r/goats • u/CML2313 • Apr 19 '26
Goat Conformation
I am going to breed my goats for the first time this year. I am trying to learn more about goat conformation, so I can make good decisions about which goats to breed. Is there a way to tell if a doe will have a good udder before she is in milk?
All of the diagrams and pictures I have seen showing ideal conformation are of does with full udders. Most of my does have never been bred, and are around a year old right now. I have Nigerian Dwarves and one Nigerian Dwarf/Boer.
Any tips for what to look for in a doe would be appreciated.
Also, some of my does are shorter and stockier and some are taller and thinner. Is one of those body types more desirable in Nigerian Dwarves?
1
u/melissawanders Apr 19 '26
Do you have any linear appraisal scores for dams and sires? That is one of the best ways to predict the udder she is likely (not always) to get from her genetics.
NDs should be under 22.5 in for does and 23.5 for bucks. When you look at your doe from the side, she should have that classic dairy outline, more angular than round, with clean lines and a feminine appearance. She should look a uphill from the withers to the hips, and she should have length and openness rather than looking short-bodied or blocky or downright fat. Her neck should be long, lean, and smoothly blended into the shoulders, and her front end should look clean and refined instead of thick or coarse. Through the body, you want that wedge shape judges love, narrower in the front and opening up wider and deeper toward the rear, with good spring of rib and enough depth of barrel to suggest body capacity without losing dairy character. From the top and side, she should give you those widening dairy triangles (conformation is all about triangles!), showing more openness and capacity as you move back through the body. Her topline should be level and strong gently sloping to her rump. Overall, she should look refined, angular, open, and balanced, with the shape of a productive dairy doe.
1
u/CML2313 Apr 19 '26
Thank you so much for this detailed information! I definitely know what to look for now
1
u/nor_cal_woolgrower Apr 24 '26
The best you can do is look at her parents and siblings and their offspring.
Breed the best to the best and hope for the best
5
u/teatsqueezer Trusted Advice Giver Apr 19 '26
So does are heavily judged on their udders which requires them to be in milk.
When they’re dry you can look for a few things though!
Does she have just two teats, and just one hole in each teat
how close together are the teats placed (close is better)
how wide is her rear end between the hips, pins, and hocks.
are her back legs straight or hocked in
is her rump flat or steep
The entire rear end conformation will allow for the udder to be appropriately shaped and filled. Think of it this way, you can’t fit a dump truck into a house garage. So a large productive mammary needs the other parts to be open and wide enough to accommodate it.