# Probable Hermaphrodite - Pictures



## Epona142 (Sep 2, 2009)

I have some very cool neighbors down the road a bit who are big into self-sufficiency. Recently they got a nice little Nubian goat and I sold them a wether to keep her company. Their brother lives next door now and raises poultry and also got a couple of goats and invited me over to take a look.

Sure thing!

I went over and on approaching the goats, I thought, Well, that must be their buck.










Then they tell me, no, that's their new Nubian doe.

:?

I asked to take a closer look, as I had a suspicion.




























After asking the owner to hold "her" (she was not inclined to let me look at her backside, she wanted to play with me), I got a good look at the vulva.










What do you think? Hermaphrodite, surely?

I talked to them for a while and explained my suspicions about the "doe." Thankfully they weren't TOO upset and the doe was given to them by his uncle (who paid $200 for this registered "doe"!!) so they aren't out anything. I invited them to send her along when I butcher two goats this fall so they can try out goat meat.

Their other doe is a very sweet Boer/Nubian who is close to kidding and looked fine.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Whoa! No idea, but that's certainly NOT normal!!


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I don't have any personal experience with hermies but, wow, that seems pretty obvious. She looks like a wether except for her bottom which doesn't look like any thing I have ever seen before. Glad they weren't upset by the news. Thanks for sharing those photos.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

That's a hermie. It's body looks alot like one a breeder I know had. She kept hers for a couple years because it let her know when her does were in heat. I didn't look at her goat's privates so I don't know if they look the same. Their uncle got ripped off. I would think any breeder selling that goat should know what they were doing. It should have sold for about $75 - what the meat buyer I deal with would pay for an adult wether.


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## Epona142 (Sep 2, 2009)

This is the first one I've seen in person, (seen a couple of freemartins) but to me there wasn't any question on it being a hermie - I'd never seen one so blatantly obvious even in pictures! 

"It" should make a marvelous dinner come fall, I imagine.


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## Candy (Jun 4, 2009)

Just curious...did you get to see the teats?


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## Epona142 (Sep 2, 2009)

I did - they were very tiny and immature looking, much like the freemartins I've seen. I didn't get a picture but I felt around and there was a lot of tissue in the udder area but I didn't have a chance to palpate much further, as the doe was squirming all over.


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## feistymomma (May 20, 2009)

I would agree. That looks like a hermie to me. She looks very "bucky" and to me the pic of the vulva is a dead give away.


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## Epona142 (Sep 2, 2009)

I thought so. 

If we butcher her this fall, I plan on taking a look around inside. Fascinating!


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## DostThouHaveMilk (Oct 25, 2007)

Epona142 said:


> the doe was given to them by his uncle (who paid $200 for this registered "doe"!!) so they aren't out anything. I invited them to send her along when I butcher two goats this fall so they can try out goat meat.


 While they are not out anything, their uncle is and really should go back to the breeder. At the very least so the breeder is aware that the breeding produced a very obvious hermie. There may be some type of compensation that is able to be worked out.
I would prefer, as a breeder, that I be let know if any goat I sell ends up unbreedable due to genetic issues.
This "doe" looks just like the Alpine "doe" a local young woman was sold. That breeder made it right in the end for her. You could tell by the buck appearance that something was not right hormonally.


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## Epona142 (Sep 2, 2009)

I agree, if it was my goat, I'd be going to the breeder. I have before, with a freemartin, and she replaced the doe for me. 

Next time I drop by there I might see if I can find out who the breeder is - I'm sort of curious.


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Yep, its a hermie! Ours was not quite as bucky looking but well on the way.
Tam


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

My best doeling of the year has a odd vulva and I have been wondering about her sexual soundness. Watching her and her full and half sisters, I notice a huge difference in their teat size. Haily's teats are pretty much so tiny you can just barely see them easily, while the others are very visible. She is one of Quads, 3 doelings and a buckling.

How old before she can be checked internally? Will she come in heat or will that be like a final nail in her coffin?


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