Chapter II: Part 2

There has been much vagueness as to what points the breeder should try to produce. Some have claimed that the most profitable animal to raise was one producing heavy ringletty fleece, regardless of the quality of the fleece, except of course that it should be as free from kemp as possible. This day has passed. We know what the mohair is used for, and know how it is prepared for manufacturing. The future may change these uses or methods, but we know what we want now, and we know how to breed our goats to produce the most money per head for the present at least. Fashions vary, and the fashions vary the demand for certain grades of mohair. Coarse fibered, long staple, fine luster mohair possessing a great amount of tensile strength and elasticity will make good braid yarns, but if braid yarns are not in demand, such fiber is not the best for plush or dress yarns. Fine fibered, long staple, pliable, lustrous, easily spun yarn can be used for braid stuff, or at least part of the fleece will be heavy enough for this purpose, and the finer parts have such a variety of uses that they spin yarns which are always in demand. Looking at the question from the manufacturing standpoint, we see that the most staple product is the fine-fibered mohair. But a producer might have animals which would shear two and a half pounds average (the average of the Turkish flocks) of very fine mohair, while another grower might have animals which would shear four or five pounds average of coarse mohair. And even though the value per pound of the coarse mohair may be considerably less than that of the fine mohair, the grower owning the coarse haired heavy shearing Angoras will realize more money per head for his clip. The value also of the carcass and skin of the Angora is of importance. A heavy carcass and a large skin are of more value than a light carcass and a small skin.

If the Angora breeder would produce the animal which will yield the most money per head, he should aim to produce an animal which will shear the heaviest fleece of the most marketable mohair, regardless of fashions, and one which, when put upon the market, will dress the most possible pounds of desirable meat, and yield a readily marketable skin. There are not many such animals on the market to-day, but the time when there will be plenty is coming. We have the fineness of fiber; we have the density of weight of fleece; we have the covering of the animal and the size and stamina of the individual, and we have breeders who are endeavoring to unite combinations to produce the Angora of the future. But while we are without the ideal, one should choose that point which is hardest to attain, most necessary for the best paying animal, and work especially for that. That point is fineness of fiber, always remembering freeness from kemp. There are many large goats, many heavy shearing goats, but there are very few fine fibered comparatively free from kemp goats. One should not make the mistake of neglecting size and weight of fleece. There are few animals which will respond more rapidly to careful crossing than the Angora goat. A buck will usually stamp his individuality upon every kid, hence the necessity of carefully selecting breeding stock.

GESTATION.

The period of gestation varies slightly with the individual, but the average may be approximately stated as one hundred and forty-seven days, or about five months. Both the bucks and the does have a breeding season, but this season may be changed or varied by different elements. As a rule the bucks commence to rut about July or August here in America, and the does soon after the time the bucks commence. Some bucks which have been allowed to run with the does all of the time, never cease rutting, and the does conceive about every six months. The does come in heat about every fourteen days, and remain in this condition for about three days. If the bucks are allowed to run with the does, one buck should be used for about every fifty does. If the buck is only allowed to serve the doe once, a grown animal will serve one hundred and fifty does in forty days without permanent injury to himself. The does conceive at about the age of seven months, and the bucks breed at about the same age, but the wise breeder will not sacrifice the individual by interfering with its development. Both the buck and the doe should not be bred until they are at least a year old. The bucks should be fed at breeding season, and if one has a sufficient number of bucks, it is well to turn the bucks with the does in relays. It is advisable to have the kids start coming slowly, so that one may get new men trained to handle them properly. One or two bucks turned with a flock of a thousand does for a few days, and then removed and allowed to rest, and a new relay of three or more bucks turned with the does, to be removed in a few days, and a new relay being introduced into the flock, will do more satisfactory work than they would if all of the bucks were turned in at one time. The same principle can be applied to smaller flocks. The does should be protected from cold storms or rough handling when they are heavy with kid, else they are liable to abort. If for any unusual cause the doe aborts one season, there is no reason why she will not carry her kid until full term another time, and experience has proven that she will.

American bred bucks, Bismarck shearing 12 pounds, was the sire of the grand champion buck at the St. Louis World's Fair, 1904.]

BREEDING OF REGISTERED STOCK.

The breeding of registered stock, or stock of known ancestry, requires much care and quite different handling. Both the does and the bucks must be marked with an ear tag, brand, tattoo number, or some other permanent individual mark, and the kids should be marked at birth. Fifty known does may be put in a pasture or pen and a known buck put with them. He should be allowed to run with them at least forty days. After this the does may be collected into a flock and several bucks turned with them, but only the kids which are dropped from a known buck are fit for record.

