Can Hermaphrodite Goats Get Pregnant? Hermaphroditic goats aren’t all that rare, but many view them as strange goats that should be used as scapegoats.
Typically, when two naturally hornless goats breed, around 1 in 5 of the offspring ends up being a hermaphrodite; hence the disturbing question, can hermaphrodite goats get pregnant?
The answer is no; hermaphrodite goats cannot get pregnant, even though they possess both the testes and ovaries. You will understand better in this post. Before going further, I would like us to understand the concept of a true hermaphrodite.
The Concept of a True Hermaphrodite
True hermaphrodite only occurs in mammals when an animal possesses both female and male genes. They contain both the XX and XY chromosomes in their DNA.
This comes through the biological process called “chimerism,” when two fertilized eggs or young embryos of opposite sexes fuse to develop into one baby. So the baby mammal, a gonad of both sexes, is called the true hermaphrodite.
Sometimes the external genitalia may appear much like one sex. However, there is the potential for a true hermaphrodite to be fertile. In recent times hermaphrodite has been broken down into two due to the nature of their formation: mosaicism and chimerism. Unlike hermaphrodites, chimerism results from the infusion of two fraternal twins.
On the other hand, mosaicism results when a single egg undergoes mutation after a few splits. The mutation is passed down to and now reflects in a percentage of the body’s cells, not the entirety. Chimeras and Mosaics are rare to see but also classified under true hermaphrodites.
Horned hermaphrodites can either be mosaics or chimeras. However, in this article, I will be based on pseudohermaphrodites. This is the type of hermaphrodite that can also be called intersex.
Can A Hermaphrodite Goat Have Babies?
Hermaphrodite goats cannot breed and have babies but will exhibit characteristics of both bucks and do in them and contain both the testes and ovaries. Although strange, the hermaphrodite goat cannot get pregnant. Despite its fertility, it remains a valued goat type that one does not easily come by.
Although hermaphrodite goats have the physical capability to produce both sperm and eggs, they are unable to breed and reproduce. This is because the internal structures required for successful fertilization, such as a fully functional uterus and a complete set of female reproductive organs, are typically absent or underdeveloped in hermaphrodite goats. As a result, they cannot get pregnant or give birth to offspring.
Despite their infertility, hermaphrodite goats hold a unique and valuable position within the goat breeding community. Their rarity makes them highly sought after by collectors, hobbyists, and those interested in studying animal genetic anomalies.
What is a Pseudo Hermaphrodite Goat?
A pseudo hermaphrodite goat genetically is a female goat that has been masculinized. They possess either the ovaries or testes but most times are infertile. Their external genitalia may look female or male, with plenty of ambiguity.
Clinically, most goat hermaphrodites are male pseudohermaphrodites because they possess testes. However, true hermaphrodites have both testes and ovaries. The latter is very rare to see in goats.
Male Goat pseudohermaphrodites are genetically female. At birth, they appear to be female goats on the external. Still, when they hit puberty, they grow larger than the average female goat and begin exhibiting aggressiveness toward other goats, including humans, during the breeding season.
Usually, the testes are located in the abdomen, but sometimes they can be partly descended and be confused for an udder.
Note that pseudohermaphroditism is not generalized; no two cases may look identical. It differs most times. A pseudo hermaphrodite can be found in most breeds but is more common among Western European breeds such as Alpine, Saanen, and Toggenburg.
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Advantages of Hermaphrodite Goats
Though hermaphrodite goats look strange, they aren’t all that bad, and research has shown they are beneficial. So we will look at some benefits of having a hermaphrodite goat.
Hermaphrodite goats have proven to be great companions for bucks. However, they have to be pseudohermaphrodites so you can be guaranteed that they are sterile.
Because of their female characteristics, you can use them to tease the bucks to prepare for breeding. Also, they have the same pheromones as bucks and can easily excite the does when kept with them, helping you accurately indicate their heat cycles.
Furthermore, a true hermaphrodite goat is very valuable, especially a fertile one. In some pagan religions in the medieval world, milk from hermaphrodite goats is considered sacred and valued and only used for special occasions. They are mostly sold at very high prices. Some pagan religions view the hermaphrodite goat as a divine realization due to its infusion of both.
Concept of Freemartinism
A freemartin is a type of false hermaphrodite goat which is not common. However, it is more prevalent in cattle than goats.
Genetically, A freemartin goat is a female goat with higher testosterone levels and is sterile. Freemartinism occurs in goats when the female goats have a male twin, and their placentas merge at the very early stage of their pregnancy in that they share some blood and hormones.
This results in a higher level of testosterone that causes underdevelopment of the female reproductive tract in the freemartin goat. The male twin remains unaffected by this exchange.
Due to the blood and cell transfer in the womb, the blood of a freemartin goat will contain both the XX and XY DNA. This results in a kind of chimera without the fusion of embryonic cells. They usually look like the true hermaphrodite, so a blood test is needed to distinguish the freemartin goats.
I hope you loved and found this article interesting. For more related posts, do check the posts below.
