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One only need look at the head of the LaMancha goat to know this breed as it is has a very distinct feature. The head appears to not have any ears. The earliest American known versions of the LaMancha are attributed to breeding done by Phoebe Wilhelm who owned a herd of over one hundred LaMancha goats during the 1920's.

The LaMancha were also bred by Eula Fay Frey who crossed an unknown breed of short-eared buck named Tommy with a Nubian-French Alpine doe. Born in the late 1930's, the doe that was born as a result of this cross-breeding (Peggy) was described by Mrs. Frey as "very intelligent and I taught her several tricks". In an

article written by Mrs. Frey, she mentions "I milked Tommy's mother just once and was amazed at the amount of milk produced by so small an animal".

The LaMancha notable for the size of its ears is considered the only American dairy goat. The high amount of milk that this goat produces is desirable because of the high butterfat content in the milk. On average, this breed can produce over 2000 pounds of milk with 3.9 percent butterfat content, and 3.1 percent protein. Breeders describe the LaMancha as a dependable dairy goat that can be milked for two years without rebreeding.

Not only is this breed of dairy goat dependable for milk production it is also highly adaptable to different environments. The characteristics of the LaMancha have made it quite popular as a pet since it has a docile demeanor and lovable disposition. The ears are very small which make it appear as if it has no ears at all. The nose is straight and can be found in a variety of colors. A LaMancha doe averages 130 pounds and 28 inches in height.

LaMancha goats are described to have two types of ears. The "gopher ear" will appear to be "shriveled" and doesn't have a fold. The external part of the ear cannot exceed one inch. A buck must have the gopher ear in order to be registered. The "elf ear" cannot exceed two inches in length. The end of the ear will be turned up or down and cartilage that shapes the ear is permissible. Breeding of two "elf eared" goats can result in a normal (erect) eared goat.

The origin of the US LaMancha breed is not fully known. The Spanish missionaries who colonized California brought short-eared goats to the United States which may have been the first LaMancha goats in the US. Some attribute these true American LaMancha goats to the breeding done by Phoebe Wilhelm while others give credit to Ms. Eula F. Frey. The LaMancha was accepted as a registry breed in January of 1958 with Fay's Ernie, L-1 being called the first true LaMancha goat on the registry.

References:

STOREY'S GUIDE TO RAISING DAIRY GOATS, by Jerry Belanger, copyright 2001.

http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/goa t/factsheet/LaMancha.htm

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/br eeds/goats/lamancha/index.htm

http://www.goatworld.com/artic les/lamanchahistory.shtml

http://www.lamanchas.com/lm-hi story.htm

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