A more accurate method, and one which can be used with a large flock, is to place the bucks in a corral adjoining the one used by the does at night. The does should be brought into their corral early in the evening, and all of those in heat will work along the fence next to the bucks. The doe in heat can be caught and the number taken and recorded in a book. She is then placed in a small pen with a buck and his number is recorded with hers, together with the date. If the doe does not conceive, she can be put with the same buck again at a later date, and one has approximate knowledge of when she should drop her kid. In this manner a buck will serve about two or three does in the evening, and one or two in the morning. The kid is marked at birth and the number recorded after that of the mother. The breeding of recorded stock is of value only for special reasons, and is not advisable with large flocks, as it is expensive.

ANGORA VENISON.

Angora venison is the name which should be given to the flesh of the Angora goat. At the present time it is usually sold in the markets as mutton. The term goat meat should be applied to meat of the common goat, and the term mutton belongs to sheep. Because the Angora goat feeds largely upon that material which nourishes the deer, the meat of the Angora is flavored like venison. The fat is well distributed, and the healthfulness of the animal renders this an especially desirable meat. The Turk has long recognized Angora venison as an important element in his diet. Angora kid is above comparison, and it occupies the principle place on the menu at private as well as state affairs in the Orient. As one passes through the market places in Asia Minor he sees the carcasses of the Angora hanging in every shop. There is no mistaking the animal, as the skin still remains on the goat. One takes his choice, and as a rule more Angora venison than mutton is sold. Some of the Turks keep their wethers until they become coarse-haired and too old to pay to keep longer, eight or ten years old. This class of meat ranks with old mutton, and sells at a discount. Young wethers and does are in good demand. There has existed in America some prejudice against the flesh of the goat. To-day thousands of goats are being consumed annually, but most of them are sold as mutton. Packers and butchers still insist that Angora venison must be sold as mutton. They pay about one-half a cent to a cent a pound less for the goat than for sheep.

The goat never fattens as well along the back as the sheep, and hence the carcass does not look so well. The fat is more evenly distributed throughout the animal in the goat. An expert once said that to know whether a goat was fat one should feel the brisket, and if there was a considerable layer of adipose tissue between the skin and the breast bone, the animal was fat.

Some of the American breeders do not send their wethers to market until they get too old to produce valuable fleeces. The animals are then slaughtered when they have grown a half year's fleece, and the skins are reserved by the breeder. These skins are valuable, and help to bring up the average price of the goat.

At present some of the packers recognize no difference between shorn and unshorn goats. The price is the same, so it pays to shear the goats before bringing them to market. There is absolutely no strong flavor in prime Angora venison, and this is where the meat differs from that of the common goat.

The goat is a slow grower, and not until the second year do the bones ossify. Therefore, a two-year-old can be sold for lamb, as he has a "soft joint." Grown Angora wethers do not average much more than one hundred pounds as a rule, although there are occasional bands sold which average one hundred and fifteen pounds.

It is safe to say that Angora venison will never supplant mutton, but it will have its place among the edible meats.

ANGORA GOAT SKINS.

An Angora goat skin differs considerably from the skin of the common goat. In the first place the Angora skin is covered with more or less mohair; and in the second place, the texture of the skin itself is different. The skin of the common goat is firm, and the different layers are so closely united that they cannot be separated. The layers of the Angora skin are not so closely united, and the skin is slightly fluffy. The outer layer of this skin peels off when it is used. The Angora skin is valuable both with the fleece on and without it. Its principle value, however, is with the fleece on. After the skins have been properly tanned, they are used for rugs, robes, trimmings, and imitating various furs. When ladies' and children's Angora furs are in style, these skins become very valuable for this purpose. One skin has cut $17.00 worth of trimming at wholesale. Of course, the value of the skins depends upon the quality and character of the mohair with which the skins are covered, and their size. Large, well covered skins are always scarce and command good prices. They are worth from $1.00 to $2.00 each. Most of the Asia Minor skins are sent to Austria, and the prices paid for the raw skins are about the same as in America. The skins which have had the mohair removed are valuable for the manufacture of gloves and morocco leather. They do not make as fine leather as the common goat skins, but they are as extensively used. All skins should be carefully handled.

The skin should be carefully removed from the carcass. Goats do not skin as easily as sheep, and the careless operator is liable to cut the inner layers of the skin if he is not careful. These cuts are called "flesh-cuts," and skins badly "flesh-cut" are comparatively valueless, because "flesh-cuts" can not be removed by the tanner. A sharp knife should be used, and the operator should avoid cutting the skin.

The skin should be well salted, care being taken to see that the salt penetrates every portion of the raw surface. The skins can be cured in the shade without the use of salt, but sun-dried skins are worthless. If the edges of the skin are allowed to roll, so that raw surfaces come together, the part so affected will heat and the hair pull out. It is not necessary to stretch the skins while curing them.

