Trinidad and Tobago Goat and Sheep Society
Selecting Good Dairy Goats
Physical Traits
by John Borely
A “good dairy goat” must have a combination of positive qualities, all of which allow her to produce lots of milk, have numerous kids, and live a long productive life. Many traits go together to make a “good” goat, and if you learn to recognize these traits, you’ll be able to purchase better goats and even improve your breeding program.Look At Her General Appearance
Structurally, the doe should have a strong back to carry her relatively large body, tightly attached shoulders where the withers blend smoothly into the shoulder blades, strong, straight legs with short, strong pasterns designed to carry the goat around for a lifetime.
Does with these positive structural traits should be productive; they will have the strength to withstand the rigors of heavy milking, the mobility and verve for food consumption and the endurance for strenuous kid bearing for many years.
See if she has Dairy Character!
This is very important. A doe should look feminine; she should be lively and graceful. She should have widely sprung, or spaced, ribs with flat bones.
Feel the ribs and see- flat-boned does’ bones actually feel flatter; and the space between ribs will usually be wider.
Look at the goat’s Body Capacity!
A “good” doe has a capacious body, and you can see some of this potential capacity even in kids. Look for a doe with room for the lungs and heart in her chest. The body should be wide and deep and long which is indicator of the body’s ability to process lots of food into milk efficiently and to bear kids.
Look for a Well-Attached Udder!
You want your doe to milk well over a long lifetime. Udders must be tightly attached to the body both in front and in the back otherwise they will flop around, and be more prone to injury and disease. Finally, the udder must be large in relation to the doe’s size, and when the doe is milked out, ideally there should not be a lot of “beef” or “meat” in the udder. The more there is, the less capacity there is for milk.
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