# Mini Lamancha information request



## TeyluFarm (Feb 24, 2016)

I currently have Nigerian Dwarf goats, and while I adore them, their teats are incredibly tiny which makes milking very hard. 

So I've started debating mini manchas. Can someone give me all the general information on them? How large do they get? How much do they eat? How much milk do they produce? How large are their teats? Do they have any quirks I should be aware of? Where are the best breeders and what should I look for?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

One thing about Nigerian Dwarves - they don't have to have tiny teats. My "best" doe milks over a quart per milking and has good sized teats. But I get you, I've been there ... one of my does has tiny teats and it can be a little rough. :lol:

We just bought our first Mini Mancha last year as a baby (I wanted to buy her as a baby, so that if she grows big she is less likely to bully my Nigerian Dwarves). She is a year old, a goober, and I love her. Right now she is probably a good three inches taller than my regular sized Nigerian Dwarf does. I give her some grain because she's on the slim side ... she gets a cup morning and night, along with some alfalfa pellets and hay. She'll be eating more when she's lactating for sure.

I bought mine from a respected Nigerian Dwarf breeder who had a couple lamanchas, and decided to breed for F1s one year. I lucked out because she sold her lamanchas later.

Overall, even though I haven't freshened her yet, I would highly recommend them. She is a good size, not huge, but bigger. And I think she's going to produce very well, but of course for that you need to make sure your Mini Mancha is out of goats bred for production.


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

All of that really depends on their genetics... Just like any other goat. You can have minimanchas with tint teats just like a ND, that produce under a quart a day. You can have minimanchas with large, easily milkable teats that milk a gallon a day. Their size depends on genetics as well, usually an f1 will be bigger, and the further generations will be smaller and smaller. So the questions you're asking all depend on the specific goat you get and are questions to ask the breeder you choose.


Minimancha breeders have been difficult for me to find, at least good ones. You can go to the mdga website, look at the most recent online show and you can see pictures and find breeders that way. Look for all of the traits you're currently asking about and ask those breeders.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I bred my own mini Mancha a few years ago out of a good Lamancha doe and ND buck. She is my all time favorite!!! Great personality, really good teat size( better than her moms) and small size. She also eats a fraction of what her mom eats. I've also seen very large mini manchas too.. But mine haven't turned out that way. I have her two daughters now and am trying to sell one. I will retain the one most like her mom. For me this combination has been a win/win


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## TeyluFarm (Feb 24, 2016)

It sounds like they might be perfect for me. Before I decided on Nigerians I was looking at standard sized breeds and had decided on Lamanchas. 

The biggest things I need are easy of milking and a relaxed personality. My current doe has been absolutely amazing for me to learn with and she is quite laid back, but while I can milk her my husband has great difficulty as does my mother in law. As I am recovering from wrist surgery that poses a big problem. While that hopefully won't be an issue again in the future, I think I definitely need an easier doe to milk in case something else comes up.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

I've got to say, I have two Nigerian does and both of them have great teats. Check those pictures of the dam's udder before you buy ANY dairy goat!


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## Casa_la_Palma (Oct 15, 2013)

I have Mini LaManchas and love them! You can also check with TMGR another mini registry with a breeders list. I have 3 MM in milk now and am on DHIR with TMGR. My two FF are producing 5+ lbs a day and I have a 3F who with delivering quads and being hand milked 2x a day, on first test (at 33 days fresh) produced an amazing 14.5 lbs. She's since gone down in production (nursing only one kid now and OAD milking. Supply and demand you know) All three are easy to hand milk, even one of the FF with shorter teats. Not only teat length but also orifice size is something to keep in mind. My MM are very personable and friendly. Their smart, easy keepers and not real vocal.


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## DawnStar (May 19, 2013)

Not showing any Bias here  but we raise both mini la manchas and Nigerian Dwarfs-- and let me tell you there is a defininate difference between the two breeds. I love our nigies, but the mini La Manchas are better balanced for homesteading scenarios in my opinion.

Minis have higher butterfat thanks to the nigrrian influence in their creation, and have all the Benifits of a standard La Mancha.. But in a much smaller package. Our minis average 1/4-1/2 gallon a day as FFs, and 3/4-1 gallon a day by their second or third freshening. Our girls have large teats and offices, which Definately has a role to play in the ease of milking dept. 

And like the standard breed, they are crazy smart, escape artists, and especially talented at tricking me into feeding them when I come home from work... After it turns out my husband already fed them! So, while they are very calm they do have a streak of mischief in them too!


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

I bred my lamancha doe to my Nigerian buck last year and kept her doe kid. I am happy with her growth and temperament. She turned a yr in April and I look forward to breeding her this fall and milking her. Her mom gave me over a gallon on once a day milking. Bullseye on the right, next to my 4yr old ND doe


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I just started breeding Minis this year, but many years ago I had a year of several Accidental Minis. For some reason, my standard dairy does started heat cycles all summer long. My Nigerian bucks got loose and bred my standard does as well as a couple of my Boer does. I kept several of the doelings and absolutely LOVED them. They were mid sized between the Nigies and the standards. The udders were awesome, production was awesome and they were far more economical than the standards! This was way before there were such a thing as minis. I lost them in a fire, along with my entire herd. They were 6 years old or so at that point and still going strong.


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