Goats should be killed when their fleece is suitable for robe and rug purposes. Those carrying a six month's fleece, if it is six inches long, have about the right kind of skins. There are some Angora skins imported from Turkey and South Africa.

BY-PRODUCTS OF ANGORA GOATS.

The Angora goat should not be classed with milch animals. As a rule the does give a sufficient amount of milk to nourish the kid or kids. The more common blood there is in the goat the better milch animal she is. However, some Angoras have been milked, and the milk is as rich as that of the common goat. A quart of milk a day may be considered a fair average for a fresh milch Angora doe. It has been suggested that because the milk of the goat contains a heavy percentage of fat, it is a proper substitute for mothers' milk for babies. This is probably a mistake, as that part of the milk which is the hardest for the baby to digest is the protein, and it will be observed that in the following table of analysis submitted, the percentage of protein in goat's milk and in cow's milk is about the same, and that it is considerably larger than in mother's milk. A very desirable feature in goat's milk is that the fat is distributed throughout the milk, and that it does not readily separate from the milk. This would assist in the assimilation of the fat by an infant. Some experiments made with coffee demonstrate that it requires half the quantity of goat's milk to produce the same effect upon this beverage which cow's milk produces. This may be partially explained by the quantity of fat in goat's milk, and partially by the fact that the fat does not readily separate from the milk. The bottom of the can is as good as the top.

ANALYSIS OF MILK.

MOTHER'S COW'S GOAT'S
AVERAGE AVERAGE AVERAGE

Fat 4.00 3.50 7.30
Sugar 7.00 4.30 4.10
Proteid 1.50 4.00 4.18
Salts .20 .70 1.21
Water 87.30 87.50 83.21
------ ------ ------
100.00 100.00 100.00

Persons in poor health have been greatly benefitted by the use of goat's milk. This is probably due to the fact that the fat in the milk is so distributed that a large percentage of it is taken up by the digestive apparatus. Angora goats are docile, and it is possible that some of them could be developed into good milch animals.

FERTILIZER.

It is a known fact that packers of the present day utilize all of the carcass of most food animals, but it is not the fertilizer which the packer makes from the blood and offal of the goat which we shall consider here.

Sheep's manure has been used for years on orchards and vegetable gardens, and in the last few years goats' manure has been in demand, selling at from $6 to $7.50 a ton, depending upon the purity of the fertilizer. It must be remembered that only a small portion of this manure is dropped at the night bed-ground, the balance is evenly distributed over the land upon which the goats are feeding. The goats not only rid the farm of objectionable weeds and brush, but they help to furnish a rich soil in which grass will grow. This fact has been so thoroughly demonstrated that western farmers, who have large tracts of wheat or barley stubble to rent during the summer, are always anxious to get goats upon this land.

OTHER PRODUCTS.

The horns of the goats are used to make handles for pocket knives, etc. The hoofs are used in the manufacture of glue.

FOOD, CLIMATE AND PROTECTION.

On the mountains and in the valleys of the United States the Angora has had a variety of food. He is a natural browser, and will live almost entirely on brush, if this kind of food is to be found, but he readily adapts himself to circumstances, and will live and do well upon an exclusively grass diet. The fact that the goat is a browser has been made use of in clearing farms of brush and objectional weeds. If a sufficient number of goats are confined upon a limited area for a period of time, they will kill most of the brush upon this land. They will eat almost every kind of brush, but they have their preferences and enjoy especially blackberry vines and those kinds of brush which contain tannic acid, such as scrub oak. They do not poison easily, and if there is a variety of food they rarely eat enough of any kind of poisonous plant to prove fatal. If, however, they are hungry, and have access to places where there are poisonous plants, they will eat enough to kill themselves.

KILLING BRUSH.

If one wishes to clear brush land, he should confine the goats to a comparatively small tract. The goats kill the shrubs by eating the leaves and by peeling the bark from the branches and trunks of the trees. The brush thus deprived of lungs, soon dies and the roots rot. As fast as the leaves grow they must be consumed, so it is well to allow the goats to eat most of the leaves off of a limited tract, and then in order to give the goats plenty of feed, they should be moved to another field. As soon as the leaves on the first tract have regrown the goats should be again confined to this land. In this way the leaves are continually destroyed. This process can be continued as fast as the leaves regrow. By this method it is estimated that a bunch of one hundred to one hundred and fifty goats will clear forty acres of thick brush in about two years. In countries where the grass grows as the brush dies, goats will eat some of this grass, but they prefer the browse.

