# Underbite Question



## BlueHeronFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

We have two yearlings that have a little underbite. It is silly looking, but not an issue with eating, etc. Comes from their dad's line.

This year, we had a doeling form the same line born with one - big enough to make me wonder how big is too big. She is still only 3 days old and I don't know if they grow more pronounced or less. (We got the ones we have at 9 days, so don't know how severe they looked at birth.)She was born with her tongue hanging out and it still flops out sometimes. She still has a little trouble getting it under the nipple on the lambar - but eats fine from a bottle and can do lambar, but not well enough to make me really happy.

I'm just wondering if I should expect this to get better or worse. If worse, we would probably want to cull her.


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## goatsareus (Jan 21, 2008)

I had two deformities this year, never had any before. One is what I would call a severe underbite, on a wether. It has gotten less severe with age, he was born March 5. His lines have no known history of this. Since he will be hamburger, we are not concerned. It does not affect his ability to nurse.
The other deformity was a doe kid born with 3 feet. No sign of a 4th foot, just absent at birth. Her history is not known, the mom was given to me when she was 2 months pregnant. Previous owner said no meds, other than wormers, were ever given to this first freshener.


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Wow. I bet that was a shock when she only had 3 legs. Was she born alive?


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

underbite get rid of them I have like a 4 yr old that you can't keep weight on for love nor money she is going to the butcher this week for dog bones as they isn't much meat on her at all been dry for a year.


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## goatsareus (Jan 21, 2008)

Faithful Crown Nubians said:


> Wow. I bet that was a shock when she only had 3 legs. Was she born alive?


Yes she was/is. The dam is 50% Nubian 50% Saanen who was bred to a purebred Saanen. She had 2 doe kids. The 3 footed doe kid looks to be almost true Saanen (erect ears and dish face) whereas the other doe kid has airplane ears and flat face. By accident we have experience with a 3 legged goat so we knew she would adapt. She is a real sweet heart, so loving.

And, yes it was a shock.


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## Halo-M Nubians (Oct 26, 2007)

I have a do with a "smile"..did I cull her no..She has to many good traits and I will tolerate it in my herd in exchange for those. It is not severe and it does not interfere with eating, no tongue visible so perhaps you are dealing with a more extreme example. Will I try and breed away from it-Definitely!! With nubians I know there are differing opinions on how much of a fault it is. For me I make my judgment on an individual basis.


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## BlueHeronFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

I'll take a photo and get more opinions.

Our two yearlings with the "smile" are just fine. Their sire (who passed it along) is from a milky line and this doe that just freshened looks very promising. (Sister to one of our smilers)

But we also don't want to perpetuate any abnormalities that might be more serious. That's why I was hoping the bite would improve a little as her jaw grew.

Will post photos soon.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

We came from this in Nubians, you have to expect bite problems. Smiles here don't happen until 2 or 3, kids are sold if they don't have good enough bites to stay. Our genes don't line up for true parrot mouths...yet, but in the passed with heavy FM in my line due to Super buck we had at least 3 or 4 kids a year born with parrot mouth..and likely why I am so anal about noses and ears now.

There is just so much competition in nubians out here that keeping a buck who is throwing you this is a mistake no matter who he is. And needing milk not sure why you are breeding Nubians anyway  If it's bad enough that you notice it in an infant than I would cull her, she will have problems breathing and eating as an aged doe, just as you depend on her milk. I would change out bucks to a milking nubian line, and one without this fault. Vicki


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## BlueHeronFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

We don't own the buck who passes this on - we bought the yearling last year and it is in her sire's line. So it's grandpa's fault, we think.

We like the milk quality enough to sacrifice a little quantity - that's why nubians. 

Here are a couple photos. The first is head on. The second shows it really badly - she was licking milk off of her mouth. We were not planning to keep her anyway- but we are wondering if we should also not sell her....just put her down.


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## Halo-M Nubians (Oct 26, 2007)

IMO that is a bad one! Sorry! Not what you want to hear I'm sure. I wouldn't keep or sell her as a breeding animal.


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## Kaye White (Oct 25, 2007)

Oh,MY! That is a serious case. IMO...she needs put down. 
Kaye


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## J-Basqo (Oct 26, 2007)

That is pretty pronounced.. If that was to show up in "my" barn barn it would be culled (and culling in my barn does not mean sell..). It is one thing to keep funny ears but things like that can affect eating (as previously stated) etc and not something you want to keep in your gene pool.
Patina


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## BlueHeronFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

We will sell her to our cabrito guy for buckling price with the promise that he will not allow her to breed - that she will be cabrito. Thanks for helping me -- cull is still hard for us. And here cull means the same as at your place, Patina.


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