# Albino Goat?



## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

I have a kid born this year who's all white - I can't find spot of color on him besides his eyes, which are brown. His dam is a yellow-gold color and I expected him to turn that color, too, but he still seems to be white. So, I was thinking, could he be an albino? I did a quick image search of albino goats and while I don't think most of the results were that accurate he does look like those pictures. :shrug:

Are albino goats even a thing? I attached my somewhat recent attempt at posing him - what do you all think?


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Any animal can have an occasional albino pop up, however, the eyes would have to be pink for it to be albino. Brown eyes suggest that it is just a white goat. In the pic he actually looks cream. My gold buck and does occasionally produce a white kid.


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Gold goats can produce kids that look like that, he looks more cream but even so white happens.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

I'm pretty sure I've seen pictures of albinos that don't have red eyes, but the fact that he has brown eyes made me really doubt he's albino. 

He's probably just yellow like his mom. But, no one seems to want to buy him because of his plain color.  If he was actually albino that would be a very unique selling point!


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

If he were albino he'd have lots of health problems, like blindness and deafness. Not a good selling point.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

deerbunnyfarm said:


> If he were albino he'd have lots of health problems, like blindness and deafness. Not a good selling point.


 Really? I (obviously) don't have any experience with albino animals - I just know they're rare and unique!


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Yeah, it's not really a positive genetic trait to have pop up, lots of health issues associated with it.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Even not being albino, his pink nose will make him more prone to skin cancer. Some kind of sun protection there would be a good (if not practical) idea. I've known both a horse & a cat with white noses who got cancer there.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

catharina said:


> Even not being albino, his pink nose will make him more prone to skin cancer. Some kind of sun protection there would be a good (if not practical) idea. I've known both a horse & a cat with white noses who got cancer there.


 Never thought about that! I think the pink nose is cute.


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## NewbieNubian (Nov 7, 2011)

Looks like a light cream to me. He'll likely darken up a little more as he gets older.


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

Albino is a lack of all pigment, all Albinos have pink skin and eyes. He is not Albino. He is just a very cute white/cream goatling.


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Albino can also have grey eyes.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

At the base of his tail I can see some gold-ish color.


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## ryder225912 (Dec 25, 2013)

Albinos as a rule do not have pigmented eyes. Albino is a condition where there is an absence of melanin... Melanin is what gives colour to skin, eyes, feathers, hair, etc. The reason the eyes usually look red is due to the lack of eye pigment means you can see the blood vessels. 

White animals (often mistaken for albino) are actually usually leucistic. Leucism means the animal lacks pigment (not just melanin specifically) affecting complete or partial/patchy colour loss but does NOT affect the eye pigmentation.

It really is a fascinating study! We have aviary birds and peafowl which are very much affected by leucism and actively bred for. White peafowl are actually leucistic peafowl. 

Cute baby no matter what the colour!!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

He's cream. Very normal for gold/red goats to produce them. Cream/gold/red are all the same thing, just different "shades."


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

I originally thought it would be neat if he was albino (and maybe that would get more people interested in purchasing him) but after realizing all the health issues that are involved I'm glad he's not.


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