Udder help & opinions please

[CarolynRenee]

After a few years of breeding purebred Saanens, I think I like the Saanen / Nigerian Dwarf Cross (Mini-Saanen). Here are some pics of udders and their names & would love ite if you could give me some opinions on the Mini-Saanen's udder. Feel free to chime in about the others too.

Here's Nettie, purebred Saanen, 6 years old, kidded 3/11:



Here's Ishtar (Nettie's 1st daughter), purebred Saanen, 5 years old, kidded 5/11:


And here's Cloud, F1 Mini-Saanen (Nettie's daughter), 1 year old, kidded 5/31/11 & what I'm trying to continue breeding for:



What do you think of Cloud? And even the others? Don't worry about hurting my feelings, just want an outsider opinion. I know what I like, want to know what others think especially if I'm going to be breeding more of the F1 Mini-Saanens.

Nettie is my favorite to milk. She has great teats, but the orfice isn't as large as I like. Lots of milk (almost too much I guess, it's hard keeping weight on her), nice mother.

Ishtar is a pain to milk. Her teats are hard to get a whole-hand grip on. Ok milker. I was thinking of having her bred to a Boer or other meat goat to start / supplement a meat herd.

Cloud (and her older sister), IMO, is a great milker. The teats aren't as large as Nettie's but I can still get a whole-hand grab on them AND the orfice on both of them is huge! I can milk them twice as fast as Nettie (obviously not as much milk, but much much faster).

Thanks for the opinions & comments!

[Alice In TX/MO]

I can't milk teats like Nettie's at all. They make my hands cramp. I much prefer Cloud's.

[whodunit]

I wouldnt buy a milk goat like Nettie or Ishtar as IMO those teats are too hard to milk.

Cloud looks like she would be much easier for me to milk.

[CarolynRenee]

I have no problem with Nettie, but I wonder if it's because she was my first goat and that's who I learned on. But even if I had the choice between Nettie & Cloud, I'd still take Nettie, but I'm sure others feel otherwise & thats why I'm asking you guys for help!

Thanks a lot for the help!

[mary,tx]

I only know what I like, not saying it's right. But I do not like the fat teats. I've had one or two like that in the past, and would not buy another.

[Creamers]

A lot has to do with what you've learned to milk on - I also prefer a longer, thinner teat - but i think overall - Cloud's udder isn't nearly as nice of the others

[TroutRiver]

I don't mind the fat teats - my nubian/alpine cross has teats kind of like that (but hers aren't quite that huge) and I actually find them faster and easier to milk than my pure nubian, who has longer, thinner teats. I am really intrigued by the mini-saanens. I wish I had more money to spend on good breeding stock to start some experiments like that.

[francismilker]

I've got an alpine with fat teats. Once you get the initial few squirts out, it's easier. Just getting them primed up and flowing is the hard part. Then, you can raise your hands up on the udder and get a full handfull. IMO

[saanengirl]

Cloud's udder is an improvement over the other two does. Even though Ishtar is harder for you to milk, she actually has a better udder than her dam. I'm not particularly fond of the udders on any of them. I don't like Ishtar's teat placement, which is probably what makes her hard to milk. With Nettie I have problems teat placement, teat size, lack of deliniation of teats, foreudder attachment, and rear udder height. Cloud has better teat placement than either of the first two, and appears to have more udder attachment, particularly more udder attachment than Nettie, but her fore udder may need some help. It is hard to tell from the picture.