# Wattles removed



## FrenchFarm (Jul 25, 2008)

Hi, One of our goats, who is fifteen months old, has wattles on her neck. I read in the Storey's Guide to raising Dairy goats book that you can tie a tight string around them and they will fall off after a few days. It sounds rather painful to me, and I'm not sure we'd try it, but I was wondering if anyone has ever done this before. Did it bother your goat, and how did it work? Thanks.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I love waddles and thought difficult for showing (shaving them is difficult) I think that removing them is just by those who dislike the look of them.


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

I've never removed any but they can show up in the wrong location and require removal for showing. I read online someone who use scissors just to cut them off. Seems less painful than tieing it off. Its just a skin appendage so it will be painful but not the end of the world. If I have them here I wouldn't remove them unless they're in a bad location or out of breed standard.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I saw that in my pygmy vet book that if they are in an odd place to snip them with scissors at a very young age...tying them off seems odd though I'm sure it would work, though I don't think I'd want to remove them as an adult seeing as how it would be a larger area to heal :shrug:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I would assume that tying them off would be like banding a boy for castrating.


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## harmonygoats (Nov 20, 2007)

We had one we tied them off. Just used dental floss and did it when we disbudded. You have to make sure it is tied tight and stays that way. The kid never knew we did it. Fell of after a couple weeks.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I've always wondered the same thing. I had no idea you would be able to just snip or tie them off real easily. Don't think i'll try it anytime soon, but good to know.


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

I have been told you can burn them off with the disbudding iron when you disbud them. 

I personally LOVE waddles! lol They are great pacifiers for the kids. Xcell lets all the kids suck on hers. :slapfloor:


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## harmonygoats (Nov 20, 2007)

I probably wouldn't use an iron to take them off. Too easy to slip and burn the neck.


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## rlittlecritters (Apr 27, 2008)

I love waddles. 3 of the first 4 goats I started with had waddles. Too bad only 1 of all the babies I ever had has waddles.


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## redneck_acres (Oct 18, 2007)

I've heard of folks doing the rubberband method, if I removed wattles that is how i'd do it as i'd think it'd be less painful. However, I kind of like most wattles-it gives the goat more personality. Although some can be placed in awkward areas on the neck.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

I was looking at websites once when I was really new to goats. And one lady (I don't remember who), had in a description of one goat "this is when I learned not to show a goat with waddles...". I think she felt the goat was good enough to win except that some judges don't like them apparently. :shrug:


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

I LOVE waddles!! I think they are so stinkin' cute! Just love them. . . . not many Nigerians in our area have them, guess they're not too popular around here. I wouldn't remove them unless it were in a weird place I suppose, actually even then I don't think I would. Seems kind of a mean thing to do, but that's just personal, everybody's different.


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## Nupine (Nov 13, 2007)

Our new buck has waddles, so most likely all our Alpine kids will have waddles. I love waddles, but a goat without them is easier to clip and looks cleaner in the show ring. Not everyone like them, so I will probably remove them. But I will do it with a pair of clean, sharp scissors, as soon as they are born. Like minutes after. Doing it on an adult goat would be more stressful.


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