Wattles are hair-covered appendages of the flesh that naturally hang from the throat area of the goat. In a concise form, they can be described as “beards of the goats.”
Do both males and females have wattles or neck dangles? Or is it only the female goats? All these questions and more will be treated as you look into the article.
Do Female Goats Have Wattles?
Yes, female goats possess wattles. Wattles or goat neck balls can be seen on male and female goats.
Boer goats, dairy goats, and pygmy goats are likelier to have wattles than other breeds of goats.
Can Wattles Be Found In Other Parts Of The Body?
Sometimes, wattles can be found in other parts of the goat’s body. Some goats have one wattle, some have wattles halfway down their neck, and others near their ears. They are called “misplaced wattles.”.
In rare cases, wattles can be found on the cheeks, necks, shoulders, and even on the ear lobes of goats. However, these misplaced wattles serve no function or purpose on the goat.
And, in most cases, they are not harmful to the goat other than making it need extra care and attention.
Why do goats have balls on their neck?
Wattles or goat neck balls, as I have said earlier, are just hair-covered appendages of the flesh on the throat area of the goat.
Wattles are dominant, just like blue eyes or polled genetics. They serve no purpose other than making the goat look different and unique. They are neither protective nor harmful to the goats.
Can You Remove Goat Wattles?
Yes, you can remove them. Wattles can be easily removed during castration or disbudding of kids at a very young age.
You should note that you cannot get a kid with wattles from two non-wattled parent goats. Some breeders remove the wattles to give their goats a cleaner appearance, while most breeders will choose to have it.
You should note that even if you remove wattles, you cannot remove the structures below the skin, and the underneath structure can give rise to a wattle cyst that can later bring forth wattles.
Are Wattles Harmful To Goats?
Wattles are not harmful to goats, except in a few cases. Occasionally, a lump known as a wattle cyst can grow at the base of a wattle attachment.
These cysts can fill with fluid but are non-contagious. Although they can look like a CL abscess, they are benign and do not spread to other goats. Apart from this, it poses no serious harm to the goats.
How to Safely remove goat wattles
Bring the goats closely, restrain their movement by placing them in a knot box or holding them in your arms, and hold their wattles. Pull it slowly, feel the knot, and cut just below it. It can result in minor soreness or bleeding.
You are advised to do it when the goat is younger. Because if you do it when the goat is still a kid, there will be minimal bleeding. And restraining the kid will be easier.
You can also tie some dental floss tightly around the wattles, and they will fall off. This works perfectly for baby goats.
Also, you can shave the hair around the wattle to remove it. Cut the wattle connecting at the top and bottom around the cattle cyst through the skin.
After cutting, you can then sear it. Then suture the skin with two stitches and spray the surface with a funeral viola. If you can’t do it yourself, call your veterinary doctor.
In removing wattles from goats, add precautions to avoid harming your goats. Goats are exceptionally delicate, and their skin can be sensitive at times. However, wattles can be adorable on female goats, so you can leave them on them.
