# Udder thoughts?



## Kbarson (Jul 26, 2016)

I was told to cull this doe due to her not having enough udder capacity for a third freshener. She's three weeks fresh here. She will be staying either way, but does she really lack capacity so much that she should be considered a cull?


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

How much does she milk? Capacity can be hard to tell from pics.


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## Kbarson (Jul 26, 2016)

Ranger1 said:


> How much does she milk? Capacity can be hard to tell from pics.


She's milking about 6 lbs a day at 3 weeks. She's always had singles though so not producing as much as she could be with more kids


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Udder looks nice to me. Are you milking all through if she just has one kid?


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

Her udder is fine.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

She has a well-attached udder, it's a great shape, good teat size and placement. Good fore udder. I would want to tighten the top attachment and raise it a bit, but otherwise this is a great solid udder to improve on. 

She doesn't look full to me. Is she tight in that pic? What is her breed is she? If she's only had singles, that does affect what she produces so she could def fill more and maybe why she doesn't look quite full. I have one similar, has had 2 singles in a row and I know she can fit more milk into her udder.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

With an udder built like that, you have a good solid foundation to improve. You could use a buck with more capacity and higher udder (as long as he corresponds with her other great traits) and improve on it. I would not cull this udder. Especially with not seeing her full potential. I also had a doe that took to 4 years old to really bloom with a gorgeous udder.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Whoever told you to cull her because of this udder... friends off lol! She really does have a nice udder and teats. Yes it could be improved a little bit but overall it is a very nice one. And with her only having singlets she has not needed to produce more for you. I have never tried it but have read on flushing a doe to try and get multiples. Maybe you could try that. Also this doe looks like a nubian or a mini nubian from the size and shape of the udder and her coloring.... a lot of nubian lines take a long time to fully mature. Maybe she is just one of them. My fb nubian is three this year and has been here a year.... she has grown and filled out so much in this past year from what she was. If at the end of the day you are pleased with this doe and her udder that is really what matters. And if not.... she can come to north cakalaki to live with our miscreants... so long as you test for the big three. hahahhaah! My menfolk would LOVE to milk her teats! That is the topic of dinner table shennanigans quite often here lately. They say their bear paws need nice full fatty longish teats and not those stinkin eenie nigi shorties. They are such goobers!


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Sfgwife said:


> Whoever told you to cull her because of this udder... friends off lol! She really does have a nice udder and teats. Yes it could be improved a little bit but overall it is a very nice one. And with her only having singlets she has not needed to produce more for you. I have never tried it but have read on flushing a doe to try and get multiples. Maybe you could try that. Also this doe looks like a nubian or a mini nubian from the size and shape of the udder and her coloring.... a lot of nubian lines take a long time to fully mature. Maybe she is just one of them. My fb nubian is three this year and has been here a year.... she has grown and filled out so much in this past year from what she was. If at the end of the day you are pleased with this doe and her udder that is really what matters. And if not.... she can come to north cakalaki to live with our miscreants... so long as you test for the big three. hahahhaah! My menfolk would LOVE to milk her teats! That is the topic of dinner table shennanigans quite often here lately. They say their bear paws need nice full fatty longish teats and not those stinkin eenie nigi shorties. They are such goobers!


That's a very nice udder, not perfect but I'd be thrilled with it. My nigies have nice teats as nigies go but...wow, those would be great. Cut her some slack, she'll be fine as @Sfgwife said and if she doesn't go to NC she can come to Texas. Lol.
Men...ugh!


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

I would cull her myself, because 6lbs for a third freshener isn't very good. My yearling at 1 week fresh is milking 6lbs. However, it totally just depends on your goals with your goats. If your happy with her, other peoples' opinions don't matter-you do what you want.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree with the others..nice over all. How ever,, having singles all the time is an isue..I would want to see what she maybe lacking mineral wise. Goats should give at least twins. Singles as a FF is not uncommon but a 3 time mama should have more. This too, as stated can effect her production. 
Do you give selenium and copper before breeding season kicks in?


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

See I would say the same about 6# for a 3F but with a single (which is another legitimate reason), my current FF is at 6# as well and is kind of my minimum for a FF. She may not be at her full potential. If she brought in a lot of other great things, I too would look at nutrition and minerals. If she continues with singles and low production. I'd then cull...unless there was sentimental attachment and there weren't def goals of production.


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## Kbarson (Jul 26, 2016)

Jubillee said:


> See I would say the same about 6# for a 3F but with a single (which is another legitimate reason), my current FF is at 6# as well and is kind of my minimum for a FF. She may not be at her full potential. If she brought in a lot of other great things, I too would look at nutrition and minerals. If she continues with singles and low production. I'd then cull...unless there was sentimental attachment and there weren't def goals of production.


