Nasser Al Alwi knew pretty much what to expect from his Dh3,000 prize billy goat: good breeding quality, an inquisitive and intelligent nature, and about 15 years of productive life.

 

What he did not expect, however, was milk.

 

So no one was more surprised than Mr. Al Alwi when his billy goat sprouted two udders and started producing what appears to be top-quality goats’ milk.

 

With commendable caution in the light of what would be a veterinary miracle, the Emirati farmer has not yet tasted the product. “We are waiting for the lab test results to make sure the milk is of good quality and fit for human consumption and whether it could be used for medicinal purposes,” he said.

 

Mr. Al Alwi said he could not explain the phenomenon and noted that, with the exception of its udders, the goat retains all of its male physiological characteristics.

 

Dr. Ulrich Wernery, director of the central veterinary laboratory in Dubai, said it was impossible for a male goat to produce milk.

 

Dr. Renata Derosayro, a vet at the Al Ain branch of the British Veterinary Clinic, was equally sceptical.

 

“Perhaps he has invested in some sort of hormonal treatment to allow the development of an udder but otherwise no - a male goat, unless by a miracle, should not be able to suddenly develop an udder.”

 

However, a similar incident occurred in 2009 when another Emirati farmer, Khalifa Al Nuaimi, discovered one of his prize male goats had started to produce milk. The animal’s male organs were said to have been pushed back by the udder, described as “big and bulky”.

 

Mr. Al Nuaimi, whose farm was in Masakin, a suburb of Al Ain, obtained half a litre of good-quality milk from the goat.

 

 

PHOTO: Emirati farmer Nasser Al Alwi with his billy goat who has started to produce milk. Anas Kanni / Al Ittihad