990 
Tht  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
July  2S,  102:: 
M  ore  Ab  out  Mode  rn  Milk  Goats 
I 'have  certainly  been  interested  in  the  articles  in  Tiie 
Ik  N.-Y.  on  milk  goats.  It  seems  to  me  that  if  all  you 
say  of  them  is  true,  they  will  fill  a  real  need  in  our 
farm  system.  We  are  clearing  a  new  farm  on  virgin 
soil — 25  acres  of  level,  well-drained,  sandy  loam,  with 
more  available  if  we  want  it.  Last  Winter  we  cleared 
two  acres  with  stump-puller  and  dynamite,  and  it  looks 
promising.  Our  main  crops  are  to  be  chickens  and 
strawberries — we  have  about  a  thousand  nice  chickens 
this  year,  and  they  are  doing  well  on  a  fenced  range 
on  the  cut-over  land,  where  the  suckers  from  the  old 
stumps  give  them  cool  shade. 
We  find  that  one  of  the  most  expensive  parts  of  land¬ 
clearing  is  keeping  down  the  brush  on  land  once  cut 
over,  but  not  yet  stumped.  Now  it  appears  to  me  thai 
goats  would  do  all  this  for  us,  besides  doing  what  cows 
would  do — furnish  milk  for  us  and  the  chickens,  furn¬ 
ish  manure  for  the  berries,  and  in  Winter  provide  an 
outlet  for  the  clover  hay  that  would  be  a  sort  of  by¬ 
product  of  a  proper  rotation  to  prepare  the  land  for 
strawberries.  It  also  seems  to  us  that  goats  would 
have  the  further  advantage  of  being  comparatively  small 
units,  so  that  an  average  small  farmer  would  be  able 
to  keep  a  purebred  proven  buck  and  have  a  high-class 
herd,  whereas  if  he  kept  cows,  two  to  four  say,  he 
could  not  have  anything  but  scrubs,  for  there  is  not  a 
purebred  bull  within  miles  that  is  available  for  public 
use,  and  he  could  not  afford,  nor  wish  to  be  bothered 
with  his  own  bull. 
Your  articles  have  not  said  much  about  the  housing 
of  goats.  Cannot  you  give  us  an  article  now  that  will 
fell  something  about  what  kind  of  a  building  is  needed 
for  goats,  how  much  protection  they  need,  feeding  and 
care  of  breeding  goats,  feeding  and  care  of  kids,  etc.? 
Of  course,  most  farmers  would  keep  their  goats  in  any 
available  shed  or  portion  of  the  barn,  but  since  this 
is  a  new  place,  we  would  have  to  build  some  sort  of 
shelter.  We  will  try  out  only  one  or  two  at  first,  hut 
if  they  did  well  would 
hope  to  keep  eight  or  ten, 
perhaps.  We  would  want 
a  building  simple  and  in¬ 
expensive,  but  rifilit. 
What  would  you  sug¬ 
gest?  Should  the  goats 
be  tied  up  in  stalls,  or 
kept  in  pens? 
One  more  question  — 
'are  goats  poisoned  by 
sheep-laurel,  and  will 
they  eat  poison  ivy? 
JOSEPH  A.  HA.TAR. 
Mn  ssaohu  setts. 
A  POPULAR  S  U  P»- 
JECT. — Since  the 
first  paper  on  the  milk 
goats  appeared  in  The 
R.  N.-Y.,  a  great  many 
inquiries  have  been  re¬ 
ceived  and  we  have 
found  that  many  are  al¬ 
ready  breeding  these 
useful  little  animals, 
and  that  they  are 
steadily  gaining  in 
popularity.  It  has  long 
been  known  that  milk 
goats  were  attracting  a 
good  deal  of  attention 
in  America,  but  we  had 
no  idea  of  the  masses  who  are  already  breeding 
them,  and  that  there  were  also  several  well-estab¬ 
lished  herds  in  the  East.  For  many  years  this  in¬ 
dustry  has  been  confined  largely  to  the  Western 
section,  with  the  principal  center  in  California,  but 
within  the  past  five  or  six  years  they  have  very 
rapidly  spread  abroad,  until  at  this  time  nearly 
all  sections  of  our  country  have  at  least  a  few. 
Kids  Like  Kids.  Fig.  4 1 0 
the  doe  needs  but  a  small  pasture,  and  the  rule  is 
where  but  one  or  tw.o  animals  are  kept,  to  tether 
them  out  on  a  rope  where  grass  and  weeds  grow, 
and  to  change  them  to  new,  fresh  ground  each  day. 
Where  reasonably  good  pasture  can  he  had,  goats 
do  not  require  any  additional  feed ;  but  in  places 
where  the  doe  must  be  confined  much,  or  all  the 
Prize  Black-face  Highland  Sheep.  Bred  by  Willet  Randall.  Fig.  .'ill 
time,  she  may  be  fed  in  addition  to  what  green 
food  she  will  eat,  an  occasional  bran  mash,  and 
about  a  pint  of  oats  twice  a  day,  alternating  the 
bran  and  oats,  giving  one  at  night  and  the  other 
in  the  morning.  Two  feeds  a  day  is  all  that  is 
required  to  keep  the  doe  in  perfect  condition;  and 
up  to  a  high  milk  flow ;  but  as  stated,  where  good 
pasture  abounds  no  other  feed  is  needed.  Does  in 
kid  should  not  lie  fed  too  much  grain,  although 
a  cooling  bran  mash  is  relished  and  is  beneficial. 
