Who has Mini-Manchas...any in Texas?

TexCountryWoman · #1 05/18/06, 05:23 PM

I raise full sized LaManchas and I have an interest in the Mini-Manchas. I really am wondering about trying to market them. I live in an area where Boers are prevalent and Nubians are a popular dairy goat. I will stick with LaManchas as my dairy breed but wonder alot about the little Mini-Manchas as a possible side-line in years to come.

Who raises them and how do you sell your kids? Is there much of a market for them at all? Is it still a breeders market or what?

Laura Workman · #2 05/19/06, 10:57 PM

I have Mini Manchas. It never was a breeders market that I know of, if you mean high, pyramid scheme-type prices. For some reason, when people first started breeding these goats, they decided to price them like low-grade crosses. You can still find first generation animals selling for $75 in some places.

As far as only breeders being interested in owning Mini Manchas, it turns out that there are a lot of people out there who want a milk goat, but don't want all the size of a standard breed. They also want more milk than the typical Nigerian will give. Minis fill that niche very nicely. In fact, I spent a good bit of time looking for something like the Minis when I first got goats, couldn't find any, and bought Nigerians. Unhappy with the production, I bought standard goats. Unhappy with the low butterfat and huge production, and having heard at last about the developing Mini breeds, I took the plunge and have never looked back.

I have a very small herd, but have never had trouble selling my kids. I put new kid pictures on my website, then run an ad in the Little Nickel with my website URL in the ad. 20 words, 13 areas, 3 weeks, $60. This year, the ad broke on Thursday, and my five available kids were sold by the following Tuesday. I've referred a number of calls to my friend who also has minis, and I think hers will be sold, and my last upcoming litter well on the way to being sold, before the demand from my one ad wears thin. I got two inquiries last night, and another today while I was at work, and this is the third week of the ad.

I had six second generation kids this year, and retained one. One doeling with upright ears (not breed standard) I sold for $125, the rest went for $175 and $225. These are really nice kids from very productive dams, and as you can see, the prices are nowhere near what you'd pay for a well-bred Nigerian or Standard goat. And my prices tend to run on the high side of the scale!

TexCountryWoman · #3 05/20/06, 10:50 AM

Thankyou for so much info. I love my Lamanchas and am wondering what I might do with them as i get older and more decrepit, LOL. It is something to certainly look into. Ease of handling is certainly a vertue, not that my larger goats are that hard. But giving shots to a mini-buck is bound to be a bit easier even though my full-sized LM buck is fairly mellow. that in itself would be a selling point......"goats for the old and feeble-jointed".....

Is there a good website re; Mini-manas or breeding minis in general, as far as the generations and selection?

Laura Workman · #4 05/21/06, 01:52 AM

You can go to the MDGA (Miniature Dairy Goat Association) website for info. There's a link to it on the bottom right corner of my home page.

TexCountryWoman · #5 05/21/06, 09:58 AM

Thanks!

dbarjacres · #6 05/23/06, 04:52 PM

Diane, I wish I were in Texas looking for minis and not in WI! They are almost ALL in TX!!!

There is a nice set of first generation twins right now by Dallas area at Flat Rocks Farms that I was going to purchase but couldn't cause of personal reasons, but it's a buck and doe out of a nice proven line of mini manchas and by their top ND buck, heck of a price on them too and will be reg. talk to Sunni at Flat Rocks - www.flatrocksfarms.com

There's a few other breeders down there too, but I've contacted them even when they have for sale ads and never hear back, so don't know if they just won't ship or if they don't care to sell what's for sale, but they are down there for sure. I love my mini lamanchas!!

TexCountryWoman · #7 05/23/06, 04:57 PM

Thanks.....but i could not get that site to come up.

Anyway, my regular size Lamanchas are really small. I have a couple of doelings that are bred to a full-sized Lamancha buck that I am terribly worried about. They are due in several weeks and I am just wondering if I should have bred them to a mini or a ND. They are very small of stature, 26 and 27 inches tall, 13 months old.

dbarjacres · #8 05/23/06, 05:02 PM

Sorry, it's www.flatrockfarms.com no "s" on the "rock". oops! She doesn't have them pictured on there, but as of last Monday they were available yet. She's a super nice person.

TexCountryWoman · #9 05/23/06, 09:36 PM

Thanks!

TexCountryWoman · #10 05/27/06, 10:04 PM

Well, I am happy to announce that we have added two lovely MiniMancha doelings to our herd. We attended the goat show in Hempstead, Texas today and after seeing them, we could not resist. We brought home two beautiful highly colored spotted and very attractive 5 month old 3rd generation doelings. They make our regular LaMancha 10-11 week old babies look so big! We just love them! We already have a buck lined up for breeding, no time too soon, and can't wait to get to know them better.

Laura Workman · #11 05/27/06, 11:36 PM

Congratulations on your new minis! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do mine!