Goat Anatomy

You call your vet about a problem in that ” lumpy area behind the front leg,” “thing-a-majig ” or ” doohickey,” in referring to the parts of your goat. Maybe its time to impress your vet and goat friends with a comprehensive knowledge of the parts of your goat by their anatomically correct names! This illustration will serve as a guide, but for those with text-only browsers, we offer the following text descriptions:

(Numbers in parentheses indicate total number of that part on the animal -
we list only those parts which can be viewed from the exterior.) 

PARTS OF THE HEAD:

Poll (top of head where horns may or may not be located – 2), eyes, ears, forehead (1), bridge of nose (1), muzzle (which includes mouth, nostril and chin) and jaw (1) NECK, THROAT (the underside of the neck)

PARTS OF THE LEGS:

Moving up from the bottom: Hooves (made up of the toe, heel and sole – 4), dewclaws (those funny things above the hooves in the back of all four legs – 4), pastern (4), cannon bone (4), knee (front legs – 2), hocks (rear legs – 2)

Attachment of Rear Legs to Body:

Thighs (2), stifle (2), flank (2)

Attachment of Front Legs to Body:

Upper leg (2), Point of elbow (2), chest floor (area between front legs as viewed from the front – 1), point of shoulder (2), shoulder blade (2)

PARTS OF THE BODY:

Starting from the neck into the top of the animal: withers (1), chine (1), loin (1), hips (2), rump (1) and tail (1). The first five parts make up the animal’s topline.

Sides of the body: crops (below the withers – 2), ribs, thurl (2) Front: brisket (1) Circumference measurements: heart girth (around the body behind the front legs) and barrel (around the widest part of the ribs)

Underside: navel, milk vein (does only)  

ESCUTCHEON: That area forming an upside-down “U” under the tail encompassing the anus, genitalia and rear udder attachment on does

EXTERNAL REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS: 

Does: vulva, Bucks: scrotum and penis 

UDDER PARTS: Rear udder (upper part of udder where it attaches to the body as viewed from the rear), Medial suspensory ligament (tendon bisecting the udder and providing support to the mammary system), udder floor, teats (2), Foreudder (where udder attaches to the underside of the doe)

Source: American Goat Society Judge’s Training Manual Photo courtesy of Shaula Parker, Willow Creek Nigerian Dwarfs, Willow Park, Texas