# Extra teats!!



## Cportell89 (Feb 14, 2016)

Ok guys. I have a weird one for you. I had a doeling born with "possible extra teats??"" Skin tags?" Ok. So this doeling has a teeny little tag thay looks like a teat, but it is about a 1/2 inch away from her real teat. She also has a little *bump* about a 1/2 inch from the other teat. Here's my dilemma... Her dam and sire do NOT have extra teats. Is this still genetic or is this environmental?? My goats are registered with the ADGA and this doeling is EXCEPTIONAL. Her dam was JGCH and BIS!! If I bred her, would there be a high risk of passing this on? Or was this just some kind of flub that I shouldn't worry about?


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## SolsticeSun (Feb 23, 2013)

I have a doe with 1 extra teat, who is now 3. I owned both sire and dam when she was born and neither had a recorded history of extra teats. So I repeated the breeding and in the next kidding I had triplets- one had 4 teats, the other two normal. So at least for this breeding, there was some sort of heritablity. Now in the doe from the first kidding with 3 teats, none of her kids have had extras- actually she gives me stunning kids without fail. Her sister with normal teats has so far only had kids with normal teats. In the following kidding after these two does were born from the original dam, different sire- her 3rd freshening gave me quads - all with normal teats but then other birth defects. One boy with a bladder outside of his body, another with inverted eyelids, a doe kid who appeared to have something like cerebral palsy. Really strange. So I put the majority of the influence on the dam of these does and other kids. 

If you do some digging online, theres some limited discussion to the root of extra teats. One of the more interesting findings was for Hallicienda Mary T.T. who was said to have extra teats. She's an aunt to Frosty Marvin who in the nubian breed was used extensively. So read out of that what you will.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I tried posting yesterday but my internet was acting up. Anyhow, yes, those "tags" are extra teats. They're an automatic DQ if you show. In my opinion, you should not breed the goat, and I would not even register her. It's almost certainly genetic.


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## Cportell89 (Feb 14, 2016)

I agree about not breeding, but extra teats/ extras that are removed, are not DQs in showing. They are serious faults. Bucks* with extra teats or extras that were removed are DQs.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

What would be the point of showing the goat?


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## Cportell89 (Feb 14, 2016)

Again, I agree with you. I was only stating that it wasn't a DQ in does, but certainly defeats the purpose as she would never place in a show


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## SolsticeSun (Feb 23, 2013)

I disgree to an extent. Fine to breed and she may even milk well (mine does) but consider her kids terminal. This is my girl. Her third teat is tiny. If she didn't have it, she would be showable. I see no reason why an unobstructive flaw couldn't be a good home milker that makes nice meat kids. Her first breeding was accidental (buck jumped fence, her sire bred her  ) but I've not been disappointed beyond the inital "oh crap, what do we do now?" after she was bred. It just depends on what your needs are, this doe will be bred to boer from now on where the extra teats don't matter because they are all freezer meat. I used to be embarassed to keep her and now after talking to so many other breeders, this crops up a lot more than people want to admit. This doe's sire and dam - neither had any history of the problem. This doe has never thrown her problem either.

https://www.facebook.com/SolsticeSu...770608144/1116291375056474/?type=3&permPage=1


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## KJFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

A seasoned judge with a sharp eye, will detect that extra teats have been removed. While they may not disqualify you, you more than likely won't be at the head of the class.
It's simply not worth dealing with, now or in future generations of that doe line.


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## SolsticeSun (Feb 23, 2013)

Don't remove them.....that is a weak point in an udder, even when the extra teats are intact. Would be worse if removed


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