# Teat Orifices Get Bigger?



## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

I have a 3-year-old FF Saanen who was not milked much before I got her. I swear it takes 3 times as long to get a quart of milk from her, as it does with the Nubian mix that is staying here, due to the Saanen's smaller teats and tiny teat orifices. The Nubian has especially awesome teats though. 

I know teat size can improve a bit with future freshenings, and udder capacity, but do teat orifices ever change?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

No they don't.


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## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

Gah! That's what I thought. Guess that's something I will be trying to improve through breeding.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I have culled does who's orifice was too small. My old arthritic hands just cannot take it. 
I started breeding for ease of milking too. I got a Nubian in 2010 who was a super easy milker. I now have two of her daughters who I have no problem with. My Angel is Togg/Nubian/Saanen and while not hard to milk is not quite as easy as the others. It just is not worth the time it takes to squeeze out those tight ones. And I have never had it get better.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Lila, that nubian I got has one easy side and one harder side to milk. lol I'm hoping that breeding her to a good dairy buck will make her daughters teats better.

You might want to get a dansha milker and read a book.


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## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

luvmyherd said:


> I have culled does who's orifice was too small. My old arthritic hands just cannot take it.
> I started breeding for ease of milking too. I got a Nubian in 2010 who was a super easy milker. I now have two of her daughters who I have no problem with. My Angel is Togg/Nubian/Sanaan and while not hard to milk is not quite as easy as the others. It just is not worth the time it takes to squeeze out those tight ones. And I have never had it get better.


Unfortunately, I adore this goat  Her personality is just the best, and she's polled. Hopefully her daughters will be better, with the right buck. She's only 3 though, so a long time before she probably retires...


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## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

Dayna said:


> Lila, that nubian I got has one easy side and one harder side to milk. lol I'm hoping that breeding her to a good dairy buck will make her daughters teats better.
> 
> You might want to get a dansha milker and read a book.


Yes, she has a better and worse side (baby favors the better side and takes a lot of the milk, little stinker). Neither side is great, though.

I may think about a milker when I have more to milk.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

lilaalil said:


> Unfortunately, I adore this goat  Her personality is just the best, and she's polled. Hopefully her daughters will be better, with the right buck. She's only 3 though, so a long time before she probably retires...


Yes, that is always a factor. I had one who gave such wonderful sweet milk and I really liked her. But one of her teats was really big with a small hole. I actually had to twist it to keep the milk from going back up in the udder.
I know you can breed her up but you need to do a lot of research on the buck. Best of luck to you.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I have a doe who has different office sizes on her teats. It's a pain to milk her, you can't do two hands all the way because at the end, after one teat has given small squirts and one teat big squirts, her udder is really uneven. But there is no way I'm culling her


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

You can try teat dialators. They stretch the orifice. Clean teats really well, use an alcohol wipe on teat end then insert the dialators. I tape them in with teat tape. Just be careful to do it sanitarily, as bacteria can cause mastitis. You can buy them at any farm supply store.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Goats Rock said:


> You can try teat dialators. They stretch the orifice. Clean teats really well, use an alcohol wipe on teat end then insert the dialators. I tape them in with teat tape. Just be careful to do it sanitarily, as bacteria can cause mastitis. You can buy them at any farm supply store.


WHAAA?! My mind is now blown.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Goats Rock said:


> You can try teat dialators. They stretch the orifice. Clean teats really well, use an alcohol wipe on teat end then insert the dialators. I tape them in with teat tape. Just be careful to do it sanitarily, as bacteria can cause mastitis. You can buy them at any farm supply store.


That sounds interesting but I do not think I could do it. I can hardly infuse with antibiotics. Still, it would be great for someone who really wants to keep a doe.


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## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

luvmyherd said:


> That sounds interesting but I do not think I could do it. I can hardly infuse with antibiotics. Still, it would be great for someone who really wants to keep a doe.


I was thinking the same thing. Very interesting to know, though!

This doe's teats are not horrible. They are just not great. I think she will pass on lots of other redeeming qualities, especially with the right buck.


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## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

I have found that usually teat orifice size never gets much better with age.

You will nearly always introduce mastitis if you use the teat dialators.

The good/bad news is teat orifice size, in my experience, is very heritable so if you can find a buck that throws good orifices you could use him on that doe and maybe retain the qualities you like while having off spring that would milk easily.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have used the teat dilaters and they do work to stretch the orifice pretty well. I've never had a problem with mastitis after using them. Swab the teat end with an alcohol swab, insert the dilater and twirl it around, then take it out. I do it before milking for a few days. In 35 years of goats, I have never had a case of mastitis.


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