LaManchas????

Cashs Cowgirl · #1 08/28/06, 08:55 PM

I am going to look at a herd of LaMancha's tomorrow and see about maybe getting a milk goat from the. Anything I should look for good or bad? I don't want to look like a total beginner tomorrow with questions! and what to look at for a good milker.

I will ask about CAE and CL testing, though I don't have any goats here right now. Also what age does one normally start milking them....TIA!

ihedrick · #2 08/28/06, 09:14 PM

In order to milk, the goat has to have kidded and began producing milk. you could get a young doeling and raise her up to be friendlier; but wouldn't be able to breed her for awhile. Or maybe the place youre going has socialized goats that are already in milk and used to being milked. I would ask about health care such as shots and worming schedule. Look at the goats feet to see if they have been trimmed or if they're too long. Check out their pens and such to see how they areused to being cared for.

TexCountryWoman · #3 08/29/06, 02:01 PM

Good advice. You may have already gone to look at the goats as you posted yesterday but I'll give my bit anyway. You don't have to buy the first goats you see. Check the breed standard on the www.adga.org site. And buyer beware. There are many wonderful goat breeders out there, but many of us have stories of those that we trusted and then took us for a ride.

Don't buy a goat with a runny nose even if the breeder says it's been treated or it's just allergies. Don't buy a goat with anything wrong with it that you can see.. No horns either, they will only bring you grief. Just bow out gracefully and say that you have two more stops to make and will call and let them know. And then do call. No reason to make yourself look bad.

Then again, this place you are going may be a wonderful place! If so, tell us all about your new Lamanchas...they are my very favorites!

Aintlifegrand · #4 08/29/06, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cashs Cowgirl

I am going to look at a herd of LaMancha's tomorrow and see about maybe getting a milk goat from the. Anything I should look for good or bad? I don't want to look like a total beginner tomorrow with questions! and what to look at for a good milker.

I will ask about CAE and CL testing, though I don't have any goats here right now. Also what age does one normally start milking them....TIA!

I am curious...I have been look for LaMancha's. Are these in Louisiana? I haven't been able to find any here through my sources.

AllWolf · #5 08/29/06, 06:11 PM

Only thing I going to say is Good Luck and yes if going to get you a milking doe get one that had already had a kid.. Also ask as many questions about their health and are they up to date on their shots.

vancom · #6 08/29/06, 08:28 PM

I bought 2 Lamanchas last October--granted they were hard to find here in Middle TN but I went to the County fair first. Met a woman who had the best looking does there. Went to her farm, and they ALL looked great. So I bought my two.

She picked out the 5 or so that she was willing to sell based on my parameters and I have been happy with them. Good pedigrees, again, based on what I wanted (not purebred but "almost") and she checked out in the public and private forum--at home and at the fair.

Found out later that she is really one of the top Lamancha breeders in my area, if not in the state. So I am happy. It took me 3-4 months to find what I wanted so take your time!

Vanessa
near Nashville

ChickenMom · #7 08/29/06, 08:34 PM

Wow, I would be interested in finding one in Louisiana too.

murphyjamie · #8 08/29/06, 09:15 PM

Where at in Louisiana are you guys located?

Cashs Cowgirl · #9 08/30/06, 08:25 AM

I'm outside of Baton Rouge. These little goats were in Jackson, LA about 30 min from me. They were cute little 8 week olds, quite friendly, one with elf ears and one with gopher ears (the two that I picked out). I too haven't seen any other breeders around here for them. She is having them dehorned for me at LSU this week and was willing to give me a discount to have it done, but turned out she could have it done for free under her herd health management aggreement (something like that) since she was taking another in to have it's leg set that had gotten injured.

I visited with the babies and didn't notice any runny noses, but I did notice that she had treated them for lice even though I didn't notice any. Quite a clean shed where they stayed and no smells so she seems to take good care of them.

I will be cross breeding them when time comes to a boer goat near me, so I can sell them easily to locals here.

murphyjamie · #10 08/30/06, 08:30 AM

I also live just outside of Baton Rouge and I work at Our Lady of the Lake. I live right by the sunshine bridge towards Gonzales. Were at around Baton Rouge are you? I would love to meet some people from this site in person.

ChickenMom · #11 08/30/06, 08:51 AM

I'm in north central Louisiana. Ruston, between Shreveport and Monroe.

