Up until yesterday, I didn't know that yearlings lose their first teeth. Of course it makes total sense, I just had never read about it in all my hours and hours of searching out the web for goat info.

When I went out to the goat barn yesterday evening, I was worried when I saw that our yearling LaMancha doe was missing two teeth. I feared that I had done something wrong to have her health be so mysteriously bad that she would lose teeth. That lasted a few minutes until I plunked around in google for answers...I figured that someone sometime had mentioned about goats losing teeth and vio'la I hit gold. :o)

So this post is just to soothe anyone's mind that is newer to goats like I am (bear with me you veterans! )

Now, I don't plan on taking her to any shows until August when the 4-H fair starts so her looks are no prob. But... should I worry about her not being able to eat properly? Might she need anything for painful gums? I don't want her to lose weight- she's pretty thin already. Scraping bark off of a log is probably what helped loosen the baby/milk teeth this week.

Thanks

-- Wendy Hannum (wendy@skywardinternet.com), April 18, 2002

Answers

Hi Wendy, you should have forwarded the post you found! Yes they loose their front two teeth right before or after they turn a year. Back in the days before Boer, Nubians of the beefier strain (like mine) were the meat goats at the wether shows for 4H. You always had to warn kids not to buy a buckling who was going to be anywhere near 1 by the date of the show, because sure enough they would loose their tooth! Superglue anyone?

You would not be discounted at a show! It is perfectly normal for does to look weird at that age, and most if you add the gangly long legged yearling look to their missing teeth, perhaps they should stay home anyway??? :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 18, 2002.