This is the first doe I ever bought and was sold to me with coccidiosis. She's severely stunted, weighed 21 lbs at 6 months old so o know she will never reach full potential. All of my goats have free choice minerals, baking soda, kelp, and milkers get a 16% dairy ration with BOSS on the stand morning and night. They also have access to free choice 3rd cutting alfalfa 24/7. We just did fecals and are in the clear there. This doe just won't ever be at potential since her body just can't handle more I don't think. But, her being my first doe I'm sentimentally attached so she's staying regardless. She weighs a good 100 lbs less than the rest of my 3 year olds but always carries her pregnancy easily.

My other does average around 11-13 lbs a day and most have elite milkers as their dams, I was just a naive newbie when I bought this doe and easily taken advantage of by the seller :/

Also, she is increasing steadily each day in milk, last night with a 12 hour fill she hit 7 lbs. I'm pretty confident she will peak around 10 pounds. Either way, she's mainly a pet, but she's a special one so she gets to stay


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

Kbarson said:


> This is the first doe I ever bought and was sold to me with coccidiosis. She's severely stunted, weighed 21 lbs at 6 months old so o know she will never reach full potential. All of my goats have free choice minerals, baking soda, kelp, and milkers get a 16% dairy ration with BOSS on the stand morning and night. They also have access to free choice 3rd cutting alfalfa 24/7. We just did fecals and are in the clear there. This doe just won't ever be at potential since her body just can't handle more I don't think. But, her being my first doe I'm sentimentally attached so she's staying regardless. She weighs a good 100 lbs less than the rest of my 3 year olds but always carries her pregnancy easily.
> 
> My other does average around 11-13 lbs a day and most have elite milkers as their dams, I was just a naive newbie when I bought this doe and easily taken advantage of by the seller :/
> 
> Also, she is increasing steadily each day in milk, last night with a 12 hour fill she hit 7 lbs. I'm pretty confident she will peak around 10 pounds. Either way, she's mainly a pet, but she's a special one so she gets to stay


And that's completely fine. If you like her, keep her. 

Now, if I know the doe's lines and relatives and they are all what I'm looking for, I certainly may give a doe like this a pass, on the basis of her back story. She may very well be a fantastic producer of daughters, even if she herself is not quite up to par, given her past history of neglect.

Either way, if she's special to you, keep her. Don't listen to what everyone else says, or take it negatively.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Sounds like a special to your heart girl. I think most of us have one of those. But honestly her udder set up and teats are not bad at all. And as ranger 1 said. If her genetics are there and her being stunted is due to breeder error..then she has that going for her regardless of how much she milks or how many babies she has. With her being a victim of coccidiosis there could be absorption issues and maybe she needs a different way to get nutrients to her or needs extra. Maybe try BoSe over the paste 30 days before breeding her and copper bolus as well. Either way..you love her and she's doing her best to provide her share.. 
side note: I would also pull free choice baking soda and only offer when there is an issue needing it.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

Kbarson said:


> This is the first doe I ever bought and was sold to me with coccidiosis. She's severely stunted, weighed 21 lbs at 6 months old so o know she will never reach full potential. All of my goats have free choice minerals, baking soda, kelp, and milkers get a 16% dairy ration with BOSS on the stand morning and night. They also have access to free choice 3rd cutting alfalfa 24/7. We just did fecals and are in the clear there. This doe just won't ever be at potential since her body just can't handle more I don't think. But, her being my first doe I'm sentimentally attached so she's staying regardless. She weighs a good 100 lbs less than the rest of my 3 year olds but always carries her pregnancy easily.
> 
> My other does average around 11-13 lbs a day and most have elite milkers as their dams, I was just a naive newbie when I bought this doe and easily taken advantage of by the seller :/
> 
> Also, she is increasing steadily each day in milk, last night with a 12 hour fill she hit 7 lbs. I'm pretty confident she will peak around 10 pounds. Either way, she's mainly a pet, but she's a special one so she gets to stay


That is not terrible IMO with all she has been through. I certainly would not cull if she had a special place in my heart. She does have a very nice udder, even if it won't reach full potential. I too agree about the pedigree/genetics.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

That is a nice doe. If you are going for a milk star, then maybe she isn't the one. But for a decent milker, she is fine. (For me, cull means sell for meat or put down, I'm sure you don't mean that). 
I think, with the good genetic potential, breeding to a good buck will result in really good kids with good milking potential.


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## wheel-bear-o (Jul 6, 2020)

I think the udder and teats are very nice looking, particularly for hand milking, and would anticipate even further udder improvement in her offspring if she was matched with the right buck. However, I _personally_ would cull a doe who only threw singles, because that is too high a risk of dystocia for us.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

What is in your heart?
Do what you want to do. 

There has been good advice given and something to think about.


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