jlbpooh
Ridin' The Range
I think they are cute too, the second one looks like a little lab puppy with her ears.
Missy kidded...can't hit a home run every time
- Thread starter Roll farms
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Roll farms
Spot Master
Relics, if they're still here when they're weaned, I'm going to hold you to that! (At a 'weanling' price, though...
) You're right, they'll make big old fat babies.
Kinder....Someone, somewhere along the way decided it was "ok" for Boers to have 4 teats. Some breeders even claim they can feed larger 'litters' that way (pure BS, but I've read and heard it from many people...).
All of the Boer breed registries allow it, and 2 teats per side are ok at shows.
There are folks who cut off the extra teats and sell them as 'normal' (2 teated)...then you end up w/ 4 (or more!) teats on your kids, seemingly out of nowhere.
And you can have extra teats just show up down the line, due to genetics.
My sister drove 6 hours once and paid 250$ for a DOE WITH 7 TEATS.
That doe should have been culled / sold as a pet...but the irresponsible breeder not only sold her as breeding stock, she sold her with papers!
I do try to breed for 2 teats, and have kept only 2 teated kids this year for my own stock.
I consider 4 teats a flaw, (a hazard of starting with dairy goats) but most boer breeders don't simply b/c it's allowed in the registry, at shows, etc.
While *I* may advocate 2 teated boers, I'm a minority, and I can't fight 3 breed associations and a thousand breeders who don't see it as a problem.
Do I / have I sold 4 teated kids? Yep....but not without telling whoever bought them about it, and most folks shrug and look at me like, "So?".
I've never had one born here w/ more than 4 teats, but if I did, it would definitely end up sold as a pet or meat only.
) You're right, they'll make big old fat babies.Kinder....Someone, somewhere along the way decided it was "ok" for Boers to have 4 teats. Some breeders even claim they can feed larger 'litters' that way (pure BS, but I've read and heard it from many people...).
All of the Boer breed registries allow it, and 2 teats per side are ok at shows.
There are folks who cut off the extra teats and sell them as 'normal' (2 teated)...then you end up w/ 4 (or more!) teats on your kids, seemingly out of nowhere.
And you can have extra teats just show up down the line, due to genetics.
My sister drove 6 hours once and paid 250$ for a DOE WITH 7 TEATS.
That doe should have been culled / sold as a pet...but the irresponsible breeder not only sold her as breeding stock, she sold her with papers!
I do try to breed for 2 teats, and have kept only 2 teated kids this year for my own stock.
I consider 4 teats a flaw, (a hazard of starting with dairy goats) but most boer breeders don't simply b/c it's allowed in the registry, at shows, etc.
While *I* may advocate 2 teated boers, I'm a minority, and I can't fight 3 breed associations and a thousand breeders who don't see it as a problem.
Do I / have I sold 4 teated kids? Yep....but not without telling whoever bought them about it, and most folks shrug and look at me like, "So?".
I've never had one born here w/ more than 4 teats, but if I did, it would definitely end up sold as a pet or meat only.
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Overrun with beasties
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Okay then Rolls ...
tell me why exactly, it is a FAULT to have four, clean teats, on a meat breed doe?
It is NOT BS that they can feed multiples better than two teated does. I can show you 20 does right now that are feeding triplets on two teats, and another 20 odd does who are feeding triplets on three or four teats.
Some of those two teated does take an awful beating. Not because they have less milk, but because there are three mouths fighting over two teats. The poor old does teats get really bitten and cut because of those sharp teeth. And sometimes, one kid suffers as well, because he/she is the smallest, and gets pushed away, so gets less milk. Note that I said 'some' and 'sometimes', because it is not always the case, I have also had some does who were very good at rotating and raised three even kids without udder damage. But in my experience, this is the exception, rather than the rule.
In contrast, the does with more than two teats, dont get their teats bitten, and their kids are more even in size also.
Now, with dairy goats I can understand why more than 2 teats is a fault. Because the extra teats get in the way when hand milking, or machine milking.
But, I see no reason why they should be a fault in a meat breed.
Some 4 teated does actually have four quarters, instead of two halves of the udder, with each teat producing milk from a separate chamber. I know, because I have milked some multiple teated boers.
tell me why exactly, it is a FAULT to have four, clean teats, on a meat breed doe?
It is NOT BS that they can feed multiples better than two teated does. I can show you 20 does right now that are feeding triplets on two teats, and another 20 odd does who are feeding triplets on three or four teats.
