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

[Southern by choice]

A take off of the "Herdsire Qualifications" thread.

This thread is all about udders.
Mainly udders that need improvement. Good, bad, really ugly (lol), improved etc.

When first starting out in goats many are unaware of what to look for but as time goes on many want to do more with their goats as they learn more.

The goal for this thread is to be encouraging!

Working with what you have and learning and breeding up has amazing rewards. Really hoping many participate and share their own experiences.
I am a huge advocate for the homestead goat, they may not be the prettiest, may not ever win a ribbon, won't ever be appraised, and most won't go on milktest but what they do is super valuable- because they put milk & cheese in the fridge and bring joy to those who own them.

I will add more later.

 

[Goatgirl47]

Thank you so much for starting this thread! I will have a few (hopefully five, all but one have been confirmed bred) first fresheners this year, most of whom I plan on keeping for at least the next breeding season. We also have three does who have kidded at least once before, two of them we are definitely keeping and the other one maybe not, she doesn't have the greatest udder. :/
I want to work on improving my herd instead of just breeding for the heck of it (like for the fun of having babies each year). Unfortunately, here in Louisiana it is not common to find a good, reputable dairy goat breeder, so for the most part I need to work with the goats I have, most of whom we've gotten from TX.
For 2018 I will be looking for a high quality buck (a Nubian, maybe a Mini-Lamancha as well) and I will definitely want opinions on his dam's udder - and maybe his granddams udders too, if possible. I certainly have a lot to learn, and look forward to hearing from the experts!

 

[OneFineAcre]

My problem is I haven't taken a lot of pictures of the bad ones if any and not many of the good ones
I've tended to only take pictures of the best ones

 

[Southern by choice]

@Goatgirl47 I'm glad you are excited about this thread. I am too! I don't think we have any experts here but I think there are some really good people that have a lot to contribute.

@OneFineAcre funny how on the other thread we were talking about milk out pics- I have them but I can't find them. Somehow I didn't file them under udder pics. I guess as I come across them I will put them in the file.


So... One of the things I was thinking about is how everyone has different criteria. I don't think there is a one size fits all or a right/wrong.
I have seen many posts on different dairy goat groups about what constitutes a "cull". It is very interesting! I also see that many old timers will say breed for what YOU like not what someone else likes, or a judge, etc.

Some examples- Again, no right or wrong just giving some examples.
(many of these are Standard goats- usually Lamanchas)
If the FF doesn't score 88-89 LA
If the doe isn't making 10lbs as FF
If the doe can't be bred it's first season
If the doe isn't hardy
If the udder isn't stellar


I know the thread is really about udders and improvement I think there is so much more to the decision making process.

What if the goat makes fantastic milk, produces heavily, is super hardy and easy keeper but has a horrible udder?
Do the benefits of that goat outway the udder?
Is this a doe that you should keep and breed up?

What about the goat that has a beautiful udder, milks well (meaning good/average), good confirmation, hardy yet turns feed into fat instead of milk?

Or... the great confirmation, beautiful udder, correct doe that is a simply a really hard keeper?

And of course we can't forget this scenario... you love the goat so much there is no way on earth she will ever leave your farm! But she has the worst udder and confirmation.

I think asking yourself some of these kinds of questions helps formulate a plan.

This is a BYH group- so many of us here have goats for our "use" and that plays a role in this too but even so BYHerders can always still improve and do good things.

Please add to this anything you think of!
What are some questions you have asked yourself.

 

[OneFineAcre]

You mention goats that are high producers that don't have great udders
The weight of all of that milk can cause that
Basically wear out the udder early
Climate is 5 years old and even though she had best udder in the Youth Show at the fair and I think she got E on udder on appraisal you can see that going on with her
I can see the weight of the milk affecting how her udder looks

 

[Southern by choice]

That is what we see with Millie- I will post pics soon. It really does link back to weak attachments. Linked to that is the rear legs.
She will wear out!
BUT lol, we have put good bucks over her and all but one breeding has produced much nicer animals.

I love her hardiness, parasite resistance, no fuss no muss diet. She is an incredible forager that prefers forage when the hay feeder has the best orchard or alfalfa... you find her in the field eating whatever. She is one that will never leave the farm so better for us to put good bucks over her and retain kids and continue to breed up.

I'll try to put up the progression of decline if I can find all the pics.
I will also try and put up offspring pics.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

.....and you are not selling bucks out of her!

Her daughter is Trouble.
She freshened with a nice udder, not perfect but you wouldn't think she is Millie's kid!

 

[lalabugs]

Thank you for this thread. I will post pictures once my does freshen.

What is the best time frame after a doe freshens to take pictures of her udder?

Learning to look at the whole goat I'm still learning. I want to improve as I breed. The purpose of having goats for us is milk. However I do not want to breed and get animals that are worse than what I start with.

Did anyone see the poll on the Nigerian page on facebook? The one about what color you breed for? Moonspots was the highest! Then conformation. The breeder we got rose from keeps most of her heavily moonspotted offspring.

I'd like to learn how to breed up to have the whole package. I look forward to learning how to breed to try for the whole package. DH is partial to moonspots. Although if DH had his way we would never sell any babies.

 

[Sara Ranch]

I would LOVE to see pics of the good, the bad, the ugly, the correct, the "it's ok", the "it's a concern", the "be very concerned", the "keep an eye on this", and the "you don't want this repeated" stuffs.

I am such a visual person!

I read a thread on this board about what to look for when buying a cow. The person (looking to buy) posted pictures of the cows she/he was considering purchasing. People gave great feedback. I learned a lot from that thread!

I'd love to learn a lot from this thread, especially the pictures!

 

[Bayleaf Meadows]

@OneFineAcre - would you mind if I posted some photos of your goats' udders? I take more of yours than I do of mine...