Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 232, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1918 — Goats Save Babies. [ARTICLE]

Goats Save Babies.

The vocation of a certain Virginia minister is to save souls. For an avocation he saves lives. He confines his soul-saving operations to his congregation, while his life-saving activities cover the state at large. A large number of robust, vigorous babies owe their health to the milk produced by milch goats which this minister made available to the parents of these formerly puny and sickly infants. The novel scheme which this goat keeper practices Is to rent out fresh does to families with sickly children. The renter pays a given amount for each day’s use of the doe, furnishes and feeds materials in such amount as the owner directs and signs- a contract which makes him responsible for the full value of the goat In case of accident. The renter also pays the expressage on the goat from the point of origin to and from his home. In the main, these goats are maintained at a cost of approximately 5 cents a day; oats, corn, clover and alfalfa hay, browse and sanitary table scraps constitute their ration. This, of course, Is contrary to the general supposition that- the average milclj goat possesses a tln-can appetite and a back-alley disposition. As a substitute cow for babies the milch doe is extremely efficient, says the United States department of agriculture. She will produce consistently for a period of from eight to ten months between two and two and one-half pounds of good quality milk a day, which Is highly effective where It Is used intelligently in decreasing Infant mortality due to malnutrition.