Goats without ears: what breed and characteristics of lamanches, rules of keeping

Nature creates many strange and unusual creatures, but, in most cases, they live somewhere in exotic places or in the depths of the ocean. Meanwhile, among the domestic animals familiar to us, there are those that are quite able to amaze the imagination. For example, people far from animal husbandry are unlikely to know that there are goats without ears, and what breed it is, where it lives, what it eats.

Origin story

Earless goats are called lamancha. As the name implies, the place where the breed was formed and became famous is Spain, the Iberian Peninsula.These specific animals, most likely, descended from ancestors taken out of Persia, and then from Africa. Together with the Moors, the goats came to Spanish territory, successfully acclimatized there and became the ancestors of a new breed.

The name "lamancha" is not only a reference to the area - the Spanish province of the same name. This word means "spot", which reflects the characteristic features of the appearance of animals.

The breed was finally approved in 1958. Since then, goats without ears have been called Lamanches, regardless of their origin and habitat.

Description and characteristics of goats without ears

In fact, an earless goat is not completely devoid of ears, they just grow in a “mini format”. Her auricles are so small that they are almost invisible, especially in comparison with the size of her head. Because of this feature, goats have an unusual facial expression, which gave reason to call them "monkeys".

This cute animal can have a different color, from white to dark, and also differ in spotted, longitudinal stripes along the ridge. They have soft, dense wool, it is short and long, but in the latter case it is sheared to give the goats a neater look.

In animals, the body is in the form of a wedge, a massive udder, which indicates that the breed belongs to the dairy direction. Animals are medium-sized, strong, on strong slender legs. The height at the withers of the female is 71 centimeters, that of the goat is 76 centimeters. Among animals, there are both horned and polled (hornless).

According to the type of ears, Lamanchas are divided into two types:

Elven, with small pointed ears no longer than 5 centimeters.
Gophers, or corrugated, with ears up to 2.5 centimeters, tightly pressed to the head.

Exceeding the size of the ears causes the animal to be denied purebred, even though specific traits are passed on to offspring when crossed.

Pros and cons of the Lamancha breed

Pros and consAffectionate, docile and playful character.Goats quickly get used to the owners, behave in a friendly manner in the herd, accommodating in relations with other agricultural and domestic animals.These animals are less skittish and capricious than representatives of other breeds.LaManches are caring, attentive mothers.Animals calmly endure harsh weather and even in winter they are able to stay outside for a long time.La Mancha goats are odorless, as they are distinguished by cleanliness.

The disadvantages include the nutritional requirements of the feed, otherwise goats without ears may lose milk production. Also, animals need to be provided with hygienic conditions, because they love cleanliness - rooms, bedding, food and water.

Maintenance and care requirements

Representatives of this breed do not have any special requirements for keeping. They need an insulated goat house with a paddock where the animals can walk in the fresh air at any time of the year. It is very important that the places where the herd is kept in perfect cleanliness. This is important for the high productivity of dairy females, the he alth of the entire population, as well as maintaining the specific trait of animals of this breed - the absence of smell.

Diet

You need to feed the earless goats of the Lamancha breed 2 times a day, they give plenty of water. She, like food, must be clean. Animals eat almost everything, you just need to make sure that poisonous plants do not get into their food.

Store a lot of quality hay for the winter, especially if the goat is pregnant or nursing kids.

Also, do not forget about adding minerals. Lick s alt should be freely available, soda is also occasionally added to the feed, and iodine is dripped into the water to prevent diseases. This helps keep the La Mancha goats strong and he althy.

Reproduction

Hunting in females begins in autumn or winter, lasts from one to two days, the cycle is 21 days. The duration of pregnancy is 155 days. Most often, there are two kids in the litter, less often triplets are born. Earless goats have a voluminous udder for their size, thanks to which they are highly productive and produce milk with a fat content of 4%. On average, a goat gives 3-4 liters of milk per day, but record holders reach 5 liters. Goats are milked for at least 10 months, but there are those that can give milk for two years in a row, while they do not need to become pregnant again and bring kids for this.

Frequent diseases

Earless Lamancha goats are distinguished by stable he alth, hardy and indifferent to the cold, therefore they are little susceptible to colds. In general, goats suffer from parasites, mastitis, poisoning from stale food or toxic plants, and inflammation of the hooves.

You can avoid he alth problems with the help of a well-designed diet, careful care, cleanliness in the barn and the animal itself. Goats are affectionate, they need love, care and attention, so you need to communicate with them like with pets. They behave like cats or puppies, cuddling and running after their owners.

For the prevention of infectious diseases, it is necessary to conduct examinations and vaccinations on time. In a standard household plot, it is not necessary to keep a full-time veterinarian. But on a professional farm specializing in the production of expensive goat cheeses, this is an important condition. Careful attention to the dairy herd can prevent numerous troubles and financial losses.

With proper and caring care, animals are distinguished by fertility and milk production, good he alth and extraordinary attractive appearance.