Cashs Cowgirl · #12 08/30/06, 08:56 AM

I live out in the sticks in Zachary. We're fairly close then Murphy! I have to go to BR to pick up my truck at Brian Harris-got rear-ended and the other's insurance is paying to fix it

.

We should get together! Email me or PM me...we could grill out over here...

Chickenmom, Let me know if you'd like the number for the lady with the LaMancha's. I can arrange to take pics for you if your interested in her goats. I plan to go back out probably today and see the herd and take pics of my little babies. Let me know!

TexCountryWoman · #13 08/30/06, 02:54 PM

Congrats on your new LaManchas! My most favourite breed ever!

Be careful breeding first time mommas (first fresheners) to a Boer. If they are large at breeding time, they may do fine, but if they are on the smaller size, you might want to breed them to a dairy buck the first time to produce smaller kids. Very often, a first freshener (FF) has only one baby and it is a larger kid than if she had two smaller twins. Singles are quite common with FF. Also, Boers throw larger kids than LaManchas. So think about the breeding plans carefully. My FF LaManchas were smallish this year (came from small stock) and would not have been able to deliver 10 - 11 lb Boer kids. Just something to consider.

malickfarms · #14 08/30/06, 03:12 PM

I LOVE my Muchies--Lamancha's are the BEST

On our farm Lamancha's are what we breed...pure breed munchies!!

They say they are docile...NOT MINE

Mine are the busiest little busy bodies ever!

They can NEVER be close enough to you!

I would get one for Dairy--NOTHING beats Goats MILK!

--April

TexCountryWoman · #15 08/30/06, 03:25 PM

You asked about the age to start milking. As a general rule, does are bred at 70 pounds or 7 months. Go by weight. Gestation is 5 months, so theoretically, they can be in milk by 1 yr of age.

I like to have my babies born very early spring or late winter. That gives them all year to grow and develope and be ready to breed that fall and give birth that spring to their own babies.

Yours are summer born babies. Probably born in June. They may be big enough to breed in January or february 2007 if you can find a buck still in rutt. This will give you more summer babies and you will be milking in the heat and raising babies in the heat. You can either do that, or grow them out til next fall 2007 and aim for late winter or early spring babies and milk them early 2008.

If you breed them this january (they may still be coming into heat...it will be the end of breeding season) you will produce more summer babies and start the cycle of having babies born at the "wrong" time of year again.

I had 3 does have June babies this year. I really don't care for that at all...it was a size situation with th does involved. This year, EVERYTHING will be bred to kid early early spring.

Reauxman · #16 08/30/06, 04:07 PM

I don't have manchas, but do know of a few breeders around. I'll look up contact info. Murphy, you must be somewhere around Lutcher or Gramercy? Or am I thinking of the wrong bridge....

I'm in LaPlace, not far from yall.

LynninTX · #17 08/30/06, 05:12 PM

wrong place... sorry

Cashs Cowgirl · #18 08/30/06, 06:20 PM

I actually plan to breed these next fall. I don't like to have things bred until they have got good growth on them. I am in no hurry to get things going

. I will also find a smaller buck for them, I hadn't thought about the kid size, so thank you for bringing that to my attention. I will do the crosses since there is a market for them unless someone specifically would like one from me and then I'd be willing to do a full LaMancha breeding for them...

Anyways...they will be dehorned on Thursday, ready for me to pick up on Monday. As cute as they look right now with horns, I don't want or need them on my girls; I've got kids and sheep to worry about!

TexCountryWoman · #19 08/31/06, 12:37 AM

Good plan. They will be of nice size by next breeding season. Mine cycle almost year round. They start cycling early to mid summer and cycle til February if not bred. So they do have a longer breeding season than the Swiss breeds. I have 4 in raging heat today. My daughter is expecting a baby in Dec/Jan or I would go ahead and breed for winter baby goats. But I don't want to be tied down milking when I need to leave the farm to be with my daughter and new grandbaby. So this year, all my baby goats are coming in late Feb or early March (that's the plan anyway!)

goatwishingstar · #20 08/31/06, 10:04 AM

Look at the udder size. I found out that size doesnt matter in a goat as far as milk production goes, Because one of my smallest goats gives me the most milk. Look fo a goat that has a good temperament and seems curious about you.