Udders- Good/Bad/Ugly/Improved UPDATED! 3/12/18

[Hens and Roos]

She is going to have a gorgeous udder I think!
Width is awesome
lateral attachments fantastic
foreudder looks beautiful
height is great!

Her teats are forward but I wonder if next freshening when she really starts producing if that will improve... IOW when udder fills that can pull those teats down some. I bet she is a great hand milker too!
How are her orifices?

Her orifices seem good, we hand milk her and can milk her out pretty quick- my DS(12) really likes to milk her and does a really good job of milking her out

 

[OneFineAcre]

There is a fantastic discussion on FB about LA. One of the appraisers just piped in - in a nutshell said too many rely on the final score and not on the process and it is your herd that you see every day...how the final score is used more for marketing than anything else.
Many others are sharing how the low scoring animal ended up phenomenal and produced awesome goats!
No one is discounting the process, just reminding people that don't be too quick to cull based on a score. There may be qualities that a goat or goats have that are great in your herd... use the data... improve.

This was very encouraging to read. The emphasis was that LA is a TOOL! Not the end all be all.

I read that discussion too

There is a fantastic discussion on FB about LA. One of the appraisers just piped in - in a nutshell said too many rely on the final score and not on the process and it is your herd that you see every day...how the final score is used more for marketing than anything else.
Many others are sharing how the low scoring animal ended up phenomenal and produced awesome goats!
No one is discounting the process, just reminding people that don't be too quick to cull based on a score. There may be qualities that a goat or goats have that are great in your herd... use the data... improve.

This was very encouraging to read. The emphasis was that LA is a TOOL! Not the end all be all.

I read that discussion just now
You forgot to mention the discussion was about First Fresheners
And I agree you can't go by a total score for a FF
Absolutely when someone has a goat and they say their dam scored an 89 as a FF "the highest score a FF can get" Yeah just marketing

 

[OneFineAcre]

But I will agree 100 percent that LA score is a great marketing tool for animals
I would rather be selling a kid whose dam had a high score than a low score or no score
But people use a lot of things to market animals

There were just a whole bunch of people who posted their animals were on the "Elite" list.
Some get letters that their animals got "superior genetics"
Some talk about their milk stars
Some talk about their show wins
Some talk about how their sister won a show
I have definitely seen it all

 

[Goat Whisperer]

… and I think all the breeders/owners should be proud of their work! Good for them for participating in these programs.

Just think, a few years ago you did your first LA and Milk test. Before that you showed your goats. Before that you had a few pets (If I remember right- could be wrong )

I think there is a natural progression. Everyone has to start somewhere

 

[OneFineAcre]

… and I think all the breeders/owners should be proud of their work! Good for them for participating in these programs.

Just think, a few years ago you did your first LA and Milk test. Before that you showed your goats. Before that you had a few pets (If I remember right- could be wrong )

I think there is a natural progression. Everyone has to start somewhere

You are absolutely right

I remember very well when we had our first success in the show ring people saying " you can't go by show wins you have to look at LA and milk test to really judge an animal"
And then when we did milk test and LA then they became less important
But we feel really confident about what we are doing so I think we will stick with it

 

[Southern by choice]

Yep, I think it is really cool how many goat people (not all, but many) are willing to help another goat enthusiast.
Goats are just such amazing animals!

I am glad we are doing this thread. Many people don't realize that most herds, and the best ones out there included, still have goats that somehow got gypped in the genetics pass down... or a particular line up didn't work... but they don't put those pics up.
Not saying that in a negative way... we all want to put our best up but showing your worst , in between, etc can be so helpful.

 

[Southern by choice]

Come on guys--- where are your goats udders?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Between their back legs.....

 

[Southern by choice]

Between their back legs.....

you stinker!

Now you have to put up a pic of and udder you like or don't like and say what you'd improve since you wanted to be a smart***

 

[Bayleaf Meadows]

Second freshener Bella, six months into lactation. Not set up really well.