Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-01-13

good milking qualities will supply an
average family with a fine quality
milk for the greater part of the year.
How Much Milk7
About the first question tl.at per-
spective goat buyers ask is "h0w
much milk will a goat give3" A doe
with an average production of two
quarts a day for seven or eight
months is considered a good animal.
Three quarts is thought to indicate an
excellent animal. Reliable authorities
say that a good goat will yield ten
times her body weight of milk an
nually. The lactatiOn period covers
from seven to ten months. The milk
has a special value as food for in
fants and invalids. If family keeps
milk goat, it can be well assured of
supply of clean, wholesome food,
since it is then possible to control the
sanitation of the dairy by personal at
tentiOn.
The esteem in which the milk is
held by those who have used it is in
Dictated by the fact that it often re-
tails at so cents a quart. Goats milk
can be utilized in all ways that cows
milk can. although for some it is not
so well suited. For general use, for
drinking, cooking and in tea and ccf-
fee the milk has proved very satls-
factory. 1t is not so good, however,
as a butter-making material. Good
butter can be made from goats milk,
but the operation presents some diff
Guilty due to the fact that the cream
rises very slowly. Cheese made from
goats milk is very popular.
Most of the feeds that are valuable
for the production Of milk by dairy
cows are also suitable for does. The
advantage for the suburban family is
that smaller quantity of food is re-
quired by milk goat than by a cow.
1t is ordinarily considered that from
six to eight does can be kept on the
feed required for one COW. When
does are in milk they should be al
lowed all the rOughage that they can
consume, such as alfalfa, clover, or
mixed hay, and corn slower. They
should also receive a liberal guam
ity of succulent feed-silage, carrots,
and turnips answer this pur-
pose. Corn, oats, bran, barley, lin
seed oil meal, or oil cake are the grain
feeds best suited for a milk-goat ra.
ton. A ration that has been used
and approved by the United States
Department Of Agriculture for the
goats milking season consisted of two
pounds of alfalfa or clover hay, one
and a half pounds of silage or tur-
nips, and from one to two pounds of
grain. The grain ration is made up Of,
a mixture Of 100 pounds of corn, 100
pounds oats, 80 pounds bran and ten
pounds Of linseed oil meal.
Care in Feeding.
Care should always be taken to see
that the food is clean and of good
quality. Silage, turnips and similar
foods that have strong Odor or flavor
should be fed after milking, and all
lneaten food should be removed |
from the trough. A good supply of !
fresh water is necessary, and rock
salt should be kept where the ami
mails can reach it whenever they wish.
In purchasing milk goats it is much
more satisfactory to observe the does
Turing their lactatiOn period. This
gives the buyer an opportunity to
study their conformation when they
are producing, and the udder develop.
nent, which is very important. can be
better considered. Generally speaking
the marks and conformation which dis.
dnguish good dairy COW should aD
pear in a good doe.