Some of those two teated does take an awful beating. Not because they have less milk, but because there are three mouths fighting over two teats. The poor old does teats get really bitten and cut because of those sharp teeth. And sometimes, one kid suffers as well, because he/she is the smallest, and gets pushed away, so gets less milk. Note that I said 'some' and 'sometimes', because it is not always the case, I have also had some does who were very good at rotating and raised three even kids without udder damage. But in my experience, this is the exception, rather than the rule.
In contrast, the does with more than two teats, dont get their teats bitten, and their kids are more even in size also.
Now, with dairy goats I can understand why more than 2 teats is a fault. Because the extra teats get in the way when hand milking, or machine milking.
But, I see no reason why they should be a fault in a meat breed.
Some 4 teated does actually have four quarters, instead of two halves of the udder, with each teat producing milk from a separate chamber. I know, because I have milked some multiple teated boers.
the simple life
Chillin' with the herd
I think they are cute little stinkers! Love the color.
helmstead
Goat Mistress
Haha Congrats anyway! They are cute, there is no such thing as an ugly goat baby 
I applaud your breeding for 2 teated Boers, as I have in the past.
I applaud your breeding for 2 teated Boers, as I have in the past.
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Roll farms
Spot Master
UT, I don't want to have an argument w/ you about why I don't like 4 teated goats, it's a matter of personal preference...and that can't be argued.
I will clarify a point...The justification some breeders use that extra teats can feed extra kids.
Meaning, "it's a good reason to have extra teats."
But since many raise extra kids on 2 teats...it's NOT a necessity.
I've also read of / heard of weak kids starving because they latch onto a NON functioning extra teat...And more teats/orifices could mean more chances for mastitis to enter the udder...
For every reason you give that it's good, I can show why it could be a downfall TO SOME, not all, breeders.
You like 4 teaters, great. I don't. That's my right.
I said it's a flaw for ME, in my breeding program. I am not going out to petition the breed associations to change the breed standard, so calm down.
Kinder, I think you can now see what I'm up against....?
I will clarify a point...The justification some breeders use that extra teats can feed extra kids.
Meaning, "it's a good reason to have extra teats."
But since many raise extra kids on 2 teats...it's NOT a necessity.
I've also read of / heard of weak kids starving because they latch onto a NON functioning extra teat...And more teats/orifices could mean more chances for mastitis to enter the udder...
For every reason you give that it's good, I can show why it could be a downfall TO SOME, not all, breeders.
You like 4 teaters, great. I don't. That's my right.
I said it's a flaw for ME, in my breeding program. I am not going out to petition the breed associations to change the breed standard, so calm down.
Kinder, I think you can now see what I'm up against....?
()relics
Overrun with beasties
I'm sure they won't last that long...Anyone looking for a good cross to start a production herd will grab them up...But...I am going to Gaston next weekend...and would have room in my trailer....Suddenly I recalled the last time I tried to bottle raise a kid...think I'll just wave as I pass your exit and wait for you to get them weaned.
greenfamilyfarms
Overrun with beasties
Roll Farms, I agree with you. We also are breeding for 2-teats mainly because it's more desired, although not a fault, and because they "look" better.Roll farms said:
hoosiergal
Ridin' The Range
I think they are just adorable.In my humble opinion...the problem with extra teats is that you don't know whether or not they'll be blind teats until the doe is in milk.. I think we can all agree that blind teats are a detriment, and it's a little late in the game to be removing them once they've kidded and are actually using their udders.
And even if you get lucky and they're not blind teats, you still don't know if they have their own chamber unless you milk her by hand to test... If the extra teats don't have their own chamber, the only purpose they'll serve is to drain one chamber twice as quickly. Even if they do have their own chamber, who knows how much milk that chamber holds as there's nothing to say that chamber has to be as big as the others.. Could be a quart in one, a quart in the other, and a few tablespoons in the extra. No point in that either, IMO..
Needless to say, extra teats are a serious flaw according to my own personal judgement, and that's regardless of the breed or purpose of the animal.
And even if you get lucky and they're not blind teats, you still don't know if they have their own chamber unless you milk her by hand to test... If the extra teats don't have their own chamber, the only purpose they'll serve is to drain one chamber twice as quickly. Even if they do have their own chamber, who knows how much milk that chamber holds as there's nothing to say that chamber has to be as big as the others.. Could be a quart in one, a quart in the other, and a few tablespoons in the extra. No point in that either, IMO..
Needless to say, extra teats are a serious flaw according to my own personal judgement, and that's regardless of the breed or purpose of the animal.
