Goats

LaMancha Dairy Goats

Our main goat herd was made up of LaMancha dairy goats. Here’s is a good article about LaMancha goats from Dairy Goat Journal found at Countryside Daily Magazine:

LaMancha Goat Spotlight From Dairy Goat Journal

A Dairy Goat Breed That Produces Milk High in Butterfat

The LaMancha is a type of dairy goat noted for its apparent lack of, or much reduced external ears. The LaMancha goat is medium in size and is also noted for a generally calm, quiet, and gentle temperament.

The LaMancha goat was developed in the 1930s in Oregon by Eula F. Frey when she crossed some short-eared goats believed to have Spanish blood in them with her outstanding Swiss and Nubian Bucks. The LaMancha has an excellent dairy temperament and is an all-around sturdy animal that can withstand a great deal of hardship and still produce. Through official testing, this breed has established itself in milk production with high butterfat.

The LaMancha face is straight, with ears being the distinctive breed characteristic. A Roman nose, that is typically a characteristic of a Nubian goat, is considered a moderate to serious breed defect of the LaMancha goat.

LaMancha goats do have ears; that is to say an auditory canal and other internal structures. It is the pinna that is visibly shrunken. It is not usually possible to use ear tags or ear tattoos for identification of individual LaMancha goats. Tattoos are normally placed on the tail web.

The LaMancha goat is typically a good 4H show goat. The LaMancha goat comes in just about any color. Any color or combination of colors is acceptable with no preferences. The hair is short, fine and glossy.

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The rest of the article can be read in context at LaMancha Goat Spotlight From Dairy Goat Journal.

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