# Goat Wattles?



## sam b (Mar 27, 2010)

Our goats get their beards in the winter also including our bearded ladies. One of our girls have the dingle berries and a beard. We just figure the berries are just built in GOAT jewelry. 

Sam B


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## Cazz (Jun 9, 2010)

*Re: Beards*



sam b said:


> One of our girls have the dingle berries and a beard. We just figure the berries are just built in GOAT jewelry.
> 
> Sam B


The little furry things that are on some goat's necks (or meant to be... some bad genetics meant that they are up on the ears or chin or side of the neck) are called toggles, tassles, or, by some, wattles. I prefer the names toggles or tassles to wattles, as chooks (chickens) are the ones that have wattles - red little meaty things. :lol: They don't have any purpose other than for tweaking (or kids to suck on) so are just beautiful goat jewlery I reckon - can't see why some people don't like them though.  :?

I think The name toggles suits the short, fat, fluffy ones found (in my experience) on a goat whose parents both had toggles/tassles. The name tassels suits the long, thin, silky ones found (in my experience) on a goat who has one parent without and one parent with them. 
Toggles are also dominant, although the genetics - that a goat can have a dominant and a ressesive allele in it's genotype (meaning the ability to pass on either toggles or no toggles to it's offspring) and a dominant phenotype (meaning it has toggles) - mean that two goats with toggles and Tt (dominant and ressesive allele) genetics can have a kid without toggles and no abilty to pass on toggles. (no toggles means tt, two ressesive alleles, so the goat can only pass on no toggle genetics) That means some goats with toggles will always have kids with toggles, whether bred to a goat with or without (if the goat with toggles has a TT, both dominant alleles) some goats with toggles bred to goats without will have a mix of toggles and not toggles, and no goat without toggles, bred to another goat without toggles, should be able to have a kid with toggles. (tt, two ressesive alleles, for both parents mean that the kid must have tt, no toggle, genetics)

This is, however, just my hypothesis, hasn't gotten to the stage of sceintific law yet. :lol:  
Cazz


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

*Re: Beards*

Hello,

I agree about the genetics.

In Germany they are called "GlÃ¶ckchen" = little bells


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Wattles are considered to be a vestigil scent gland back when goats had fangs and were poisonous. Oh, wait, the last part isn't true.

I think they are very cute. I have a big goat named Walter. I tried to name him Wattles because he has them but my husband couldn't remember it so Walter he is.


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## Bob Jones (Aug 21, 2009)

sweetgoatmama said:


> Oh, wait, the last part isn't true.


Careful, or you'll have to start using disclaimers too ;-)


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