# Hermaphrodite Goat



## DonnaBelle (Mar 28, 2011)

Hi all,

I got a new 6 week old herd sire yesterday and also brought home his little it/sister/brother for company.  It's a good thing too.  If he had been in the pen by himself, even though there's other goats nearby in another pen, he never would have shut up. LOL

Anyway, his companion's genitalia are quite remarkable.  It/she/he has a vulva, but it is rather puffy with a rounded up end, which has a pea sized bump inside.  There are also small testicles up on the belly.   The goat's name will be Mamie, so Mamie pees through her vulva and squats like a girl.  

When I asked the breeder if she had another goat she would sell she didn't want to sell any of her other goats, but she did let me have Mamie for a companion/brush goat. (I got lots of brush)

Has anyone else ever had any experience with this?  She seems quite normal other than her remarkable "stuff".

DonnaBelle


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## greenfamilyfarms (Mar 28, 2011)

Are the testicles you seeing actually nipples? 

Where's the picture?


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## DonnaBelle (Mar 28, 2011)

I know, we need some photos.  I'll get some tomorrow if I can, it's supposed to rain.  

DonnaBelle


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## chandasue (Mar 28, 2011)

Really interesting! Since they're related, what are the chances that his some of his offspring will pass it on?


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## lemongrass (Apr 1, 2011)

I've heard of / read about this before, forgive me I cannot remember where to get you a source.   I did find something on GoatWorld.com that mentioned it being more common when naturally polled goats were bred with each other.


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## Mama2B&D&nowgoatstoo (Jul 7, 2011)

Our Nigerian breeder said that breeding and naturally polled with i think another or something can create that :/ I'm not too certain but do remember it being something r/t the naturally polled aspect


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## Blue Dog Farms (Jul 7, 2011)

Just thinking that if she/he has the parts can she/he get breed by the brother? I would think probably, which could be problem if they are living together.


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 7, 2011)

Our vet who did the surgery to removed Mamie's (the herm) testicles said she did have a vagina, but he didn't think she would breed.  In other words, the rest of her plumbing wouldn't be in working order.

He did his final paper before he graduated vet school at OSU on a herm horse.  He is very interested in the subject.  He made me promise if she did get bred, to take her to OSU vet school at Stillwater so they can study her.

DonnaBelle


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## RareBreedFancier (Jul 8, 2011)

What a coincidence that your Vet happened to do his final paper on a hermaphrodite!

Will be interesting to see what happens in the future, I too would be very surprised if she was able to breed but I've learned to 'never say never'.


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## doxiemoxie (Jul 10, 2011)

Most mammals are just going to develop one pair of gonads that will differentiate into either testicles (male) or ovaries (female).  So Mamie's surgery probably removed whatever was there and there are no ovaries to produce eggs and thus no chance of getting pregnant.  

IF s/he does get pregnant then Mamie would in all likelihood be a chimera; two embryos that developed as one organism.  It is EXTREMELY rare for a male/female chimera to survive to birth but has happened occasionally with cats.  Even if this is the case its very likely that the testosterone that the testicles produced for the short while she had them would cause the ovaries to not develop properly.  So if she should get pregnant then she would be quite the oddity! (And of course you would have to tell us first!)

As some people already said hermaphrodism is common with polled goats.  Aside from being sterile there doesn't seem to be other complications.  It is good you got the testes removed as they can become cancerous.

And yes, we need pics.  Of all your goats.


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 10, 2011)

Thanks for your interest in my little Nubian Mamie.  She is doing well, she is in the buck pen with her brother, River, who is to be the new herd sire and Billy Boy, my little Palamino Nubian male.  He's to be a breeding buck also.

Dr. Glover allowed DH and I to observe the operation.  Two little gonads just under the skin on his belly. Snip, snip, out they came.  It was sooo interesting.  

I am going to post some pictures, as soon as the temperature drops below 100.  It's up to 106 today again.  I just took cool water out to the barn.  Thank goodness most of it's in the shade of some big pecan trees.

DonnaBelle


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## Goatmasta (Jul 10, 2011)

This is very interesting please keep us all informed along the way...


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