the ration of 
hay, and bran is also 
sprinkled! Vorviern st Me 
chopped carrots, beets, 
potatoes and Jerusalem 
artichokes, which may 
be fed with advantage. 
When beans, peas, 
maize, barley and other 
grains are given, they should be soaked in hot or in cold 
water. Oil cake may be given in small quantities, and 
goats, like all herbivora, should have free access to salt. 
The following daily rations are recommended by M. 
Crépin: For a goat weighing 105 pounds, or near that 
mark, 2 1-4 pounds of second crop hay, 2 1-4 pounds of 
beets, 1-4 pound of oats. For a large milch goat, 5 1-2 
pounds of second crop hay, 2 1-4 pounds of beets, 1 pound of 
bran. For a goat weighing 66 pounds, 1-6 pound of bread, 
I-2 pound of flaxseed, 11 pounds of beets and 2-3 pound of 
hay. For a general ration, 3 1-3 pounds of hay, 4 1-2 pounds 
of vegetables, 1 pound of oil cake, 2-3 pound of barley. 
The Alpine appears to be one of the best breeds for the 
production of milk in France, as the yield continues for a 
long period and the milk is not rich, and is consequently 
best adapted for the feeding of infants. A small farmer 
or city dweller keeping a single goat can easily keep the 
animal in milk for at least two years. Kids are usually born 
in April, and are weaned at the age of three months. Be- 
fore this, however, they should not be left constantly with 
their mothers. A longer and more abundant yield of milk 
Nubian buck 
Nubian-Alpine cross 
is secured by periodical suckling or milking. Some Alpine 
goats have maintained a good flow of milk for more than 
three years. 
It would be interesting to repeat in America these ex- 
periments in the breeding and keeping of goats, both for 
commercial and nutrition purposes. 
BAS, Seed 
eR S 
