Goats have been bred by humans for millennia. Like cows, these animals have two areas of productivity - meat and dairy. Universal breeds are also kept on farms. From them you can get a lot of not only meat, but also milk. These include an unusual goat - lamancha.
History of La Mancha
Lamb goat was bred at the beginning of the last century in the United States, in Oregon. The American biologist F. Frey conducted the selection work. Short-eared Spanish (introduced to the USA in the 30s), Nubian, Swiss and some others became the parent species for this goat. The breed was registered in the winter of 1958. The goat received the name "lamancha" from the name of that province of Spain from which its ancestors were brought.
Animals of this breed are bred in countries such as the USA, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Iran, Latvia. Many Russian farmers also contain them. In our country, lamancha is distributed mainly in the Urals and in Kabardino-Balkaria. Also these goats are bred in Rostov and some other areas.
Unusual goat lamancha: description of the breed
The color of these highly productive animals can be any. The shade of wool is not regulated by standards. There are white, black, spotted, brown, etc. lamb goats. On the farms both hornless representatives of this breed and horned ones can be bred.
Lamancha - a goat is very unusual. It is simply impossible to confuse it with any other breed. The main distinguishing feature of its exterior is its very short ears. At the first glance at the animal, an uninitiated person might even think that the goat does not have them at all. Due to the small size of the ears, these animals look unusually cute and touching.
The main features of the breed, among other things, include:
- strong physique;
- wedge-shaped body;
- straight or slightly convex profile;
- strong strong limbs;
- very well developed udder;
- smooth short silky coat.
Goat Ears: Features
There are only two varieties of this breed:
- gopher ear (gopher ears, or corrugated);
- elf ear (elf ears).
In terms of productivity and technology of care, these two species are completely no different. The ears of the gopher ear in goats have a size of no more than 2.5 cm. Moreover, they are completely devoid of cartilage. But elf ear is a little longer - up to 5 cm. Cartilage is present in them, but very small. Too long ears in both varieties, according to standards, are considered a defect.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the La Mancha breed are primarily:
- undemanding to the conditions of detention;
- lack of an unpleasant "goat" smell;
- the ability to lactate for 2 years without mating;
- multiplicity and vitality of young animals.
Lamancha is a goat (the description was given by us above), which in one lamb can bring 3-4 cubs. This breed is also valued for very tasty milk, which has absolutely no specific smell.
The disadvantages of goat lamanca include:
- Roman nose;
- the difficulty of caring for small ears.
Farmers breeding this breed of goats, constantly have to ensure that dirt and water do not get into the ears of animals. In addition, due to such an unusual feature, the goat is very difficult to tag. After all, putting a tag on her little ears is simply impossible. These animals are labeled usually by tattooing on the hairless part of the tail.
Character Features
Lamancha - the goat is very friendly and obedient. With representatives of any other varieties of farm and domestic animals, this breed gets along on the compound very well. To the conditions of detention, this breed is completely undemanding. Her character, unlike many other breeds, is very calm and not shy. Lamancha quickly becomes attached to her masters and loves when they show concern for her.
Breed productivity
The dimensions of the meat and milk goats of the lamancha are not too large. Males can reach a height at the withers of 75-95 cm. Goats grow to 71-75 cm. The weight of an adult male is 60-70 kg. Some individuals reach 100 kg. Females weigh 55-65 kg.
High milk production is also what distinguishes the goat lamancha. Milk from one individual per day can be 4-5 liters. Sometimes this indicator rises to 8 or even 9 liters.
The taste of milk of these goats, as already mentioned, is simply excellent. Its fat content is on average 4%. In any case, lamancha goat milk is considered much more useful than cow milk. Cattle on pastures feed on only fifty species of grass. Lamancha can eat five hundred. Therefore, various kinds of vitamins and minerals in its milk contain much more.
Content Features
Lamncha - the goat is very unpretentious. This is an absolute plus of the breed. However, providing these animals with decent living conditions is, of course, necessary. A barn for goats should be built dry, fairly spacious and bright. If they are supposed to be bred for sale, inside it is necessary to equip the premises for vaults and to make room for manufacturers.
Be sure to develop a balanced diet for animals. In summer, these goats, like any others, are driven out to pasture. In addition to green food, animals should receive concentrated and juicy. Goats need to be given crushed, bran, root crops.
In winter, animals are fed mainly with concentrates, hay and straw. In addition, brooms are prepared for goats. You can feed them twisted branches, for example, trees such as willow or elm. Birch brooms are not recommended. This large amount of food can lead to kidney disease.
Lamancha goat breed : farmer reviews
Owners of the farmsteads of these animals are praised primarily for very good milk. It is sweet, rich and dense. In terms of taste, many compare it with the milk of Nubian goats. According to many owners of household plots, lamancha is the calmest breed of all that is grown on the farmsteads. Farmers do not notice any serious shortcomings. The only thing, many recommend grazing these goats separately from other breeds. Since their character is very calm, more nimble tribesmen sometimes offend them.
Conclusion
Well, hopefully, we talked in enough detail about what the breed of goat lamanca is. Description, photos presented on the page - all this allows us to judge it as one of the most problem-free and productive today. Provide your wards with proper care, and they will thank you with good milk yield and large gains.