20 BULLETIN 749, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
the drop band. Another man should herd the wet band. While 
not herding, these men may work about the corrals. One other man, 
usually the foreman of the crew, is needed about the corrals at all 
times and to direct the work. 
CARE OF DCES WHILE GIVING BIRTH TO KIDS. 
If a doe while kidding is with the herd in a large corral, or even 
is with only a few other does in a medium-sized pen, there is danger 
of her disowning her Ind. Among the preventable causes which may 
lead a doe to disown her kid immediately after kidding are, chiefly, 
separation of the doe and her kid, interference of other does or of 
other lids than her own, fright, and excitement. To persuade a doe 
which disowns her kid to mother it properly usually causes con- 
siderable trouble. If, however, the doe is kept quiet during kidding, 
and just afterwards is kept close to and alone with her kid, she ordi- 
narily recovers quickly from her labor and fright Saal properly 
mothers her kid. 
To have the mother in quietness while giving birth, and alone with 
her kid immediately afterwards, and to facilitate the giving of assist- 
ance to the doe if necessary, or to the kid should it Fal to joov milk, 
individual kidding pens about 4 feet square should be provided. 
About 60 of these pens should be provided for a herd of 1,200 does, 
though it is well to have more if possible. At morning, noon, and 
night all does that show signs of immediate kidding should be quietly 
separated from the drop band by means of the shepherd’s crook, and 
each doe placed by herself in one of the individual kidding pens. It 
is best to leave the does and their kids in the kidding pens until the 
following morning ; but if there is a shortage of these pens, does 
that have kidded in the morning may be fomooe¢ in | the afternoon if 
they are properly mothering their kids. 
CARE OF DGES AND KIDS. 
There are two systems of h randling the kids during the first few 
weeks of life, “ the toggle system” and “the pen or corral system.” 
Tn the togele system the young kids are staked, while in the pen 
system they are turned loose in equal pens. The does in either case 
are taken out to feed each day and are returned to the kids for the 
night. 
The toggle system.—F ormerly the toggle system was used in a very 
haphazard way, the kid being staked wherever it was dropped, or as 
near by as possible, under a bush or in some other place where it 
would have shade. The heavy losses and extra work incident to such 
methods caused progressive goat growers to improve the system. 
The best results are obtained by the methods outlined below, which 
are based upon the experience of these men. 
_ ae 
