The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: maybelle on July 31, 2011, 06:37:00 pm

Title: Wattles
Post by: maybelle on July 31, 2011, 06:37:00 pm

My new kid has wattles that are very close to her ear and not down her neck. Does anyone ever remove them? Or just leave them where they are  :)

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: tizaala on July 31, 2011, 06:48:55 pm

Just leave e'm be, they are doing no harm , nor will they ever.

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: maybelle on July 31, 2011, 07:14:52 pm

Thanks. I was just wondering as her mum doesn't have any.

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: ballingall on July 31, 2011, 11:14:39 pm

You can remove them if they are in an odd place- I have even seen them hanging off a goats ear. And if they are hanging someplace where they are likely to caught- ie on the ear etc, then you can just take them off. It leaves a slight whorl of hair behind where they have been.

Beth

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: maybelle on August 01, 2011, 09:08:31 pm

Oh right. How do you remove them, do you tie a piece of cotton round them? What age is it best done? thanks.

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: NormandyMary on August 05, 2011, 04:06:22 pm

My two baby boys are brothers, but only Billy has wattles. I used to think they looked funny, but Ive got used to them now and they are just part of him. They are so soft and silky and he loves them being tickled!!  Toby hasnt got any, which is strange. I just think that Billy took after his daddy who had them, but Toby took after his mum who didnt.

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: fifixx on August 05, 2011, 06:38:00 pm

Had to look up wattles! http://www.dairygoatjournal.com/issues/86/86-5/what_are_wattles.html (http://www.dairygoatjournal.com/issues/86/86-5/what_are_wattles.html)

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: maybelle on August 05, 2011, 09:17:12 pm

Thats a good article on wattles, lots of info  :)

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: little blue on August 06, 2011, 10:17:42 pm

great website, thanks Fifixx

and yet Piri piri (wattles) on a kune kune pig are, I think in the breed standard?!  And, like goats, pretty randomly occurring...

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: Hopewell on August 14, 2011, 08:13:19 pm

When I was in south India recently none of the goats had wattles but a lot of the sheep did. I knew about them in goats (some of mine have them) and KK pigs but hadn't realised that sheep could have them as well.

Title: Re: Wattles
Post by: ambriel on August 15, 2011, 01:15:43 am

Yes, of our three Kunes only two have them.