What do you look for in a kid when you want a future milker? My dairy goat had two females and I want to keep one for a future milker, but haven't decided which yet. Any suggestions on how to decide?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), April 27, 2000

Answers

There is an excellent book by Harvey Considine, the nationally known and beloved goat judge, called Dairy Goat Judging Techniques. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is going to raise goats, even if they aren't going to show them in goat shows. It has a lot of pictures and tells how to size up a goat and get a pretty good idea of what to expect from her down the road. The book is well worth the price as it will tend to save a lot of money that would otherwise be wasted on buying or feeding does that are not going to produce well, or will produce for a year or two and then go downhill for various reasons. I ordered the book through the Dairy Goat Journal newspaper. But, until (or if you don't) get the book, there are some things to look for in a kid. The bite is very important. If her jaw juts out or recedes, or if her face is twisted, she will not be able to eat well and will tend to die at an earlier age, and not be able to eat enough to sustain good production.While you are looking at her head, compare the muzzles on the two does. You want a good full muzzle with wide nostrils, not a pinched, narrow one. The swiss breeds tend not to be over fleshed, but if you have Nubians or la Manchas, check to be sure that they are lean and trim without looking bony. A fat, muscular kid that is meaty is usually not going to milk well.I would look at the feet and legs pretty closely, because good feet and legs mean that the doe will be up on her feet longer, while a doe with poor fet or legs will break down sooner and get arthiritis. If the front feet turn out when she is standing squarely, or if her hocks scrape together, or if ,from the side view, there is not much angulation to the leg (posty), she may look fine now but will break down sooner than a doe with good legs.A kid should have a good long body, a long neck is also a good indicator that she has good dairy qualities. Also check the stance of the two kids from the rear. The area between the rear legs where the udder will be is called the escutcheon. You want this area to be as open and high and wide as possible. If it is split higher on one doe than the other, that doe will have a higher rear udder, and it will be attached more tightly.I like to see a lot of space between the rear legs, if the legs are hocky, that means they are going to be banging the udder all the time when she walks, and will get mastitis and bruises.Sometimes a doe will have twins, and one will be larger and stronger while the one that was smaller at birth is more correct structurally. In that case, I would tend to pick the more correct doe. She will grow and get larger with time, whereas her twin will not improve in structure. Of course, if one is a frail, puny little wimp that is struggling just to live even though it has the same feed, she will probably always be weak and sickly and need pampering. Generally speaking though, the smaller twin will catch right up with her sister in size in a few months.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), April 28, 2000.

Rebekkah has answered this so completely that all I can add is my personal experience. My first does were twin Saanens. They are fine looking animals in every regard. The smaller of the two is now the larger of the two, but they are strikingly similar in conformation.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), April 28, 2000.

I like length of body and openness of ribs, when you run your hand down their ribs, your fingers will fall inbetween them, the more open of the two wins. Also the amount of width in the front end, between the legs. Other than obvious culling in kids, (extra teats, mouth/bit fault, bad feet and legs, breed character) I like to freshen most of my kids (wouldn't have gone to all that trouble to look for the best semen or buck to breed my does to, to just up and sell all of them) then I cull as they freshen. Until they freshen you don't have any idea what they will turn out like. Great confomation still can have a lousy udder! Another great pick in a family milker is disposition! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 28, 2000.

I agree with Vickie, I like to check out ribs too. I also look at the teats and make sure there is no evidence of a twisted teat or pocket udder. I also like to check out lines too. although that seems to be a "click' with both the buck and doe used. I do know that sometimes the ugliest bucks in the world produce the most beautiful and best milking does.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), April 29, 2000.

Bernice, how do you tell if they are going to have a pocket udder? It sure would be nice if I could tell at an early age without having to freshen them first! Can you tell how severe the pocket will be( a huge hole or just a shelf?)

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), April 30, 2000.

you can feel the pocket at an early age. Feel the udder area, if you feel a pocket like area thats usually an indication of a pocket udder later.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), May 01, 2000.

What is a pocket udder?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), May 01, 2000.

A good fore udder should come up smoothly to the belly, with no gaps. A pocket udder is often well attached on the sides (or it would be pendulous all the way around)but the foreudder attachment is lacking, so that there is a gap, or pocket where the foreudder should be. On some does, it is just a mild shelf, which is alright,in others the gap is quite gaping and unsightly, and the gap is very hairy and collects dirt and dust,which falls into the pail when you milk. Some breeds seem to be more prone to pockets than others, and from what I have seen,perfect foreudders are a rarity in alpines(but they do tend to have nice rear udders).

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), May 04, 2000.