Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Extra Teats  (Read 3359 times)

Maudlin-Matilda

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Republic of Ireland
Extra Teats
« on: April 30, 2015, 03:46:24 pm »
Hello everyone.

I don't get chance to come on the forum very often but I know it's the place to come for good advice and am hoping that you can give me some.

My Nubian-cross gave birth to two lovely kids two weeks ago today and I have just discovered that the female, which we were planning on keeping to continue this particular line, has two extra teats either side of her main teat (only on one side).

This is a new one for me so I've just done a bit of research and find that it is reasonably common in goats (but especially boers).  I am still a little confused though and I wonder if you could help me out with the following:

How do I tell the difference between a 'fishtail' teat and 'supernumerary' teats.  I believe that one problem is different to the other but I'm not sure how?

I've quickly realised that I should not breed from her but I also have her mother and grandmother, who do not have this problem.  Some sites I've looked at say this can be a recessive gene from generations back but some say it comes from the sire buck, others from the doe's line.  Does anyone know if this a problem that comes from the buck, the doe or both?  In other words, can I still breed from the generations before her?

Also, I have a home lined up for her brother where he is intended to be a stud goat.  Should I now rethink this?

Finally, some sites advise getting the extra teats removed and others say that this procedure is only an option for cows that have extra teats.  What do you think?  We will be keeping her on whatever the outcome so this is really more a general welfare issue rather than one connected with milking or breeding.

I would be really grateful for any advice you can offer.

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Extra Teats
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2015, 06:46:10 pm »
With a fishtail two teats are fused together just separating at the end, supernumary teats are stand alone teats.  How much of a problem they are depends on size and position.  If they make getting your hand round one teat to milk it difficult they are a nuisance.  The chances are you will not know until she is adult.  A vet can remove the spare ones easily while she is very young, it is harder as she gets older.  A problem with leaving them can be mastitis.

With regards to selling her twin I would tell the person wanting him and let them decide if they still would like him.

verdifish

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • banffshire
Re: Extra Teats
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2015, 08:06:35 pm »
Also just out of interest why use a x as a stud billie ?

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Extra Teats
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2015, 12:49:59 am »
My Saanen x Boer that I bought in developed a fishtail teat when she was a few weeks old. I had her mated with a pure Saanen and one of her daughters has a supernumery teat on one side so she is for slaughter. Her sister is fine but could still produce kids with the problem, I am told. I was intending sending her for slaughter as well but the mother has become very aggressive so she is going instead. I need to keep one or I would be left with a lone goat.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Extra Teats
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2015, 07:41:27 am »
Extra teats are a nuisance when milking - I would not keep her beyond a suitable time for slaughter, same for the male. Common fault in Boers, and allowed in the breed standard unfortunately.... so cross-breeding will always be a bit of a risk. Pure AN's will also give a good carcass, and IMO better option for having females for milk production and spare males for meat.

Maudlin-Matilda

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Republic of Ireland
Re: Extra Teats
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2015, 12:12:11 pm »
Hello again and thank you all for the advice.

They are definitely supernumerary teats rather than fishtail and I'm going to speak to the vet about getting them removed.

To answer your question verdifish, the goat with the extra teats is the granddaughter of a Nubian-cross, who we bred with a pure Nubian and got a male and a female.  We kept the female and bred her with a pure Nubian too, which has given us the kids we now have.  I am given to understand that the next generation would have been considered pure Nubian but that is obviously not going to happen now as we won't be breeding from the goat with extra teats.

 

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