On some of the older goat ranches, where the Angora has been raised exclusively for the mohair and mutton, it has become quite a problem to prevent the goats from killing out the brush. The goats have done well where other kinds of livestock would have starved, but as soon as the brush is killed the land produces almost nothing, and even the goats cannot make a living. To prevent as far as possible their killing the brush the flocks are moved frequently from one range to another, so that the shrubs have a chance to recuperate between visits. In this way brush can be kept almost indefinitely for the goats. On some of the western ranges, where cattle and sheep have, by continual cropping, killed much of the grass, good browse remains. These ranges would have to be abandoned if it were not for the goat. Goats do not in any way interfere with the pasturage of cattle or other livestock. Cattle feed contentedly on the same range with the goats, and this fact has led many southern cattle men to invest in goats. The goats are herded on the brushy lands, and the cattle range over the same territory and eat the grass. Horses have a great fondness for goats.

SALT.

Goats, like other livestock, should have a small amount of salt. The salt should be kept where they can get it at liberty, or else it should be fed at regular intervals. If ground salt is given, care should be taken to see that individuals do not eat an oversupply of the salt.

WATER.

While Angoras do not require as much water as sheep, yet they should be given a quantity sufficient at least once a day. In winter goats will live upon snow. Men have reported that their goats have gone for a week at a time, and all summer long, without any more moisture than they could get from browse and weeds, but even if Angoras should stand this treatment, they will thrive better with water once daily. It is estimated that under normal conditions a goat will consume about one-ninetieth of its body weight (about a pint of water for a grown animal) in a day. On hot days, when the animals are on dry feed, they will frequently drink two quarts of water.

SHEDS.

To raise Angora goats most profitably one should really be provided with sheds. These sheds should be about the same as those which are provided for sheep in the same locality. For years southern and western breeders have made a success of the Angora industry, and very few of them have had any artificial protection for their goats. But even these breeders find that they can raise a larger percentage of increase, and get through the year with a smaller percentage of loss if they have sheds. Grown goats rarely need much shelter, even in the winter, if the weather is dry, but during cold, damp storms the fleece wets through and the animal chills. Just after shearing, or just before kidding season, one is liable to lose some grown animals, or to have many kids slunk, if the goats are not protected from cold storms. Young kids also require attention, and proper sheds more than pay for themselves by preventing excessive mortality. Whether the shed should be closed on all sides, or whether it may be left open, depends upon the locality. Do as one would for sheep, under the same conditions, will be a fairly safe rule to follow. Allow at least four or five square feet of shed room to each mature animal, and the danger of the goats crowding together in the corners and smothering the animals on the underside of the pile, should never be forgotten. On very cold nights large numbers, especially of the kids, may be killed by smothering, if they are not carefully watched.

FENCES.

The question of fencing for the Angora goat is not such a serious matter as the beginner would imagine. If the goats have not been raised as pets and taught to jump, there will be little trouble with the animals going over a perpendicular fence of ordinary height. They will, however, go through or under the fence, if it is possible. They are natural climbers, and if the fence offers projecting steps, upon which they can climb, they will soon find their way to the outside of the enclosure. Some of the old stone and rail fences will not hold goats. Any perpendicular fence, three feet high, with transverse spaces not wider than three or four inches for the lower two feet, and not wider than six inches for the upper foot, will hold goats. If the spaces in the fence are perpendicular, they will necessarily have to be narrower, as small kids will crawl through the spaces. A woven-wire fence, two feet high, with a perpendicular stay, at least twelve inches apart, so that the goats will not get their heads caught in the fence, surmounted by a couple of plain or barbed wires, six inches apart, will hold goats, and if barbed wire is used, will prevent cattle from breaking the fence. If plain or barbed wire is used, the first three wires nearest the ground should be placed not more than three inches apart, and close enough to the ground to prevent kids from crawling under the lowest wire. The space between the next wires may be increased to four, five and six inches, and so on to the desired height of the fence. A board fence composed of three boards four inches wide, with a space between the ground and the first board of about three inches, and a three or four inch space between the boards, the whole being surmounted by a barbed or plain wire or two makes a very satisfactory goat fence. If pickets or posts are used, they should be set closely enough together, say about two inches apart, to prevent small kids from crawling between them. An objection has been raised to barbed wire, on account of the mohair which the barbs pull out. The amount of mohair lost in this way is inconsiderable. As has been stated, it hurts the goat to pull the mohair, and the goat soon learns to avoid the barbs. Many breeders use barbed wire corrals and find them satisfactory. Probably woven wire is the best fence under ordinary conditions.

HERDING.

In mountainous countries, where it is not practical to fence the range, the flocks should be watched by herders. The Angora has a natural tendency to return home, or to a known camping ground at night, and in some places this tendency is relied upon to bring the flock home, and they are not herded. Of course, in countries where there is no danger from loss by depredations of wild animals, and where food is so plentiful that the goats must find a sufficient amount, the flock may be turned loose.

