GOATS ON FAR WESTERN RANGES. 29 
mohair of sufficient amount and value to cover approximately the 
cost of maintenance, so that the offspring is nearly clear profit. All 
does should produce sufficient milk to insure proper growth of the 
kids, and any range does that refuse to claim their kids or fail to 
sive birth to kids after two years’ trial should be disposed of. 
Range does should be sold for meat at approximately 6 years of 
age at the latest, because at that age the mohair has become so light 
in weight and so coarse, and the milk supply so uncertain that they 
are apt to be unprofitable. The practice of retaining unprofitable 
does just as long as they are capable of producing offspring has been 
responsible for much of the low profit from goats. 
Selection of bucks.—The bucks are the most important animals in 
the herd, and should be of as high breeding as is economically pos- 
sible. Every buck should more nearly approximate the ideal than 
any of the does. Bucks of superior breeding usually stamp their 
characteristics on the offspring. If the bucks are of high quality, 
the herd can be improved through the retention of the high-class 
offspring. The bucks should not only show quality and quantity of 
mohair, but also should be of good size and symmetrical build, and 
should have a good constitution and two well-developed testicles. 
Disposing of wethers—Every wether retained in the herd takes 
the place of a doe on the range. The greater the proportion of does 
in the herd the greater the number of kids raised, and the greater 
the proportion of kid mohair in the clip from the entire herd: As 
before stated, the kid mohair brings the highest price and is the most 
readily sold. Therefore, if the wethers are to be retained in the herd 
they should be able, other factors being equal, to produce a net 
revenue over running expenses equal to the net revenue from the 
same number of does, and in determining this the possibility of sell- 
ing the wether mohair should be carefully considered. The net reve- 
nue from does is considered as the total revenue from the does’ 
mohair, the value of the kids and of the kids’ mohair at 1 year of 
age, less the total cost of maintaining the does and kids during the 
year. 
Both wether kids and doe kids which produce a poor quality of 
mohair should be disposed of either as fall kids or when 1 year old. 
It will be found most economical to sell the bulk of the other wethers 
-as fall yearlings or when 2 years old. Up to this age there is the 
greatest production of fine mohair and the greatest gain in weight. 
Few wethers after 2 years of age can produce a net revenue from 
mohair and imcrease in value as a result of gain in weight equal to 
the does’ net revenue, and therefore should be sold. Only wethers 
producing a very large quantity of fme mohair should be retained 
after they are 2 years old. 
