The Goat Spot Forum banner

Out of curiosity...what are these called?

3K views 24 replies 18 participants last post by  Oreosmom 
#1 ·
Can someone educate me as to what these are called and how/why some goats have them and some don't? I call the things hanging "nubs". My June is just 6 weeks old and she is not only the cutest little thing, but also the sweetest. Please see pic
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#3 ·
They are an external non functioning tonsil. At least one parent has to have em in order for the kid to get em. Some breeders will remove them at birth. Makes it a pain in the butt to show clip.
 
#5 ·
Is it waddles or wattles? And personally I adore them! I don't clip but if I did, I would use the small muzzle/ear clippers around them.
 
#13 ·
Whoa! If mine had them hanging from their ears, I'd think that was weird also! I like the "tassels" comment. That's what I'm calling mine from now on!
 
#10 ·
Oh, lord, I didn't want to say it in case it upset someone, but 'waddles' has been cracking me up!

Here I've never heard anyone say anything other than 'wattles' :)

We also have a giant killer death-bird with them - the cassowary!

Edit: Tonsils are lymphatic tissue. Wattles are just skin and a small amount of flesh, not really an organ as such.
 
#12 ·
They are wattles, NOT waddles. Waddle is NOT just an alternative spelling. To waddle is to move in a particular manner (my Pygmy doe, in her fifth month of gestation, waddles in an humorous yet heartbreaking manner). As to whether or not we like them, we don't mind them if they are symmetrical, but otherwise they bother us. In that instance we tie them off tightly with dental floss and in short order they fall off.
 
#14 ·
I like wattles! I had my first wattled kids this year. Some of the wattles were nice and symmetrical, while others were small and kind of pill looking. I seems that however they look when the kid is born is how the wattles will look when the kid grows up.
 
#17 ·
Even if I didn't like them, I would never cut them off. I had a hard time banding my bucklings. I feel if GOD gave it to them, it was good enough for me.
 
#20 ·
I have a goat with wattles as well. :) Personally I love them!

Sky Cloud Plant Ecoregion Tree


And @FunnyfarmEve - I love the little darkish spot on your goat kid's head! When one of my doelings was 2-3 months old she had a similar one on her forehead. I was sad to see it go!

Plant Fawn Tree Terrestrial animal Goat-antelope
 
#23 ·
I always think it's funny that everyone follows the guy that said that wattles have no purpose. They actually do lol and several studies back up their purpose.
They are cooling organs. Goats that have them are 7.5% cooler in hot weather than goats who don't. They are actually more efficient than horns since goat biology doesn't control blood flow in horns like cattle do.

In a world of ordinary people a superman is not a king.
He cannot rule the world.
He is simply alone...
Dean Koontz
 
#25 · (Edited)
Both my girls have wattles, we love them. Glad to hear that they are functional too, it gets really warn here in the summer, can use all the help cooling them down that is available. It was so warm this summer we often douced the goats with cool water. They really didn't seem to mind after the first few drenches.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top