One shepherd should tend from one to two thousand head, as goats flock together well. Of course, during kidding season the flocks will have to be more closely watched. Goats travel rapidly and cover a considerable amount of territory in a day. A flock may travel from ten to twelve miles from the time they leave camp in the morning until they return to camp in the evening. The herder should walk ahead of the leaders of the flock, so that they will not travel too fast, or he may walk upon a nearby elevation, so that he can see that the flock does not separate. A flock will sometimes string out over a mile. The goats should be given freedom. Too often a zealous herder overworks himself and keeps his flock poor by crowding them together. A good sheep herder soon learns the nature of the goat, and when he understands the animal he would rather herd goats than sheep.

DOGS.

In some sections of the country sheep-killing dogs have proven a great nuisance to sheep-breeders. To say that the Angora goat will prevent dogs from killing sheep, and that they will drive the dogs away, would be a misstatement. Bucks and grown goats will protect themselves to some extent. If a strange dog attacks a flock in a field, the goats will usually huddle together and the bucks and grown animals will keep the dog at bay. A mother will fight bravely to protect her kid.

KIDDING ANGORAS.

An experience of years has taught the Turk that if he wishes to save many kids, he must have them come late in the season. The changeable weather of the Turkish spring, the frequent cold rains and the lack of proper shed accommodations, have more than once not only destroyed the increase, but also killed the grown goats. The Turkish methods of handling kids are of little practical value. They know how delicate the kids are when they are born, and they usually bring the kid and its mother to the house as soon as it is dropped.

The Turkish Angora goat men usually range small flocks, and they also have a surplus of help, so that this is a comparatively easy method. The kids are allowed to go with the flocks as soon as they are old enough to travel. The principal objection to letting young kids go with the flock is that the kids go to sleep, and sleep so soundly that the flock feed away from them. When the youngsters awake they are lost. If there be wild animals about, the kids may be killed, or they may starve before they are found. The Turk, however, has so many herders with one flock that they usually discover the kids before the flock has strayed.

In America the kidding season is the most important time of the year for the Angora breeder. If he would raise a large increase, he must be properly prepared, and he must be constantly alert. If the weather be fair, with bright sunshiny days and temperate nights, the kids will do well without much care, but if it be cold, stormy and muddy, some of the kids will be lost in spite of all care. After the kids are born the mothers should have such food as will produce the greatest amount of milk. Well-fed mothers make strong healthy kids. Green feed is desirable.

The proper season, then, for the kids to come will depend upon the climate and range conditions. Allowing for the period of gestation, which is about five months, the bucks can run with the does as early or as late as one wishes. One can be guided somewhat by the time sheep men allow ewes to lamb. When the first warm weather comes the goats usually commence to shed their mohair, and as it is too early in the season for the kids to be dropped, the does must be shorn before kidding or the mohair lost. Care should be exercised in handling the does heavy with kid. For the first few days after shearing the doe should not be allowed to chill, as she may abort. In some countries it is possible to kid before shearing, but there is no practical objection to shearing before kidding, provided proper care be exercised.

HANDLING OF KIDS.

There are various methods in use of handling the young kids, and all of them are intended to save as large a percentage of increase as possible with the least possible expense. Almost every man who has handled goats has some individual idea which experience has taught him. The locality and surroundings of the flock make a vast difference in the way they should be kidded. The method which works best with fifty or one hundred does in a fenced brush pasture in Oregon or Iowa, would be useless with a flock of a thousand or fifteen hundred in the mountains of Nevada or New Mexico, where there is often no corral to hold the goats.

With a bunch of from fifty, to two hundred and fifty, and a shed big enough to hold the entire lot, it is not difficult to raise a very large percentage of kids. If the does are kept in a ten or twenty-acre pasture, they should be allowed to run out and take care of themselves as much as possible. The doe may drop her kid wherever she may happen to be, and she will almost invariably take care of it and coax it to the shed at night. The refusal of a young doe to own her kid must be overcome, especially if the weather is unfavorable. The mother must be caught and the milk forced into the kid's mouth until he learns to suckle. After he has been sufficiently fed, place them together in a box stall and leave them for a day or two. Then, in all probability, the mother will take care of her kid.

The box stall is about three feet square and three feet high, with a little door on hinges to save lifting the animal. A row along the inside of the shed next to the wall is a great convenience. A doe with her kid should be disturbed as little as possible, because, as a rule, she knows how to care for her kid better than a herder.

When goats are handled on a larger scale, with no pasture available, entirely different methods should be adopted--for the mother must go out to feed every day and the kid cannot go.

