# Multiple Teats?



## K Brooke (May 9, 2018)

I bought a small pygmy Doe a couple of years ago with the thought of breeding her down the road. A few months ago I was handling her and realized that she had five teats!!! Now I’m very hesitant to breed her. Has anyone had this happen? I’m not into to show animals but I also don’t want to breed bad genetics


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Definitely bad genetics. She will pass that on to her kids. Plus they all probably won't work and a kid could starve to death trying to nurse a non-working teat.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It is a bad trait, however, if you are not showing or selling registered stock, she should be OK, if you want babies, but of course, she will throw some of those teat structures. 
You have to make sure she is bred to a clean teated history buck to slightly lesson the teat flaw. 

If the teats are spread apart, she can feed her babies. You will have to watch them close and make sure they are nursing from working teats.

But do know, if she has teats too close, the kids cannot nurse and you will have to intervene and bottle feed. 

I have 2x2 clean teated goats, they are well spread apart. 
I have a couple does, who have 2 which work on one side and the other side one works, out of those two.
The kids never had any issues getting milk from the working teat.
I am there to teach them which teats work and make sure they catch on, on their own. Have never had any starve from a blind teat, doing it this way.


----------



## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I have Boer goats they are known for multiple teats. I have a goal to breed it out of my herd. Not doing so well so far. step one is NO FISH TAIL teats.


----------



## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

My boer doe..has muti teats. While her udder is filling they look like a fish tail
Once it fills , the twins were born, and the teats seperated. One is longer, the useful one..the dormat up higher. Never fooled the girls. The twins dont have the same type. So I think its a 50 50 shot. As long as they work..mine arent for show. They are breeders for meat. 
The twins on bad teats, were 5 lbs more gain than the twins on straight teats
So..depends on what you are breeding for.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

5 teats! Is she registered? I wonder if maybe she has some Boer in her. I have heard of a extra teat but that is 3 extra teats. 
I have boers and before I knew better I ended up with some wonky teats on some does. When I learned this is not something you want I was baffled because the kids could nurse just fine. But over the years I have also had wonky teats that the kids could not nurse well. 
Having extra teats though is something that you are going to want to tell buyers if you breed her. It may hinder your sales on breeding stock but if you think you can sell as pets or meat then I would go ahead and breed her and see how it goes but also be prepared to bottle feed. I have also had does like Moers Kiko Board and they looked less then perfectly spread out but once they made a udder they spaced out very well.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:nod::up:


----------

