# Goat Kids with Extra Teats



## Goatgirl47 (May 13, 2016)

My Myotonic goat, Magnolia, kidded this afternoon with twin doelings, and I just found out that the firstborn has double teats (both her teats have smaller teats on them), and the second doeling has one double teat. Their half brother, Eddie, also has a doubled teat (so I'm guessing it was my buck who passed it to them. He did have two perfect teats though). I am so disappointed! I was going to keep one or both of the doelings as future milkers.

Does anyone on here milk a goat with extra teats? And if so, do they get in the way? I would really like to keep these doelings, but I don't want any trouble (because of the extra teats, that is) milking them when they kid, and I'm still not sure if I should keep them anyway because they'll probably pass it on to their own kids. I would like y'alls opinions please.......

Thanks in advance!


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## ragdollcatlady (May 15, 2016)

I have boers that have extra teats. Depending on the location and if they are functional, they can be a pain/challenge to milk. Generally the milk from the secondary teat, if really close to the main teat, will leak or squirt in a different direction making a big old mess. I have tried to corral the secondary teat into my grip to milk both at the same time and end up with milk all over my hand and dripping everywhere. I generally don't milk them for my own use, but rather for their own comfort or to keep the udder in good shape while one kid keeps the other side empty. But, if I have to milk the teats or side that has an easy to milk/clean teat, I will use the milk for myself.

One of my boers that I haven't actually milked as her kid took everything, has really nice main teats but teeny tiny secondary and even a third tiny teat on one side, but they are not functional, and I would presume that if I needed to milk her, she would milk out like a 1x1. 

You might not know how troublesome the extra teats are until/unless you freshen the girls but if you are wanting goats for milk, I would see about finding clean teated goats. It would just be easier for you.


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## maritown (May 15, 2016)

I worked with a goat with double teats.  They were split like a fishtail so her kids thankfully had no trouble taking two teats at once to drink but had they been further split I'm sure her kids would have struggled.  Milking her was horrible.  All four teats had milk so milking from one split teat=milk going in two different directions.  No way around her.  Milk machine also did not work on her so you had to hand milk slowwww and really aim so that both streams hit the bucket.


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## Ferguson K (May 15, 2016)

Two of my Boer goats have extra teats. Lilly has one TINY teat above her regular teat on both sides. No milk comes out when I milk her, but they look like moles more than teats. Very small. Poppy has one over her left teat. It's also very small and does not function. Never had issues with mine, they're just funny looking.


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## Goatgirl47 (May 16, 2016)

I didn't know that sometimes goats extra teats are functional! That's crazy.

We will talk to our local goat vet tomorrow and see what she thinks. If she doesn't think it's a good idea to keep them as future milkers, we'll probably just sell them with Magnolia, or maybe without her........I don't know.


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## samssimonsays (May 17, 2016)

Sadly, I know people in my area with dairy goats that will not sell or breed anything with extra teats, or even if one of a buckling's testicles doesn't drop, will cull them because it is genetic or could be. Not all think this way, I certainly don't, but I wouldn't sell them as milkers, keep them as milkers or sell to anyone who was going to breed for anything personally. From what I have been told for meat breeds (old timers and folks in my area) an extra teat is a DQ in the show ring and those I know send the ones with them for meat or give them a chance to produce something without it if they are does and go from there.


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## Goatgirl47 (May 18, 2016)

I posted Magnolia for sale on Craigslist yesterday, along with her twins. I know that she isn't the one who passed this on to the kids, because as I said before, another one of my bucklings has an extra teat, so it was the buck, but I'm going to sell her sometime, and this is the perfect opportunity - with her own kids. 

Thank you all so much!


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## Latestarter (May 19, 2016)

Hmmmm... contemplating... so, lose a couple of goats, make a few bucks (to spend), wonder if there are any mini Nubians up for sale close by?


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