Probably the most extensively used methods are the "corral method" and the "staking method," either used individually or combined.

THE CORRAL METHOD.

In the corral method, two or three large corrals and numerous smaller ones are necessary. First, the does should be separated from the wethers, if they have been running together, and a "wether band" made. Then every morning the "doe band" must be looked over carefully for does that will kid during the day. Such does must be put in a corral by themselves and allowed to kid in this corral. They should be fed some hay, or if that is not possible, they should be herded near by for a few hours. It has been our experience that most of the kids will come between the hours of ten in the morning and four in the afternoon. The more does which one can pick out in the morning the better it is, for the doe, after dropping her kid, is allowed to stay with it the rest of the day and all night. In this way she learns to know it. If one has hay to feed the doe, so that she may be left with her kid for one or two days, it is a great advantage.

After all the does have been selected which can be found, still some will be overlooked, and they will go out on the range with the rest. The best way to handle these is to have the herder make a straight drive to a certain point where the feed is good, and then stay around this one place, allowing the kids to come within as small a radius as possible without starving the goats. If it is necessary, quite a distance can be covered in this way, and yet the kids will not be scattered over a large section of the country.

As a kid is dropped, the doe should be allowed to remain with her kid and take care of it until evening. The herd will gradually feed from them, but it should be kept as near as possible to protect the kids from wild animals. Towards evening one must go out and gather up the kids and drive the mothers to the corral. The large herd should be driven home in advance, keeping a little apart from the does with kids so as not to coax the "wet does" away with the "dry herd."

When the wagon with the kids reaches the ranch, the kids should be put in a small corral. They should be placed a few feet apart, and the mothers should be allowed to select their own kids. They also should be allowed to remain in the corral for the night at least. In case a doe will not take her kid she should be placed in one of the box stalls and a kid which has no mother placed with her and fed.

When plenty of small corrals and good hay are available, each day's kids should be left in a separate corral until the mothers have been with the kids one or two days. It will be found that the kids are always given a very good start in this way. When it is deemed advisable, the kids are put together in a large corral, and as soon as the mothers in the smaller corrals are thought to know their kids sufficiently well, they are added to this wet band in the large corral. Thus the round is completed from the dry band to the wet band, the small corral being simply an intermediate step to insure familiarity between the doe and her kid. The dry band rapidly diminishes while the wet band increases.

The mothers are now ready to go on the range during the day to feed, but the kids should be kept in the corral until they are at least six weeks old. The does may be turned out over a "jump board" placed across the gate. A jump board is a two-inch plank, eighteen inches high, with a four-inch strip nailed on the top for the does to put their feet on as they jump over. The kids come to the board but cannot get over. If some of the larger kids bother by trying to get over, some one can stand at the gate to scare them back by pounding on the board with a stick. The does will soon learn to pay no attention to the noise.

Even now there will be a few kids which will not be mothered. Every morning, before the wet band is allowed to go over the jump board, one should walk through the herd, pick out the kids that have not been nourished during the night, and select does that are not suckling kids. These does should be held until the kids have been fed. A row of small stantions is a convenient thing for holding them. After a kid gets a good start he will steal a living from different does if necessary.

To kid a band of from one thousand to fifteen hundred does by the corral method, will require at least three men--one man to herd the dry band, one the wet band, and a man to look after the kids and assist where needed. Often the wet band is divided, or when one wet band has reached the number of from five hundred to seven hundred animals, another is started.

THE STAKING METHOD.

The staking method is quite commonly used, and in certain localities it is probably the best way to handle kids. The apparatus necessary is a smooth piece of half-inch board, two inches wide and four inches long, with a hole bored in each end. Through the hole in one end a piece of rope eight inches long is passed, and knotted so that it cannot pull out. The loose end of this rope is then made fast to a stout stake which is to be driven into the ground. Through the hole in the other end a piece of rope eighteen inches long is passed and knotted as in the first end, in such a way that the loose end of the rope, which is to be fastened to the kid's leg, draws away from the stake. When the apparatus is in use the small stick with the holes in the ends acts as a swivel to keep the rope from tangling.

It is important to select a proper place to tie the kid. He is to stay in this place for about six weeks, and he needs protection from winds and wild animals, and should have some sunshine and some shade. Usually a small tree, a bush, a fence, or a post will offer a good place to stake. The does which are expected to kid during the day are separated from the flock as in the corral method. The balance of the band are herded, so that the kids dropped on the range can be more easily handled. Just as soon as a kid is dropped, it is taken to a convenient place to stake, and the mother coaxed to follow. One of the kid's legs is securely fastened to the loose end of the rope, and the kid and its mother are left together. The mother is thus free to go and feed, and on returning will know exactly where to find her kid.

