4 Nipples and slow growth

Naturaldane · #1 05/06/08, 08:41 AM

The little baby goat that I bought a couple of months ago was a part of four babies born, mom had 4 nipples and I started milking training with her kinda yesterday and she has 4 of them as well, I really didn't think that was a bad thing, but the more I read its not a good thing? Shes Nubian, Lamancha and bore.
Is this anymore than a show flaw, is there anything I should be aware of?
Just curious.

She was the smallest out of the 4 babies, I knew better but she was the friendiest out of the four and I wanted to have a pet, and the cuteness factor won me over. Shes grown a little but is no where near the size of other kids her age on my friends farm, granted they are bore kikos but theres not much of a hight difference in the parents. she seems healthy over all except the growth issue. She is 3 months old and probally only 15 inches at the shoulder.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 05/06/08, 08:57 AM

If she's just a pet, it's not a problem.

It is not a characteristic that is desirable in milking goats.

RiverPines · #3 05/06/08, 09:01 AM

I don't have milking goats but I have several 4 nippled goats and their kids do perfectly fine!

ozark_jewels · #4 05/06/08, 09:17 AM

It is a major flaw in dairy goats.
It is not a problem in meat goats and some breeders breed for four working teats due to does being able to nurse multiples easier.

Naturaldane · #5 05/06/08, 09:20 AM

well the thing is that we bought her for a milker. We in the ideal world wanted to breed her back to a keko and keep them as meat goats, we dont need more than three milk goats and once, my hands cant handle that so i would be keeping what she births to eat. That was the plan anyway, if she doesnt start growing shes not going to be anything more than a pet.
I forgot to mention her diet, Tiz wiz, alfafa cubes softend, and free range grass and scrub, shes a fat little piggy to the point i have cut her grain down to almost nothing, just enough to keep her busy while I milk the other goat.

ozark_jewels · #6 05/06/08, 09:36 AM

As long as you can milk her, the four teats are just fine. Maybe not ideal, but you breeding her to a meat buck anyway.....no biggie.
The reason extra teats are frowned upon in the dairy world is that they make it difficult to milk in many cases. If your doe is easy to milk, this is not a worry for you. Just be sure to breed her to a meat buck so that your not passing extra-teated genetics on into the dairy world.

Naturaldane · #7 05/06/08, 09:47 AM

I wouldnt to a dairy, i have reservations about breeding the normal dairy I have, As a show breeder with dogs Im working through my mind the ethics of breeding goats. Im going to my first goat show here in my town at the end of the month. Nothing I produce will be for the sake of profit just personal use, I have no desire to battle with the dept of ag at this time.
As I will always say, any idiot can breed, takes knowledge about the animal to become a good breeder, and i couldnt settle for anything less so it will be some time before I breed, hopefully the nanny I have now will stay with milk. We plan on buying one more for milk in the next week or two, had I known then what I know now I wouldnt have bought the two I did, so im in no hurry other than to get more cheese!