At the numerous county fairs I attend, I frequently get stopped by fair goers and they are curious about my goats. I answer questions ranging what I feed my goats, to the benefits of goats' milk. But the most asked question I receive at county fairs is "What happened to these goats' ears?" I must have heard this question 1,000 times through my dairy goat career. One year at the Illinois State Fair, we kept an "ear question" tally mark, and ended up being asked that question, over 130 times throughout 5 days. First off let me say, I do not cut off, clip, or dock off these goats' ears. This breed with the "short" ears is called the Lamancha breed. There are two types of ears a Lamancha can have: gopher and elf ears. Gopher ears are smaller than elf ears and are normally about 1 inch long. While Elf ears on the other hand are 1-2 inches long, and have a distinct point on the end. Progressively, goats' ears began getting shorter and shorter through selective breeding. These selective breeding efforts eventually paved the way to the Lamancha breed. The breed was pioneered by Eula F Frey of Oregon because she "liked the way these ears looked." Many people seem very concerned that the goats hearing is affect because of how short they are, but the goats can ear just fine. Of all the breeds the American Dairy Goat Association recognizes, the Lamancha breed is the only one to truly originate here in the United States. The breed has grown in popularity over the years, and is actual the second most popular breed of dairy goats, only to the Nubian. Lamanchas are known for their docile demeanor, so kids (the 2 legged, not the 4 legged) are especially attracted to them. The breed also has a bit of a personality. I had a Lamancha who loved to run up this giant dirt pile we had in our goat pen, and jump through the window of my barn. Some days I would hear a loud "thud" inside the house, and I would say, "Oh, that's just Token jumping though the window again." This breed makes a great beginning project for kids starting in livestock, and also produces a lot of milk. Lamanchas are known for their high butterfat, which people can convert to cheese, soap, and butter as well as drink their milk.
So next time you see this breed at a county or state fair, you will know that the owners do not harm their goats' ears, but simply that is the breed. Lamanchas are a sweet, lovable, and gentle breed of goat that can steal your heart and fill your milk pail.
29 Comments
Mekayla Ray
9/1/2017 09:02:06 am
Thank you for this!!! I have a few breeding and meat boers that are the sweetest, I always have wonder what caused the shortness in the ears. Very helpful for the fairs to come
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Cameron JodlowskiCentral Illinois Raised. Dairy Goat Farmer. Agriculture Advocate. Lifetime Learner. Archives
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