# Tell me about wattles



## CJBegins (Nov 20, 2009)

My buck has wattles and so far both babies have them. I have read about them and it's primarily a dairy goat trait but I look at all the new baby goat pics that people post and almost all of them don't have wattles. Are they cutting them off? I considered it on my doeling cause one is on her ear and one on her neck....didn't do it though.

Are they a bad thing? What do you all do about them?


----------



## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

Most people love wattles. They are inherited trait from what I understand. I rather like them.


----------



## mpete (Mar 4, 2008)

Not all goats have wattles.
Some people do cut them off... I do not... I love wattles! In fact my new pack prospect has wattles that resemble Christmas tree balls! They are just absolutely FUZZY!!!! lol

They are not a bad thing. Some people say they originated to help in a predator attack... If something grabs for the neck the wattles may get grabbed first and get ripped off instead of it going for the rest of the throat. I have heard a couple of other things about the origination, but I don't remember them right now.


----------



## prairiedog (Jan 18, 2007)

I love wattles.


----------



## Dreamgoat Annie (Nov 28, 2011)

Here is my wattles sidebar from _The Backyard Goat_ (I love wattles!).

Sue

===========
Wattle It Be

What are those globs of skin dangling on that goatâs neck? Theyâre wattles. Or, if you prefer waddles, toggles, tassels, waggles, lassies, or cutaneous cervical appendices. Not all goats have them and they serve no physiological purpose at all. 

According to Mary C. Smith and David M. Sherman (_Goat Medicine_; see Resources) wattles âcontain a central cartilaginous core, smooth muscles, connective tissue, nerves, and blood vessels.â Theyâre usually an inch to two inches or so in length.

Pairs of wattles generally dangle from their wearerâs throats but they can crop up anywhere, particularly on the head or neck. They are found on both sexes and nearly all breeds but theyâre especially common on Swiss dairy goats like Alpines, Saanens, and Toggenburgs.

Wattles are thought to be inherited as a single dominant gene (bucks and does with wattles are likely to produce kids with wattles) and wattles can be a good thing; according to a study conducted in 1980, Saanen does with wattles produced 13 percent more milk than those without.

However, cute as they are, many breeders remove their goatsâ wattles. This is because kids sometimes suck on their peersâ wattles, wattles are somewhat discouraged in the show ring, and they sometimes interfere with goatsâ collars. Another reason: wattle cysts occasionally develop at the base of a wattle. Though wattle cysts fill with clear fluid and are often mistaken for caseous lymphadenitis abscesses, they are harmless.

Those who remove them usually wrap a snug rubber band around newborn kidsâ wattles; with circulation restricted by the rubber band, the wattles fall off in a week or so.

Other people simply snip them off. If you think you must remove your goatâs wattles, restrain him, disinfect a pair of sharp scissors and the area at the base of the wattle, then holding it out away from your goat, snip the wattle off at the thin spot where it attaches to his body. Usually there isnât any bleeding.
=============


----------



## Hollowdweller (Jul 13, 2011)

Huge wattle fan here.:bandwagon:


----------



## rootsandwings (Apr 20, 2004)

I don't like them, but I wouldn't cut them off!

(I have nubians, so wattles don't seem to be an issue)

It seems like they would make it harder to trim for show?


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I love wattles!!


----------



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Both of my origional ND's have them, and pass them on to about 60% of their kids. I love them too! Goat jewelry!


----------



## JBarGFarmKeeper (Nov 1, 2011)

I don't have wattles on any of my goats but have been tempted to buy one just because she had wattles and I am fascinated by them.


----------



## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

Love them wattles!! My old Saanen girl Louise has them. I'd say less than 50% of her kids had them.


----------



## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

The only thing I know about waddles is that they have to be the cutest stinking things EVER!


----------



## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

I like 'em myself, but none of my goats have 'em.


----------



## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

I have a doe with them. Last year she gave me a buck kid with a wattle and a half.  

If they had one in a wierd spot it would probably 'bother' me, so I may choose to remove them at that point... but if they're in a 'normal' spot, I love them and will just leave 'em. No use, just cute.


----------



## BethW (May 3, 2007)

I adore wattles! My ND, Tango, has them. He loves to lean his head into my chest and close his eyes while I scratch his wattles. They're very cute


----------



## Creamers (Aug 3, 2010)

One of my Saanen does has only one wattle - lol


----------



## ShadowfaxFarm (Jul 23, 2011)

My Saanen buck has wattles & three of his five kids born so far this year have wattles! I think they're cute ...by the way anyone wanting an elf-eared/wattled 1/2 Saanen 1/2 Lamancha buckling I have one of the cutest ever!! Meet Bear








and his half sister by a Nubian/Lamancha doe. this little gal, Daphne, could be Bear's twin by looks


----------



## MaddieLynn (Nov 23, 2011)

Shadowfax I think you stole our kid... he looks JUST like that! He's a pure LaMancha, though.


----------



## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

I love Bear! If only you were closer....I have two Saanen does (and hopefully a doeling coming from one of them) who'll need a handsome husband next year!


----------



## CJBegins (Nov 20, 2009)

The black doeling has a wattle on her right ear and one normally place on her neck, her brother has them in the normal location.


----------



## saanengirl (Apr 7, 2009)

I like wattles. Last year when I was purchasing my bucks, I had a choice of two bucks in a litter, one with wattles, one without. I chose the one with wattles. His first kids were born Saturday morning, and all three of them had wattles. Since my other Saanen buck does not have wattles it is easy to tell the kids of the two bucks apart


----------



## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

CJ, she looks like she's wearing an earring. Cute!


----------



## CJBegins (Nov 20, 2009)

It does look like an earring. Kinda goofy looking with it being just one....lol. These are the first goat babies born here and I will tell ya.....I am hooked. I am currently waiting on my Dora to kid. She is a togg/alpine cross that I bottle raised last year....my very first goat. I am so excited.......


----------



## AmberLBowers (Nov 28, 2008)

I love wattles, our Pygmy/ND doe has them as do her bucklings. Double Stuff used his moms wattles as a "paci". Cutest thing ever!


----------



## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

I don't like the look of them. They just never grew me. (punny eh?) Of the three kids our doe delivered, one has wattles, the other two do not. They are perfectly shaped and spaced equally under each ear like earrings. We'd thought about removing them, but hey - I wouldn't appreciate someone tinkering with my perceived imperfections (unless they were life threatening), so what gives me the right to start docking things off of her? We left them. It's how nature made her. (To that end, it irritates me also how the tails and ears are so often docked on various breeds of dog for appearance sake).


----------



## anita_fc (May 24, 2008)

Lol! Funny thing... I didn't like wattles to begin with. Then I bought a Pygmy doe that had them (who became my favorite, personality-wise) and they kind of grew on me (no pun intended.) Bred to a buck without wattles she produced a doe with wattles and a buck without.


----------

