14 BULLETIN. 749, U. $.-DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
condition during the remainder of the winter. Young animals quit 
growing and may even. lose weight. The hardship, however, falls 
most heavily upon the does, whose physical condition in turn often 
prevents proper development of the unborn offspring. 
Tn the spring at kidding time the weak and half-starved roots of 
the palatable grasses and weeds are unable to furnish fresh, green 
feed in suificient quantity for the does. The amount of milk pro- 
duced is lessened, and as a result many kids are either lost or become 
stunted. Occasionally some dees die. Furthermore, weak does have 
considerable dificulty in mothering their lads properly. 
‘Lhe reasons advanced in favor of a single bed ground are its low, 
cost, the advantage of having the goats at the shed each night, the 
proximity to water, the supposedly smaller loss from straying, and 
the difficulty of obtaining herders who will herd under any other 
method. Such reasons appear trivial in comparison with the detri- 
ment to the range and the goats and the possible injury to the general 
welfare of the community. The slightly increased cost of maintain- 
ing the goats as a result of changing their bed grounds is more than 
ofiset by the increased production of mohair and meat and the redue- 
tion in losses from death. 
By having the goats at a shed every night throughout the year the 
principal value of the shed is lost. Goats prefer open bed grounds 
and seidom enter a shed unless the weather is very cold or very wet. 
Warm summer rains seldom cause any trouble, but cold rains may 
result in serious lesses in the herd. Accordingly, it is best to graze 
the goats near the shed for several weeks after shearing and during 
stormy. periods of winter, so that, if necessary, they may obtain shelter 
immediately. After the choice forage has been consumed. for some 
distance from the shed as a result of yearlong grazing, it becomes 
necessary at critical winter periods to graze the goats far away from 
the shed se as to get fresh feed. Asa result heavy losses often occur. 
For protection in the winter and after shearing a single shed is 
all that is usually needed, but if the winter range is some distance 
from the range used at shearing time it is best to have a shed on each 
of these ranges. The shed should not be expensive, but it should be 
‘substantial and of sufficient size to prevent crowding. Where it is 
used only for shelter, 3 square feet of floor space per goat will suilice, 
but 5 square feet or more per goat is better. As dryness under foot 
is essential, the shed should be built on well-drained ground and the 
roof should be waterproof. 
The loss from straying is thought to be greater when the goats 
are grazed from more than one bed ground. Small bunches of 
strays will often find their way back to a central bed ground, but 
without a central bed ground it is said that they do not know where 
to go. Experience with the use of many bed greunds has shown, 
