# Udder critique pregnant pygmy



## alikat72 (Jun 24, 2013)

I thought since I didn't want to have registered and/or show animals that I didn't need to learn all the conformation etc stuff. Boy was that wrong  I've seen several udder threads, enough to know my pygmy girl doesn't have a great one. I'm not sure when she is due since she was bread when my previous buck (since got rid of him) climbed or jumped everything I tried to keep him away from her.

Can you tell me the specifics of her udder issues? Is there anything that can improve it or is it totally genetic? Are the issues most likely to be passed on to her offspring? Can you tell any of this at the current udder size or do I need to take pictures just before or after she kids when udder is fullest?

Thanks so much your help


----------



## alikat72 (Jun 24, 2013)

Trying pics from phone.


----------



## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

Is tht blood at her rear??


Sent from my iPod touch using Goat Forum


----------



## thegoatgirl (Nov 27, 2011)

Okay, the two things that really stand out at me are:
Uneven udder, not necessarily genetic, may be fixed when she kids
Lack of attachments

When she freshens, it'll probably look a lot better 
Good luck!


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Her udder looks a lot like one of mine that will kid soon....poor udder attachments (I think her's is better than my does though). As she ages and has more kiddings, it will sag more and more until it can almost hang on the ground ("draggin milk")


----------



## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

She needs to be higher in the escutcheon, needs better lateral attachments, and her teats wing out. That said, she has a nice medial and her fore doesn't look to have a pocket or shelf, decent capacity too.


----------



## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

Ok is anyone else worried about the blood?? She either is gonna kid like today or tomorrow or she is having a miscarriage!!


Sent from my iPod touch using Goat Forum


----------



## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

Or something could be wrong with the fetus!!!!:O


Sent from my iPod touch using Goat Forum


----------



## thegoatgirl (Nov 27, 2011)

4seasons, it looks okay to me  I think it' great that you're worried about it though!!


----------



## 4seasonsfarm (Jan 22, 2014)

Hopefully everything is just fine


Sent from my iPod touch using Goat Forum


----------



## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

It might be dried discharge as well


----------



## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Keep in mind that Pgymy goats are NOT dairy goats, and are not going to have pretty udders. For meat goats people mostly only care that the babies can nurse easily and the doe isn't prone to mastitis.


----------



## alikat72 (Jun 24, 2013)

Hi there. Sorry I've been in a no service area all day which had killed my battery by the time I got home. 

Thanks so much for all the info. I do plan to mostly do meat goats but I do have a nubian now and want to learn the udder stuff. As well as general conformation. I've downloaded a bunch of diagrams. Seeing pictures of actual goats that you guys critique tends to help me more than diagrams.

It isn't blood on her ☺ just a little dirt. I have mostly red clay here. I appreciate the concern and always welcome help and advice since I still have SO much to learn. I'm dreading the day I have to do an "urgent help needed" post. Also, the pics were from several days ago and we haven't kidded yet. Poor girl was bred way to soon after last kid thanks to that houdini buck I've gotten rid of. 

I just love this forum and all you lovely and helpful folks!


----------



## bbpygmy (Apr 14, 2014)

most pygmy udders actually look pretty decent... Ive NEVER had one look like that. this is usually how a pygmy udder will look. Teats are actually a pretty big deal in pygmies, they are checked before a goat is even allowed to enter the ring. also in miking does their udder is worth 12 points.


----------



## bbpygmy (Apr 14, 2014)

Thought I would add to this after seeing a discussion on the NPGA Facebook page. Pygmy goats are actually a dual purpose breed meaning not only are they meat goats but they are considered dairy goats too! I know a few breeders who raise them for their milk. 
Here is an article from the NPGA website:

Pygmies for all Reasons

by Maxine K. Kinne

It's very clear to you why you have your wonderful little goats, but many times people ask, "What are they good for - why do you have them?" Maybe there are as many answers as there are Pygmy goat owners. To begin with, they're great pets; very friendly, sociable, endearing and eminently lovable. Watching their antics is entertainment all its own. Pygmies are just plain fun to have around.

Many rationales for keeping Pygmies are important and it's handy to know other benefits and use of Pygmies for explanations at public exhibitions, to potential customers and for relatives who think you've gone 'round the bend. You never know when a good excuse is going to come in handy!

