# Mini lamancha ear genetics



## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

I just want to make sure I'm clear on this, if someone could verify.

I have two f1 minimancha doelings. One is elf eared, the other has upright. If bred to a purebred ND, the elf eared has a 50% chance of passing elf ears on, and the upright has 0% chance of passing on elf ears. Is that correct?

Is there any in between? I have seen lamancha/Nubians with all sorts of in between ear types. Just curious if that happens with ND/lamanchas as well?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I believe you are correct.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Thats a good questions....it would be my guess that since the F1 are 50% lamancha, even if they dont have lamancha ears themselves..still can throw lamancha ears..breeding to a nigerian waters down that chance. but it can still pop up.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

They can't carry the earless gene, it is expressed if they have it. It is an incomplete dominate. Your upright ear doe will have upright eared kids when bred to upright eared buck. Your elf eared doe has one gene for earless and one gene for upright. Bred to an upright ear buck 50% of her kids will be elf eared and 50% of her kids will be upright eared.

Here's a good write up on Mini-Mancha ears http://glimmercroft.com/EarGenetics.html


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Okay so, is there any "in-between" like the mini Nubians can have? Or is that because the Nubian ear and lamancha ear are both dominant so they "compete"?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Elf ears are the in between. Elf eared goats carry one earless gene and one upright gene. Gopher eared goats have 2 earless genes. 
In mini-nubians, airplane ears are the inbetween. Airplane eared goats carry one upright gene and one drop ear gene. Full drop ears carry 2 drop ear genes. 
Breeding Airplanes ears to gopher ears gives you 100% elf ears. Breeding airplane ears to elf ears gives you 50% elf ears, 50% airplane ears.

All ear genes are dominate and it takes two genes to produce the ear type. If the goat carries the genes for two types, he will express both types. 

Even elf ears show if they are elved from drop ears or upright ears. They fold differently in each type.


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Thanks!! That's fascinating. So technically even breeding elf ears to elf ears carries a chance of producing an upright type ear...hence why bucks can only be registered with gopher ears? Makes sense!!!


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

In Australia I bred a pixie eared doe to an elf buck. The doe had long pixies and breeding to an elf got kids with shorter, tight correct pixie ears, although I did those same ear types (long pixie to elf) but a different doe and got a munchkin eared kid...


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yep. and elf ear to an elf ear gives you 50% elf ears, 25% gopher ears, and 25% upright ears. 

Having the rule about the bucks and gopher ears guarantees that all lines being bred up have gopher ears within 3 generations. There can't be a purebred LaMancha with elf ears or a high generation mini with elf ears... It is possible unless someone is cheating.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Bree_6293 said:


> In Australia I bred a pixie eared doe to an elf buck. The doe had long pixies and breeding to an elf got kids with shorter, tight correct pixie ears, although I did those same ear types (long pixie to elf) but a different doe and got a munchkin eared kid...


America used to register 4 different ear types as well. They have since changed that and recognize the different shapes as only different expressions of elf ears.

I have noticed that the Australian Minis and the Russian LaManchas tend towards a bit different type of ear and way of genetic expression than our American goats. Possibly because your countries had more than 2 French short eared goats to work with in the beginning.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Yes. A elf is the same as an elf in America, ear type any way, the pixie ear is an up right ear, the munchkin is one that is floppy on the end but not so long as a Nubian. It shocked me to get a munchkin eared baby from a long pixie and an elf!


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