Many owners allow the does which have kidded to herd themselves, as they usually return to their kids, often coming in several times during the day. Of course this necessitates having plenty of food and water within access of the staking ground. The wet band could be herded as in the corral method.

In this staking method if a mother refuses to own her kid, or if she dies, the kid has no chance to steal milk from some other wet doe, and unless closely watched, quite a number of kids will starve. The rope should be changed from one leg to the other occasionally to allow symmetry of development. The preparation of ropes and stakes for a thousand kids is quite a task, and it keeps the energetic herder busy during his spare moments getting ready for kidding time.

For the first few days the Angora kid is full of life and vigor as any animal of like age. If he be well nourished, he will frisk and play at all kinds of antics, until he is so tired that he must forget everything. The sleep which comes is so sound that any usual amount of noise does not disturb him. It is this characteristic which makes it unsafe to take kids on to the range with a flock. The kids are liable to hide behind some bush, go to sleep and be lost.

CASTRATING.

Before the kids are allowed to go out with the flock the males should be castrated. The Turk does not alter the males until they have developed sexuality and the male horn, _i. e._, the heavy characteristic buck horn. He then castrates by either removing the testicles, or by twisting or destroying the spermatic cord. When the latter method is used the testicles and cord undergo an inflammatory process which destroys the regenerative power of the animal. The testicles remain in the scrotum apparently unchanged. The animal thus treated presents to the casual observer the physical characteristics of a buck. The Turk claims that an animal treated in this manner is less liable to die than one whose testicles are removed. This is probably true, as the initial lesion produced by the operation is very small, and there is less liability of infection.

The usual method employed in this country is to remove the testicles before the regenerative power of the animal is developed. This gives the wether a feminine appearance, and there is comparatively little danger of death if the operation is properly performed. It will be easiest to castrate the kids between the age of two and four weeks. The kids should be driven into a small clean corral, and after undergoing the operation they should be turned into a large clean enclosure.

The operator stands on the outside of the small corral, and the assistant catches the kids and turns them belly up before the operator, onto a board which has been fastened to the fence. A pair of clean scissors, or a sharp knife, which may be kept in a five per cent. carbolic acid solution when not in use, serve to cut off the distal end of the scrotum. The testicles are then seized with the fingers and drawn out. The operator drops the castrated kid into the large enclosure and the assistant presents another kid. Two men can operate on sixty kids an hour. The testicles are slippery and some herders prefer to use the teeth instead of the fingers to extract the testicles. Under no circumstances should any unclean thing be put into the scrotum. Death usually results from infection, and infection from uncleanliness. A little boracic acid might be sprinkled over the cut surface as an additional precaution, but this is unnecessary if ordinary cleanliness is observed. If after a few days the kid's scrotum swells, and does not discharge, the scrotum should be opened with a clean instrument. Less than one-half of one per cent. of the kids will die from this operation.

RIDGLINGS.

While castrating the kids the operator will discover that some of the kids have but one descended testicle. When these animals are found the descended testicle should be removed, and they should be recognized by some distinctive ear mark or brand. These animals will develop like bucks. It is a disputed question as to whether they are able to exercise regenerative power, but they will cover the does, and in some cases they probably get kids. The undescended testicle can be removed, but as the testicle usually lies close to the kidney, and is hard to distinguish from that organ in the young animal, it is best to delay the operation until the ridgling is at least six months old. The instruments necessary for this operation are a stout rope to suspend the animal, a clean sharp knife, scissors to remove the mohair from the place to be incised, and sharp needles threaded with silk. The knife, scissors and silk should be immersed in a hot 5% carbolic acid solution, and they should be kept in this solution except when actually in use.

The rope is fastened to the hind legs of the animal and he is suspended in midair. An assistant steadies the body of the goat. The operator selects a place on the loin of the goat, about two or three inches away from the backbone, below the ribs and above the hip bone, on the side opposite to that which the descended testicle occupied. He then shears the mohair from this part of the goat. The mohair should be removed from a space at least eight inches square. A lengthwise incision is then made through the skin and muscles, or after the skin is cut, the muscles can be separated with the fingers and the testicle is found. It usually lies close to the backbone, to the lower and inner side of the kidney. It is usually undeveloped and much smaller than the kidney. Its surface is smooth and not indented like the kidney. When it is discovered it can be withdrawn through the opening, and adherent tissue clipped with the scissors. The muscles and skin should be brought together with the silk thread. The needles should pierce the muscles as well as the skin, and the edges of the skin should approximate. No hair should be allowed to remain between the cut surfaces, as the wound will not heal rapidly. After the wound is closed some boracic acid powder may be dusted over the wound, and the goat allowed his freedom. After ten days or two weeks the silk threads should be cut and drawn out, as they will not absorb, and they will irritate the wound. If this operation is carefully performed, and strict cleanliness adhered to, less than 2% of the animals operated upon will die.

