Male goat lactation--ya learn something new every day

[Pearce Pastures]

Just sharing something that I found fascinating from today's reading.

It seems that bucks sometimes lactate! No, not because they are hermaphrodites but rather completely normally karyotyped males can develop udders and milk. They are fertile, healthy, and tend to come from strong milking lines.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I have seen that before! So creepy LOL

Some of the goats here have milk bucks in their pedigree.... It comes with the heavy milking lines. Lucky Star Farm had a milk buck..... I think I read somewhere that they put him on a DHIR milk test... I'm not sure if it was him or another buck.
http://luckystarfarm.com/bucks.html

It seems to be pretty conman in LM but I have seen it in the Dwarfs too

I can say this though...... No way would I want to milk a buck. That is just weird

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Crazy right. And EEWWWWW no way would I be drinking that milk. I have a strong biology, genetics, and anatomy background and I had read about precocious milkers in virgin animals, and about even human males that could have milk, or how sometimes newborn babies (male and female) sometimes have milk in their breast tissues....but this still made me scratch my head and shudder a bit.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

My neighbor had a Pygmy buck that also lactated... weirdest thing EVER!

 

[OneFineAcre]

Yeah, I don't think I want a buck that does that.

 

[Sweetened]

Well, at least youd have an idea of the udder attachment he would pass on. I wonder... what are their lactation cycles and wouldnt you HAVE to milk them for danger of mastitis?

 

[Southern by choice]

Well, at least youd have an idea of the udder attachment he would pass on. I wonder... what are their lactation cycles and wouldnt you HAVE to milk them for danger of mastitis?

One of our vets had a male goat in recently... being treated for mastitis... same issue...

So gross IMO and NO way would I want that!

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Well, at least youd have an idea of the udder attachment he would pass on. I wonder... what are their lactation cycles and wouldnt you HAVE to milk them for danger of mastitis?

Yes it can be an issue.

However we had a meat doe develop a precocious udder and I didn't milk her and she didn't have an issue.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Weird that a goat would be in danger of mastitis from not being milked. Seems to me (basing this on my human experience of course) that the lack of milking would simply lead to drying out. Maybe temporary discomfort but not infection makes sense to me.

 

[Southern by choice]