# funtional vs blind teat



## Deena (Jan 31, 2009)

Awhile back I traded for a doe I didnt realize she had a 3rd teat she is from good milk lines but due to her little defect we will not register her I had the option of returning her how ever shes a big lapdog of a pet so I decided to keep her and love her anyways. Her 3rd teat is tiny how can you tell if it will be functional?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I doubt it will be functional - it is usually called a fish teat and yes you are right it is a DQ fault. But for milking purposes it shouldnt be an issue. 

Have you bred her yet?


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## Deena (Jan 31, 2009)

Stacey its not split like fish teats its well over and in front of her other teat but its mabe 1/4 the size of her other teats.I meant to have the vet take a look when he was out but you know me I forgot. Shes only 2 months old and a lap dog she is so sweet.Her favorite place is in my lap.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Someone correct me but a fish teat and a split teat are two differnt things. Split teats can be functional but a fish teat rarely is. 

I had a doe with a split teat - kids loved that side!!!! I had another doe with a fish teat and it was further up on her udder and it was never functioning.


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## Deena (Jan 31, 2009)

Since I cant post pics it looks something like this..http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=297643&highlight=extra+teat


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

I thought that fish teats and split teats were the same :shrug: 

On the boers, a lot of them have extra teats(we have one with 5 teats) some are functional, some aren't.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

That would not be called a "fishteat"....thts just an extra and no itwould not be functional, it will pretty muh just be a "mole" type lump on the udder and when she freshens it will "disapear".

Bootsie has an extra teat on the left.....I noticed it on her as a baby, never thought much about it even after she freshened, hers was closer to the funtioning teat though and when I started to milk her it was just a bump, never had an orifice and became a part of the teat that was used.

Fishtail teats look just like a fishtail....A split teat that joins together at the base of the udder creating a wider teat with sometimes 2 orifices.
As she goes through heat cycles you will be able to tell if the "blind" teat will be a problem as she matures, it will either get bigger due to hormones or it will blend into her body. Now, regardless of wether it "disappears" she will always pass along that trait.....with my doe, out of 13 kids, 6 had extra teats.


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## Deena (Jan 31, 2009)

I was thinking of using her a a home milker and selling the kids as pets as long as there wouldn't be an increased risk of mastitis who knows I could try milking through..


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I see no reason why you can't milk her, if her extra teat looks like he one in the picture of the link you posted you and she willhave no problems.....just remember though that she will pass it on to her kids, sllig as pets like I do, it really doesn't matter to new owners that their pet has an extra....I never had an issue with it.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

The only way to know for sure if its functional or not, is to freshen her and try to milk it. Some of my boers have itty bitty extra teats that milk, others have the same size teats that dont milk. Some of the functional ones share a the cistern with the main teat, others seem to have their own. 

It wont affect her milking ability and she will do just fine as an unregistered family milker. 

FWIW, I have plenty of fish teats in my boers that are fully functional.


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