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More on Teats
by Lorrie Blackburn, DVM
Our Breed Standard calls for “Teats –
cylindrical, of uniform length and size – sufficient for
milking with two fingers and thumb; symmetrically placed; free
of obstruction, deformities or multiples orifices.” Remember
that the breed standard is describing the “ideal” Pygmy goat.
We may all be trying to breed the ideal pygmy, but chances are
that none of us will quite succeed.
The faulting sheet states that if the
teats are too small, too close together, or uneven in size or
placement, the doe is considered to have a moderate fault.
These are all variations from the ideal, and each individual
judging of the animal (either you, as the owner, or a judge in
the show ring) must decide just how small is too small, etc.
If a doe has multiple orifices in a teat,
she is considered to have a serious fault. Normally a teat has
one opening in the center of the tip. Occasionally an animal
will have either one, or rarely both, teats with two openings
at the tip. Multiple orifices usually cause a slight flattening
of the tip of the teat. They are of no consequence to the doe or
to her nursing kids. However, it is quite a messy job to milk a
teat with multiple orifices since the milk is ejected in more
than one direction.
Multiple teats (also called extra teats
and supernumerary teats) [are] a serious [. . .] fault in a doe and are a disqualifying fault in bucks.
A multiple teat refers to any teat in excess of the normal two
teats and distinct from the normal two teats. Sometimes a small
wart, mole, or improperly healed cut will cause a “round,
raised lesion” on an udder. This may look like a multiple teat
on first glance and care should be taken to try to determine if
it truly is an extra teat. Multiple teats are sometimes
functional – milk will flow from all three or four teats on one
doe. [. . .]
Bifurcal teats (also called
double teats) refer to teats which are fused along their
length. These teats are usually split for a short distance near
their tips and the shaft of the teat is wider than normal.
There should be no confusion between multiple orifices and
bifurcal teats. Bifurcal teats are a disqualifying fault. They
are more serious that multiple teats since more udder health
problems may occur with double teats. When the teats fuse,
there is sometimes a flap left in the teat canal which makes
hand milking or nursing difficult or impossible. Other times
the teats fuse so that each teat drains milk from separate
sections of the udder. More mastitis would be seen as a result
of improper drainage of milk from all the udder.
Blind teats are a disqualifying fault. There may be no opening in the tip of the teat, or there may be
no canal inside the teat. This second possibility can be
diagnosed only in a lactating animal. If both teats are blind,
then the does has a blind udder, and while she does produce
milk, there is no way for her kids to obtain it. (A blind udder
may also occur because of structural problems within the udder
and the teats may be normal.)
Excerpts from:
Hale, Lydia, and Ellen Kritzman, eds.
Pygmy Goats: Best of Memo
(1976-1981)
National Pygmy Goat Association: pp 52-53
This document is for
informational purposes only and is in no way intended to be a
substitute for medical consultation with a qualified veterinary
professional. The information provided through this document is
not meant to be used in the diagnosis or treatment of a health
problem or disease, nor should it be construed as such.
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