# Is it hard to breed out extra teats?



## lovemykidds (Dec 24, 2012)

I recently acquired a gorgeous doe, 15 months, never been bred. She has a spur teat on one side, it may even be fish tailed I havent looked all that closely... Anyway I heard it is a disqualification so that she can not be shown, which is okay. But I want to raise show goats, SO my question is is it hard to breed that characteristic out or is it just something that I'll have to cull her for? I know you aren't supposed to shave them off for any reason.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

My % doe placed over all grand, she has a spur on one side. So far her kids have been clean.
Ive heard it said that you get a good two teated buck to help clean up the teats, but that trait will always be there & not show up for several generations.


----------



## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

My very first doe, an Alpine, had a small teat growing off the main teat. DQ'd for show but her full sister did not have the problem, nor did any of her kids. My bucks were all correct, bred for udder correctness and production. 

Extra teats can be genetic or environmental (some chemical the mother picked up while the kid was forming)

As long as you breed her to an "udder" buck, you should be ok. Give her a test run to see what her kids are like. If you get a kid with any teat/udder defects, I would cull her.


----------



## NigerianGirl (Jan 30, 2011)

We had a Nigerian that had one and none of her babies have had them


----------



## lovemykidds (Dec 24, 2012)

Thanks!! I have been stressing about it! I guess I'll see how her udder develops.. I'm not yet qualified to determine what a good maiden udder looks like except for clean teats!! Haha. I wish I could show her. She is just amazing in every other way.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Is she the one in your avatar?


----------



## NigerianGirl (Jan 30, 2011)

I've heard depending on how old she is you may be able to clip it? I don't know I've just been told


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

You never want to clip. For starters, it can cause problems down the road. And unethical at best.


----------



## NigerianGirl (Jan 30, 2011)

I've heard depending on how old she is you may be able to clip it? I don't know I've just been told


----------



## NigerianGirl (Jan 30, 2011)

Didn't mean to repost! Sorry and yea I'd personally not clip but its just what I heard


----------



## lovemykidds (Dec 24, 2012)

I was told its immoral to cut them off. I posted pics of my Nubians she's the red dappled paint. She's huge correct, wide, long... has an amazing head. Ugh. Just that stupid teat!


----------



## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

This was my first kidding out of my young boer doe which has a 2+2 teat structure. She was bred to one of my Nubian bucks and both of her kids have perfect teat structure. Not sure how hard it would be to breed out when bred to a buck that may not have perfect teat structure in their bloodlines though.


----------



## lovemykidds (Dec 24, 2012)

My 2x2 %boer produced 1x1 kids bred to a boer/Nubian buck... I hadn't considered that... I'll know come spring!! (=


----------



## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I snip extras. Extras do not run in my lineage, but neighbor has some wicked teats. It's perfectly acceptable to snip if you keep records on the goat, and sell with the goat itself, kind of a care package. It is also looking out for the health of future kids (grabbing bad teat, favoring the dead tit, etc). I've seen many done, and very very few have been flukes. 

A lot of controversy in snipping teats but I'm A-OK with it and always throw it out there as a possibility as well. Depends on your management practices and what the usage is for. Obviously if you breed to sell kids, probably not the best option. If you show, it could be a decent option, depending, but always know a good judge can see through human aid. If you're a hobby breeder for personal use, it would also be an option. 

What would be "immoral" would be to sell the goat as the breeder fully knowing the goat had an extra. 

My opinion. Your opinion.


----------



## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

lovemykidds said:


> I was told its immoral to cut them off. I posted pics of my Nubians she's the red dappled paint. She's huge correct, wide, long... has an amazing head. Ugh. Just that stupid teat!


Ah hah, Nubian. If you're interested in breeding for quality and to sell, especially dairy, this is something to cull heavily for. You really don't want this gene in your lines.

Btw, neighbor's goats are a mix of meat and dairy. Dual personal use. Mine are purebred registered Alpine and Saanen. With my beautiful 50/50 in the mix as well. Still registered. 

In my personal view, I would immediately cull out a dairy kid if born with extra. If not culled, I would never offer papers on her, and if a buck, would knife him when I got the chance.


----------



## LetsGoKids (Mar 20, 2012)

I have two yearling lamanchas with double teats. Abbey has obvious spur teats and charm has two teats fused together with double orfices. Both kidded in April. Abbey was an oops and I had no idea Charm had fused teats when I bred her. Both had buck/doe twins and all four kids appear clean teated. I've retained both doelings to see if they in fact are clean teated. And I was told to snip Abbeys spurs off but didn't as I was just going to use her for meat. Well she changed those plans but she milks from all four and if I had snipped the spurs im sure I'd have a mess. I plan on selling both as pets without their papers as soon as they are dried up.


----------



## lovemykidds (Dec 24, 2012)

I just have to brag a second. I milked my 15/16 boer doe, got 3 cups out of one side and didn't even milk it out!  she's a beast. Lol


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If the spur only goes down 50% of the main teat, no longer, it is OK.

Choose a clean teated buck for sure. 1+1 may be best for that situation. 
With any goat, you may get throw backs, even with clean teated, Sire and Dam's 
Any buck you choose, if you can find out teat history of teat structures from quite far back, it is best.
This may help, if you are trying to wean out the spur, but it is not a guarantee. 


How was the teat spur teated Doe's Sire and dam in teat structure?


----------



## lovemykidds (Dec 24, 2012)

Good question


----------



## LetsGoKids (Mar 20, 2012)

Both my does came from clean teated dams and their sires dam is clean teated. But after talking to people I learned that Charms great great granddam had a very small spur teat as did her granddam. Their sire was a half sibling mating so if any double teats were in that lineage they had a stronger chance of being expressed.


----------



## Hounddog23 (Jan 13, 2021)

Gonna pop in with a little question if that is okay im looking this up trying to figure out what to do with my mini nubian. Who has the little non functional extra teat.. shes bred i didnt know she had it when i bought her.. she makes a whopper amount of milk tho.. so.. will the gene still be carried over all the generations? Or can you breed ot out entirely? Is there anyone who knows of a source of that knowledge? .. ty✌


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

This is an old thread from 2013. It will be hard to breed out but be sure to breed to a buck with a history of only 2 teats.


----------



## Hounddog23 (Jan 13, 2021)

ksalvagno said:


> This is an old thread from 2013. It will be hard to breed out but be sure to breed to a buck with a history of only 2 teats.


Thanks did not realize the thread was so old lol. My two bucks are good and no history of mutations in thier lines of any kind.


----------

