# Fishtail teats



## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

Tonight I discovered the buckling I was planning on keeping from this years crop (out of my best milker by a buck I think is very nice) has a fishtail teat. He will now obviously be wethered. I’m super bummed about it because he’s an otherwise gorgeous buckling who is very well built. He looks just like his sire. We’d planned on selling his sire and retaining him. 

I immediately checked all the other kids (not just this bucks) and everyone else has clean, normal teats (thankfully). His kids last year were normal, as were the kids out of the doe. I put the buck up on the stand after checking all the kids and thoroughly examined him. His teats are totally normal, both visually and feeling them. I know the does are good, I’ve been milking her twice a day. She’s got the best teats for hand milking. 

Is this just a freak thing that happens? Is it a combo of the two leading to this or is it more linked to the buck or the doe. I won’t do the cross again, but I’m not sure what to do moving forward. We were planning on selling the buck, but if he needs to be wethered so he won’t pass this on I’d be willing to do that. I wouldn’t want to sell on a problem like that. He’s very long and he’s improved teat structure on some of my does already (first freshener set to kid in June, udder is shaping up nicely). 

If anyone has experience with this, or advice I’d greatly appreciate it. I want to make sure we’re doing right by the breed and only breeding high quality animals.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If somewhere back in the bloodlines, on both sides or one, there is fish teat ect, they can appear out of the blue from time to time. 
Even if the Sire and Dam is clean. 
It is a fluke thing, I call it, but it is frustrating when it happens.

Fish teats are bad and should not be used as breeders. As they can produce them or worse, clusters. 
You might get a clean teated kid out if it, however, the odds are more for that offspring to throw them.


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

Thanks for the info, the buckling is definitely getting wethered as I don’t want to perpetuate any bad features. I was really excited about this cross too. 

I won’t repeat the cross between his dam and sire. I guess I’m just worried about it happening again and I’m not sure what to do about his sire. He’s a very nice goat, and improved the teats on the doeling from last year that is his. When she freshens I’ll be able to more thoroughly evaluate her udder.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I don't blame you, just don't cross the two who created the fish teat issue.
If it only happened with those two, you are doing good.

Sounds like you have a good plan.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I found a fishtail on a yearling. Just happened to notice it as she walked away. Darn it. Sale barn for her, meat tag.  (Hundreds of kids born here, I've only had 1 extra teat years ago and this).


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

I’ll be thoroughly inspecting all kids in the future before putting anyone up for sale. Thankfully it was on a kid we had planned on keeping and not one that I have a deposit on. Wouldn’t want to unintentionally sell on a problem like that. He’ll make someone a nice pet or weedeater.


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

Here's the offending teat in case anyone was wondering what it looks like.


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

Yuck! I had that last year on a doe kid out of my new buck who was otherwise really nice. Except unlike your case, when I checked I discovered that my buck did have a fishtail teat that looked almost exactly like the one on your buckling. Now this year, I have another slightly fishtail-teated kid. Different sire, but same dam...but I've been milking that dam for 3 years now and her teats are normal, and her 2 year old daughter just freshened with normal teats. So I'm at a loss too! I think in my case, my doe must have had a goat with fishtail teats in her bloodline, like Toth suggested. In your case, I'd probably not repeat the cross, but since your buck has normal teats and has produced kids with normal teats, I don't think you need to wether him. 

When I discovered my fishtail kid last year, I did some asking around and one breeder had heard of someone who had several kids with fishtail teats one year, and then never again. They concluded that it was an environmental issue somehow. That's the only instance I've heard of it being anything other than genetic.

I'm sorry you've had it pop up in your herd. It's so disheartening, especially when the goat is nice otherwise


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## RMcCoy (Apr 29, 2020)

We are new to the goat thing and just recently purchased a 12 week old ND doe for the farm with the intentions of a pet for the granddaughters. We have a second doe coming in a few weeks to keep her company. We've been thinking now though, we'd like to try milking. The other day we noticed that she has a fishtail teat. I've never heard of this before seeing this forum. How would this affect her milking? Should we even try to breed her for the purpose of milk? Will that teat even work? Sorry if I'm sounding dumb, but like I said, we're new to this. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It will affect milking. It will be hard to milk that teat. Kids may have a hard time nursing on that teat.


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## RMcCoy (Apr 29, 2020)

So, I'm thinking we shouldn't breed her? Kind of disappointing. I wish the lady we got her from would have mention it, maybe she didn't know. I guess that's what happens when you are inexperienced. Thanks


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

No. Don't breed her. That may be why she was sold as a pet.


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

Thanks Calistar, I’m sorry you’re battling it with your doe. I’m kinda wondering if my doe has it in her bloodlines and that is why the person sold her to me. She’s a great milker, easy to deal with, easy to milk. I assumed they were selling because she was on the older side (almost 6 when we got her), but maybe it was because of this. I’ll be watching her kids very closely. 

I’m glad I caught it at this point on the buckling. So glad it was our keeper and I don’t need to contact someone with a deposit down already and say too bad, he’s a wether now. And I’m pretty sure that from now on teats are going to be the first thing I look at when kids are born or looking to buy.


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

ksalvagno said:


> No. Don't breed her. That may be why she was sold as a pet.


I agree, wouldn't breed her. If ours was a doeling with this she would be sold as pet only or meat. The breeder should have disclosed the deformity to you. Did you say you wanted pet only or for milk?


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## RMcCoy (Apr 29, 2020)

Our intentions at first was pet for the grand kids. We later thought "why not breed and have some milk"? We were playing with her one day, and noticed the teat. I'd never seen nor heard of a fishtail. We are so attached to her now, no way we would get rid of her.


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## BV Farms (Apr 12, 2020)

We have a doe with a fishtail teat. We loved her so decided to go ahead and breed her. She's kidded three times. She is our easiest milker. Both sides of the fishtail teat work, so she is a super affeciant milker. If you aren't planning on showing or selling her, I would say breed her. Our doe had quads this year and three of the kids could nurse at a time! I would post a picture, but I haven't posted three posts yet, so can't. She's the matriarch of our herd.


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

BV Farms said:


> We have a doe with a fishtail teat. We loved her so decided to go ahead and breed her. She's kidded three times. She is our easiest milker. Both sides of the fishtail teat work, so she is a super affeciant milker. If you aren't planning on showing or selling her, I would say breed her. Our doe had quads this year and three of the kids could nurse at a time! I would post a picture, but I haven't posted three posts yet, so can't. She's the matriarch of our herd.


Is your doe a dairy breed or a meat breed? I know with Boers it's ok to breed them, but for dairy you definitely don't want to pass it on. It worsens the breed as a whole to perpetuate that flaw if more goats have it in their genetics. I guess it's based on where your philosophy lies. For us, we only want to improve our goats and the breed as much as possible.

Now I could see where extra teats would be handy, my doe with quints (that this buckling was out of) sure wishes she had one for each kid!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Fish teats are horrible.


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