THE COMMON GOAT
Two arguments may be brought forward in favour of the common goat. In the first place, the herd increases much faster as the Angora doe usually has only one kid, while twins are the rule with common goats. There is a decidedly growing demand for goats' milk near large cities, especially for hospitals. We all know how commonly goats' milk is used in foreign countries. We Americans have a rather silly prejudice against it, but we will get over this when we realize how often goats' milk saves the lives of babies and invalids. The following statements are vouched for by physicians and others of experience:
Photograph by Helen W. Cooke
Feeding the Goats
Goats' milk is more easily digested than cows' milk.
Analysis shows goats' milk has a marked similarity to human mothers' milk and is more readily assimilated by infants.
Goats' milk is generally claimed to be free at all times from germs of tuberculosis.
Cannot be told from cow's milk by taste.
Excellent for coffee and in cooking.
The goat is claimed by its friends to be greatly the superior of the cow for milk, for the following reasons:
The goat is naturally cleanly.
The goat is easy to keep clean because of her small size. Goats can be and are put into tubs and scrubbed and sterilized when being used as foster-mothers in baby hospitals. But no such treatment is possible with a cow.
A goat can easily be taken from place to place with a family. A cow could not be transported without great expense.
Goats eat far less than cows. Eight milch goats can be kept on the food of one milch cow. The same quality of food should be furnished.
I believe there is a great future in America for the milch goat.