GROWTH.

A kid at birth is usually small and weak, possibly weighing from four to six pounds. For the first few days of life he grows slowly, but as the organs adapt themselves to the new life, the kid becomes strong and grows rapidly. When the kid is born he is covered with a coarse hair, and it is not until he is from three to five weeks old that the fine mohair fibers appear growing between the coarser hairs. The kid continues to grow gradually, and at three or four months he weighs from twenty to forty pounds. The mohair may now be from two to four inches long. At a year old the Angora goat will weigh from fifty to eighty pounds, and the mohair may be as long as twelve inches, or sometimes longer.

WEANING.

When does are bred once a year the kid should be weaned before the doe is rebred. This allows the doe time to recuperate before her maternal powers are again brought into active service. Then, too, a doe nursing a kid through the winter, enters the spring with a depleted system and produces a poor quality and small quantity of mohair. The kids should be weaned when they are about five months old, as this allows the mother at least two months rest before she is rebred.

MARKING.

There are various reasons for marking goats, and the methods employed vary as widely as the reasons therefor. The object in view is to put some mark of identification either permanent or temporary upon the animal. The ears may be cropped in certain ways, a brand may be placed upon the nose, or tags or buttons placed in the ears, or characters tattooed into the ears. Probably the most permanent mark is the tattoo, and if it be placed on the inner hairless surface of the ear, it is as lasting as the tattoo so often seen in a man's arm.

DISEASES.

Some of the older breeders supposed that the Angora was not subject to any disease, but as goats have been introduced into new territory, they have become affected by some of the same troubles which bother sheep, but usually to a less degree. Some of the worst sheep diseases, such as scab, do not bother goats, but the goat has some special complaints which do not affect sheep. Very few carcasses are condemned by the government meat inspectors at the large packing centers. Tuberculosis is almost unknown.

LICE.

Nearly all goats are infested with lice, a small reddish louse, a goat louse. Lice rarely kills the animal infested, but they do annoy the goat greatly. Goats will not fatten readily, and the mohair is usually dead (lusterless), if the animals are badly infested. It is an easy matter to discover the lice. The goats scratch their bodies with their horns and make the fleece appear a little ragged. On separating the mohair the lice can easily be seen with the naked eye. The best means of ridding the goats of this annoyance is with almost any of the sheep dips. A dip which does not stain the mohair should be selected. The goats should be dipped after shearing, as it does not take much dip then to penetrate to the skin. One dipping will usually kill the lice, but the albuminous coat covering the nits (eggs of the louse), are not easily penetrated, and it is usually necessary to dip again within ten days, so that the nits, which have hatched since the first dipping, will not have a chance to mature and deposit more eggs. Goats can be dipped at almost any time, but if in full fleece they will require a larger quantity of liquid, and if the weather is very cold, there is some danger.

STOMACH WORMS.

Stomach worms affect goats, and in some instances their ravages prove fatal. There are a variety of these worms, but the general effect on the animal is about the same. They are usually worse in wet years. The goats affected become thin and weak. They usually scour. Sometimes the worm, or part of the worm, can be found in the feces. These same symptoms are caused by starvation, so the two should not be confounded. There are many drenches in use for the treatment of this trouble, and some of the proprietary remedies have given some relief. Goats running on dry, high land are rarely affected.

Verminous pneumonia of sheep may also occur in goats.

FOOT ROT.

Foot rot is a disease which affects both goats and sheep, if they are kept on low wet land. It rarely proves fatal, and can be cured if the cause is removed, but it sometimes causes a good deal of trouble. The goats' feet swell between the toes and become so sore that the animals are compelled to walk on their knees. It can be cured by carefully trimming the feet and using solutions of blue stone. Goats should not be put on wet land.

Sometimes the glands of the neck enlarge, a condition known as goitre. This is sometimes fatal with kids, but usually cures itself. There is no known remedy for it, but it is comparatively rare.

Anthrax, tuberculosis, pleuro-pneumonia and meningitis, will affect goats, but these diseases are very rare. Some of the southern goats have swollen ears, but what the cause of this trouble is no one has yet determined.

POISONS.

There are several plants which will poison goats, but very little is known about them. Some of the laurel family are responsible for the death of a good many goats yearly, and some milk-weeds will kill if taken in sufficient amount at certain times of the year. These plants should be avoided as much as possible. Treatment has been rather unsatisfactory. If the poisoned animal is treated at once, an active purgative may rid the system of the irritant. Epsom salts and crotin oil have given relief.