Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Have had a calf this evening that has 6 teats i read that you can cut the extra 2 off but are they the front 2 or back 2

Regards simon

It is usually the back ones - I have known it be the middle ones BUT it is usually obvious as extra ones tend to be much smaller. If they are all the same size or the extra ones are not obviously much smaller I would be very wary about removal and whether or not I really wanted to keep her for breeding. This is because larger extra teats can have a milk supply and even when removed can still have milk behind them but are then normally blind, so can still cause a problem with mastitis, rather obviously the problem of extra teats passes on to following generations.

If it was mine I would only remove small extra teats.

Stephanie

If you are a novice i would take visual advice from some one with experience, god forbid you cut the wrong ones off!

Have had a better look the rear pair look to be less than half the size of front four would attach photo but cant work out how to do this many thank for advise so far.

Regards Simon

The way I would upload images is to open an account (free) with photobucket.com. Upload your photos to your photobucket album.

Go to your album, select the photo and underneath it hover over "direct link" (not the only option but the one I use). Click on it and the address of the image will be copied to your clipboard (if you're using a Mac do a Command C as well).

Create your new post in this forum, click the image button, then paste the link you have just copied to your clipboard in between the two image commands that have just appeared in your post.

First one's a bit of a pain but after that it's easy.

We never remove extra teats. We have had several 'supernumeraries' and have never had an issue with new calves going hungry from attaching to the wrong ones. I would rather have the evidence in front of me all the time, reminding me that this is not a cow to save a bull from. I am aware of show-winners who had extra teats removed as babies. Not good.
Margaret