Salt  should  he  fed  at  least  once  each  week;  not  in 
the  feed,  but  given  separately.  Water  night  and 
morning,  and  always  keep  the  doe  tied  in  the 
shade  through  very  hot  weather  if  you  expect  her 
to  do  her  best  at  the  milk  pail.  Always  use  a 
swivel,  or  two  of  them  on  the  ropes,  and  use  care 
and  judgment  when  staking  out,  so  that  they  will 
not  become  entangled  and  choke.  Don’t  tie  them 
near  a  fence,  or  by  objects  which  they  can  drag 
away;  lint  use  an  iron  liar  properly  set  in  the 
ground.  A  good  doe  will  milk  close  up  to  kidding, 
but  it  is  advisable  to  dry  her,  so  as  to  give  at  least 
six  weeks  of  rest — two  months  is  better,  since  you 
must  not  forget  that  it  is  a  drain  on  the  system  to 
nourish  properly  a  pair  of  unborn  kids,  and  supply 
a  large  amount  of  milk  at  the  same  time. 
WINTER  FEEDING.— The  Winter  feed  should 
consist  of  clean  fresh  hay,  preferably  fine  upland 
hay,  or  clover,  or  if  weeds  are  dried,  they  make 
splendid  feed,  are  greatly  relished  by  the  doe,  since 
this  is  her  natural  Summer  feed,  and  you  will  note 
that  she  leaves  all  else  to  pick  the  last  dry  leaf 
from  the  hay  given  her.  Add  to  this  oats  and  bran, 
or  use  the  most  convenient  dairy  feeds  at  hand,  all 
of  which  are  good  if  in  a  sweet,  clean  condition, 
though  you  must  never  give  sour,  or  moldy  feeds 
of  any  sort  to  any  animal,  and  the  goat  is  no  ex¬ 
ception,  quite  contrary  to  the  belief  of  some. 
A  CONTINUOUS  MILK  YIELD.— The  average 
family,  say  of  five  people,  should  keep  two  does,  one 
to  freshen  in  the  Fall,  and  the  other  in  the  Spring. 
By  so  doing  one  has  a  generous  supply  of  the  finest 
milk  iu  the  world  at  all  times.  If  it  is  desired  to 
raise  a  doe  kid  or  two.  these  may  be  started  on  the 
doe,  and  gradually  weaned  to  grain  feeds  at  three 
months  old,  supplemented  by  plenty  of  weeds  and 
green  grass,  apple  tree  trimmings,  lawn  clippings,  etc. . 
HOUSES  FOR  MILK  GOATS.— Your  goat  barns 
need  cost  but  a  few  dollars,  two  piano  boxes  set 
back  to  back,  with  partitions  removed,  make  an 
ideal  home  for  two  does,  and  also  give  you  room 
enough  for  a  grain  box,  and  storeroom  for  hay. 
Put  in  two  small  windows  on  the  south  side,  cover 
the  boxes  with  roofing  paper,  well  tacked  on  to  ex¬ 
clude  the  wind  and  rain,  hang  on  hinges  a  con¬ 
venient  sized  door,  and  that  is  all  you  need.  Al¬ 
ways  keep  each  doe  tied  in  her  own  stall,  or  box 
stall  all  its  own.  Do  not  keep  two  does,  especially 
two  in  kid  in  the  same  stall,  as  they  are  liable  to 
butt  each  other  and  thereby  cause  abortion.  A 
good  milk  doe  of  Nubian.  Toggenberg  or  Saanen 
breeding,  whether  a  grade  or  a  purebred,  wiir  live 
and  milk  for  about  12  years,  or  as  long  as  a  cow 
will.  Of  course  some 
does  will  last  longer 
than  others,  but  from 
10  to  12  years  is  about 
the  average  life  of  the 
milk  doe.  Arrange  your 
feed  racks,  so  that  the 
animals  must  feed 
through  the  slats,  as 
they  are  wasteful  of 
their  hay,  and  only 
need  a  very  little  at  a 
time;  3  lbs.  of  hay  at 
a  feed  is  quite  sufficient. 
Do  not  give  more  than 
a  pint  of  oats  or  bran 
at  a  single  feed,  and 
give  this  twice  daily. 
The  care  of  goats  is 
very  easy  and  many 
women  are  among  the 
most  popular  breeders 
of  the  high-class  milk¬ 
ers. 
IIOW  TO  START 
WITH  MILK  GOATS. 
— Never  think  of  buy¬ 
ing  a  doe  which  has 
lately  become  fresh.  It  would  ruin  her  udder  to 
ship  her  when  in  full  milk  on  a  long  express  trip. 
Always  plan  to  buy  a  doe  which  lias  been  bred  be¬ 
fore  shipment,  then  she  will  get  accustomed  to  her 
new  home  and  owner,  surroundings,  etc.,  and  feel 
safely  content  when  the  time  for  the  milk  period 
comes  round.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  buy  kids  in  the 
Fall  that  were  born  in  the  previous  Spring;  these 
cost  less  than  mature  animals,  and  you  have  learned 
to  care  for  them  while  growing  to  milking  age. 
NEAR-BY  STOCK  PREFERRED.— It  is  not  now 
“ Elusive  Lucy”  a  Typical  Representative  of  the 
Xubian  Breed  of  Goats — One  Day  Old.  Fig.  412 
Xot  a  Black  Bear,  but  the  Purebred  Xubian  Buck 
Goat  “ Xubian  Chief.”  Fig.  409 
HOW  TO  FEED  A  MILK  GOAT.— Milking  does 
require  about,  the  same  care  and  attention  that  we 
would  give  to  a  cow;  and  should  be  kept  under 
the  same  conditions  as  far  as  possible.  However, 
