Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-03-20
HELPFUL ADVICE TO
ANG0RA GOAT RAlSERS
A Succs ssful Breeder Tells How
10 Make Ansoras Profita BILE
In Southern OREGON.

The following address was given by
Edward L. Naylor Of Forest Grove,
at the recent meeting in Grants Pass
of the Angora breeders of Southern
Oregon. Mr.. Naylor is one of the
leading breeders Of the Willamette
Valley and the suggestions that he
gives in this address are of great value
to all owners of Angora goats:
All classes of domestic live stock
readily respond to good care and par
ticularly so with the Angora goat.
Several years ago the agricultural
papers were full Of the tales of woe"
Of parties in the state of Washington
and iu the middle west, who had
gone extensively into Angora farming
as business venture. Carload after
carload Of the silver fleeced animals
were shipped from Texas, Arizona
and New Mexico to the middle west,
and from the Willamette Valley into
Washington. There they we're turned
loose, without sheds or fodder. to
shift for themselves, with the result
that whole flocks, in many cases were
wiped ont. Then Angoras were dam.
made and re.dammed; but 1t was not
their fault. They were all right; it
was simply the fault of the methods
employed by the owners. The losses
in the middle west were 80 serious
that experts were called from the U.
S. Department of Animal Industry to
Investigate; and after q number Lof
post mortems were made, and numer-
ous microscopic examinations OF the
blood corpuscles they pronounced the
disease "Taevies. Now Tsevies Is
the Greek for wasting away and
the experts were right. inasmuch as
the goats did waste away. / am sor-
~ TO say, that this trouble was not
confined to the places mentioned; {;
there were heavy losses in the Will
annette and in one or two OF the coast
counties. I heard no report OF losses
at that time in Douglas, jackson or
Josephine counties and l infer that
the same thorough methods that have
pushed your red and yellow apples,
Comice pears and the famous Rogue
River melons to the front have OBJ
tanned in your Angora Goat husband
ing. All these severe lessons, have,
however not been lost on us. BY
freouent failures we find our weak
points aud learn to guard against
subsequent failures. In many cases
those who had not meet with heavy
losses, have learned from the success
full ones, the methods to use; have
bought more goats, better goats ano
are making the business pay and now
laugh about their past troubles. 1t is
hard proposition, however, to eradi'
cate from the public mind the idea
that an Angora goat will thrive on
fresh water. and mountain scenery
and will wax fat on "tin cans aud
"old Shoes" The best goats pay best
and the best care on the best goats
pays best Of all.
Nothing ever happens to fat goat
anything is liable to happen to pool
one. Moral: Keep your goats fat
If were just starting into the busi
ness and had bought my flock anC
had net, as yet, prepared sheds fol
them do not know which l woulC
do first build my sheds or dip NJ,
flock. / think however that / woult
dip the flock. Nothing seems to pu
new life into a bunch Of run dowr
goats, so quickly as thorough dip
ping. l think can say, with saftey
that nine ont of every 10 fiocks o
grade goats owued in the State o
= Oregon are infested with lice an'
they are not only lousy, but yer,
lousy, Each goat, if properly dipped
will clip at least one-hslf more o
mohair than one infested with lice
1t is estimated that there are 2lO,OO
goats iu the state Of Oregon and G
these probably 1900 are register go
leaving 20S. 500 grades. Now one
half pound per head would make lo4
= 80 of mohair. worth, at conservf
tive e,timate. sSl,275 have ne
taken iuto consideration ths registere
goats as they are generally dippec
nor have figured out the cost OF u
dip. This is about one cent per hea'
or course there is the work attacht
to the dipping; but that goes in
part of the goat business. l am fr
! quently asked as to the method us'
In dipping and the kind of dip use
use wooden vat about Al feet lol
and three feet deep; IS inches WI
ia the bottom and about 216 feet wi
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