Due to Pygmy goats' diminutive size they are easily handled by children and make excellent 4-H projects. Requirements for housing, pen space and feed are much less than for the larger dairy breeds.

Some people enjoy showing their goats and there are numerous reasons for participating in shows. What we enjoy most are the friends we've made. Show time is a great time to meet old friends, make new ones and learn from others. The judge's evaluations of one's goats as compared to others is an incentive toward better breeding programs. And it's always great fun to win a ribbon.

I've read that Pygmies are more efficient browsers than dairy breeds. In a study done at the University of Oregon Medical School involving cattle, sheep, dairy goats and Pygmy goats, it was found that Pygmies showed a positive preference for compounds tasting sweet, salty, sour and bitter, which may suggest they find a wider range of plants palatable. [. . .]

Mention goat milk and many people grab their throats and gargle, "AAAGH!" Pygmy goat milk is extremely sweet and delicious. Does willingly give up to 2/3 gallon per day at the peak of their lactations. I feel a doe worth her keep should give half-a-gallon per day at her peak, but a quart a day is nothing to sniff at - that's nearly two gallons a week! The butterfat content of Pygmy milk in our herd ranges from 4.5% to over 11%. High butterfat content means the milk resists off-flavors due to dietary causes and helps maintain milk's sweet, delicious flavor longer in cold storage. Raw Pygmy goat milk has maintained its freshness and flavor in our refrigerator for 14 days. Pygmy milk is higher in calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron than milk from dairy breeds, and is lower in sodium.

Polyestrous sexual behavior means they can cycle year-round as opposed to dairy breeds. If milking is a priority, a continuous supply of milk can be obtained by breeding two does alternately. Dairy breeds usually have problems maintaining a year-round milk supply due to their seasonal breeding nature.

[. . .]

Pygmy goats are more disease-resistant in some ways than other breeds. In Africa they are immune to the bite of the tse-tse fly - probably not a problem in your neighborhood. Demodectic mange affects Pygmies much less severely than dairy goats breeder causing bb-sized lumps in Pygmy skin but up to golf ball-size in dairy goats. Natural teat conformation helps Pygmy does resist mastitis, a bacterial infection of the mammary system, usually gaining entrance through the teat orifice. Pygmies usually have small orifices in addition to well-attached udders that are held close to the body, out of harm's way.

[. . .]

Frequently, Pygmy goats are kept as companion animals for other species of livestock and are often found at horse breeding facilities and race tracks. An article in Spring, 1983, Memo documents an elephant at the Indianapolis Zoo suffering acute loneliness and subsequently comforted by the presence of a Pygmy wether.

[. . .]

Add to these many positive qualities that Pygmy goats are [. . .] unusual pets. People can't fail to respond to their friendliness, loyalty, responsiveness, utility and intelligence.

Excerpts from:
Kinne, Maxine, ed. Pygmy Goats: Best of Memo 2 (1982-1987)
National Pygmy Goat Association: pp 30

This document is for informational purposes only and is in no way intended to be a substitute for medical consultation with a qualified veterinary professional. The information provided through this document is not meant to be used in the diagnosis or treatment of a health problem or disease, nor should it be construed as such.


----------



## bbpygmy (Apr 14, 2014)

Thought I should also add that there IS a part on the NPGA scorecard for udders. 

Quotes from the NPGA scorecard: 

MAMMARY SYSTEM (Does)- 12 Points

Ideal traits:"TEATS: Cylindrical, symmetrically shaped and placed, milkable, functional. Free from deformities & obstructions. Devoid of multiple orifices
UDDER functional, balanced, firm, elastic, rounded, small to medium sized, well-attached; high in rear, well forward in front" 

Faults: 
"Deviations from normal set of teats may cause problems in hand milking & kid rearing; small, close, uneven teats - MODERATE; multiple teats & orifices - SERIOUS
Poorly attached udder breaks down and pendulous, lumpy, unbalanced udder can cause health problems (mastitis) & proneness to injury - SERIOUS"

Disqualifications: 
"NON-FUNCTIONAL, BLIND TEATS BIFURCAL TEATS
NON- FUNCTIONAL, BLIND UDDER"


----------

