# What are/were wattles for?



## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

I keep seeing people post about how much the like wattles. And I agree the goats are rather cute with them, but was just curious what are they for? Was there some sort of purpose for them waay back back when? Or just something that just happened and then was bred in for goat "jewelry"?


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

jewelry is a cute term for them! 
as far as I know they never served a purpose.


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

No, they have no purpose at all besides being really cute :thumbup:


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

Some people believe that they are whats left of when animals had gills. :shrug:


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

GotmygoatMTJ said:


> Some people believe that they are whats left of when animals had gills. :shrug:


Really?? :whatgoat: Never heard that one! You learn something new everyday!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

They serve no purpose.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

They don't serve any purpose. Jewelry is a good name for them though. I think they look kind of like earrings.


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

They serve the very important purpose of making me go "SQUEEEEEEE!!!!" and talk in a weird little kid voice about how cute they are. 

Long long ago I was told by an old crazy goat lady that they were a genetic mutation that caused ear tissue to grow in weird places, and she said that 99 times out of 100 if the goats ears were one colour and the neck a different colour the wattles would match the ears, not the neck. She said it was passed on through natural selection because (and here is where the story gets weird, lol) if a lion attacked the goat when it tried to rip it's throat out the wattle would break off like a lizards tail and the goat would escape. *cough* So more goats with wattles survived to breed, and that is how so many goats ended up with wattles. *chuckle*

She had several other interesting "scientific facts" about alllll kinds of things.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

They have no purpose other than being an added characteristic....I too have read that they are "remnants" of when mammals had gills.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

LOL WarPony, she does sound like a crazy goat lady! :laugh:


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

WarPony said:


> They serve the very important purpose of making me go "SQUEEEEEEE!!!!" and talk in a weird little kid voice about how cute they are.
> 
> Long long ago I was told by an old crazy goat lady that they were a genetic mutation that caused ear tissue to grow in weird places, and she said that 99 times out of 100 if the goats ears were one colour and the neck a different colour the wattles would match the ears, not the neck. She said it was passed on through natural selection because (and here is where the story gets weird, lol) if a lion attacked the goat when it tried to rip it's throat out the wattle would break off like a lizards tail and the goat would escape. *cough* So more goats with wattles survived to breed, and that is how so many goats ended up with wattles. *chuckle*
> 
> She had several other interesting "scientific facts" about alllll kinds of things.


Here's something for you to "SQUEEEEEEE!!!!" at.


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

^ He is soo cute!


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

Maggie said:


> ^ He is soo cute!


Thank you! He has been "busy". :kidblack: 3 Does down, 4 left to go. :greengrin:


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## Paige (Oct 14, 2010)

I heard that they are there so that if an animal goes after them it wold go for the throat and it would latch on to the wattle and it would get ripped off so the goat could run away. Don't know if it is true or not but it makes sense to me. :shrug:


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Funny thing is, I saw a bunch of cows while picking berries. All the adult cows with calves had a chunk of skin (covered with hair) hanging down from their throat area. Looks like a single waddle in the middle of their neck. Anyway, I was wondering what the heck? Why would a cow have a waddle, and a single one at that? Then I noticed that all the calves did not have one. Maybe it was something the owner had done to ID his cows? I wish I had gotten a picture to show you guys. I mean there had to be 20 cows like this.


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

Maybe they were part moose. :laugh: Because moose have 'bells' I believe they are called, hanging from their neck, or somewhere near there! LOL


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## Randi (Apr 22, 2011)

> They serve the very important purpose of making me go "SQUEEEEEEE!!!!" and talk in a weird little kid voice about how cute they are.


 :slapfloor: :ROFL: :slapfloor:


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## Clayton's Caprines (Aug 18, 2011)

Itchysmom said:


> Funny thing is, I saw a bunch of cows while picking berries. All the adult cows with calves had a chunk of skin (covered with hair) hanging down from their throat area. Looks like a single waddle in the middle of their neck. Anyway, I was wondering what the heck? Why would a cow have a waddle, and a single one at that? Then I noticed that all the calves did not have one. Maybe it was something the owner had done to ID his cows? I wish I had gotten a picture to show you guys. I mean there had to be 20 cows like this.


My dad works for a ranch and the ranch owner wattles the heifers that he is going to keep for breeding purposes. I think that the wattles give cattle a "rustic" more "wild" look to them. That might be because all of the cows that he owns are all wild. idk lol


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