# Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her Twins



## mistydaiz (Jan 28, 2011)

Here are some pics of Elsie's udder from earlier this year.
Pics taken 3 1/2 weeks after kidding. This is her second freshening, and she has about 15 hours of milk in her udder.

Would like critiques. I can't decide if I want to keep her twin doelings or sell them.
We are planning on breeding her twins this year. I would like to see how their FF turns out.

She does have a little pocket going on in the front, her rear attachment can be better, and I think her teats are pointing forwards too much....














































Here is a rear pic of her twins when they are about 3 1/2 months:










The twins' sire is Cotton Eyed Does Abraham. 
Abraham's sire is Cotton Eyed Does WRAA Renoir- http://www.freewebs.com/cottoneyeddoes/bucks.htm

And Abraham's Dam is WAIILATPU WRAT SYRAH.
She is the doe in the middle (her second freshening) :










This pic came from Cotton Eyed Doe's website.

Any critiques of Elsie and her twins are wanted


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*

My critiques for Elsie:
-needs a higher rear udder
-teat placement needs improvment
-attachment could be better
-fore udder is not super extended or very rounded

Her doelings have nice rear ends, I would keep one of them and freshen it and see what improvment your buck made on the udder, but I would not keep them both. JMO


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*

I have learned a lot from this forum. But, I really started to "get it" when I started milking my own goats. I would agree, keep one doeling and freshen her and see if your buck has made improvements. I am doing that this year also. How much milk does this doe give? Good luck, I have a couple of girls with pockets also. So, I'll have a couple that will be sold as "family milkers" this year so I can keep "breeding up".


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*

How much milk does she give? 
Nice job with the pic of the doelings side by side.


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*

The buck and his dam look really nice. If it were me, I'd have to keep both doelings and freshen them out before deciding who to keep. Maybe you'll want to keep the daughters and sell their dam as a family milker. The whole idea of using a good buck is to improve your herd.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*

15 hour fill at 3 1/2 weeks....seems to me that if she's feeding twins, her udder should be bigger with a fill that long, capacity does come with each freshening though, her teat size is great,medial is defined,teat placement is good too but, she looks to be in need of a higher, wider rear...being higher would bring her teats back and wider at the top would help as well. Pockets are a pain, hers may not improve but if you keep a doeling and freshen her, you'll know wether or not the sire "fixed" the issues mama has.....If it's a consideration, I'm apt to agree with Peggy, sell her and keep her doelings then decide between them as far as who faired better with the sire's improvements.


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## Dreamchaser (Oct 30, 2008)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*

I am curious about the twins as well. Just for fun I would like to make a bet on the twins. I would say that I bet the one with the black legs will have a better udder than the one with the white legs. I can't say I know for sure, but if I am right I would like to know.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*

I probably would just keep one of the doelings back and wait to see how she freshens. I think the doe has a fairly nice udder...I like the sire's side.

That doeling on left...with the white legs...she doesn't have double/split teats does she? It kind of looks like she does in the pictures. :shrug:


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## mistydaiz (Jan 28, 2011)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*

Thanks Tenacross, when I saw them standing togeher, I just HAD to snap a pic.

Elsie's FF, she peaked at a gallon a day. I didn't record her milk production this year, like I did last year. I wish I did. I did milk her a week after kidding and she had 7 pounds of milk that day...

I'll let you know Dreamchaser (and the rest of Goat Spot) once the twins freshen, I agree with you, I think Aspen's udder will be better than Willow's (the girl with the white legs). 
No, Willow doesn't have double/split teats. I think that was just her fur, but her teats do wing out a bit. 
Aspen's teats point straight down, but are a little close together.

Also, what are the most important traits to look for when buying another doe, other than her udder, obviously.
I know that her rear should be as level as possible to prevent kidding problems, and that she should have a "wedge-shaped body", meaning she has good rumen production.
(Like, the shape of the ears will not interfere with longevity and milk production, but do matter in the show ring.)


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*



mistydaiz said:


> Thanks Tenacross, when I saw them standing togeher, I just HAD to snap a pic.
> Elsie's FF, she peaked at a gallon a day. I didn't record her milk production this year, like I did last year. I wish I did. I did milk her a week after kidding and she had 7 pounds of milk that day...


That's pretty darn good production. Since the twins are by a buck that may even improve on your doe, you just gotta keep them. 
You didn't say whether you need to keep your total number of goats or milkers down or not. If you want more milkers, I think you are on track with your homebreds. It sounds to me like there is a good chance they will be nice. If they are not as good or worse than their dam, the buck is the one that needs to go. Just my thoughts.


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## mistydaiz (Jan 28, 2011)

*Re: Elsie's Udder.Critiques Please? Can't Decide About Her T*

Well, we are planning on adding more Alpines to our small herd. We would like 6-7 does and one buck on our land.
The buck we've been using is not ours, we take our doe to our friends who also breed Alpines.
They recommended we get our own buck if we'll be having 6+ does.

So we will be breeding Aspen and Willow for kids next year. We already bred Elsie (the twins' dam) for kids in March 2012. We bred Elsie to the same buck we've been using.

I posted another thread on Dairy Diaries about an Alpine doe that's for sale. I'm wondering if she's worth buying....

We'll probably buy our buck around spring/summer next year to use fall/winter next year.


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