# Are Nubian/Lamancha crosses good milkers



## TSYORK (Mar 16, 2006)

I've got Nubians, but I'm wanting to bred to a buck that successfully thows lots of doelings. I'm wanting milk, so would this be a good choice to cross breed between these two?

Thanks,


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## HazyDay (Feb 20, 2007)

Good if both carry heavy milking lines. But I am turned away from them because of the high chances of ear infections, due to the not normal size of them. Are your Nubians heavy milkers??? Then they should milk well if the buck carries the lines!

Now I was told not 100% sure if this is true but they say if you only let the buck breed the doe once you get a better chance of doe kids.


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## TSYORK (Mar 16, 2006)

bump


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

My understanding is that it's not much different than breeding to their own breed, if the parents have milky lines, they you should get some good milkers.

Probably end up with more hardy animals in a cross too.


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## HazyDay (Feb 20, 2007)

Oh, I was looking info La Manchas, and I found that way back when they were still in the start up phase of breeding alot of Nubian blood went into them. I guess they looked at the milk lines and not for prettyness like the Nubians. I think the biggest reason why Nubians are known as crapy milkers as they were mass bred. Pets where made out of them and now the breed is hurting bad  But atleast we have alot of good breeders trying to bring that milk up!


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

I have a lamancha/nubian cross. She's my nicest milker. (Nubian dam/Lamancha buck). She's smaller than a nubian, mostly lamancha size, huge desire to milk, easy kidder, and best of all, quiet like a lamancha. She weighs 125 lbs and gives an 1/2 gallon of good milk per milking. Her dam is again bred to one of my bucks, and I already have a deposit in on another doe kid.


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## AnnaS (Nov 29, 2003)

HazyDay said:


> I think the biggest reason why Nubians are known as crapy milkers as they were mass bred. Pets where made out of them and now the breed is hurting bad


??? Never heard this before. Are you thinking about dogs? It's certainly true with many breeds of dogs.

Nubians (and Lamanchas) were bred for butterfat production, not bulk milk production. It's like comparing Jerseys and Holsteins. They both have their specialties. 

Of course, the individual genetics will vary. But I would expect a Lamancha/Nubian cross to have very rich, creamy milk but not such huge amounts that you're watering the tomatoes with it. 

Lamanchas & Nubians are both meatier than the alpine breeds, so this cross should make nice meat bucks too.


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## AnnaS (Nov 29, 2003)

HazyDay said:


> Now I was told not 100% sure if this is true but they say if you only let the buck breed the doe once you get a better chance of doe kids.



There was a informal study done on a goat dairy in the early 80's. Does that were bred once at the onset of heat and not rebred had 70 does to 30 bucks. Does that were bred multiple times through their heat or once at the end of heat were more likely to have bucks. Pen breeding still made a rough 50/50 ratio.

The egg is not released until the end of heat. The male sperm swim fast and die young, and the female sperm are slower but live longer. If the doe was only bred once at the beginning of the heat, many of the male sperm will have died off by the time the egg is available for fertilization. 

//sorry about the threadjack.


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## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

I have a Nubian/La Mancha. In this case, the dam is the La mancha. Buttercup is an excellent milker. Also, with this doe, the base of her elf ears are bigger than her mom's small gopher ears and they don't get gunky. She has a sweet disposition and a long lactation. At her peak, she milks at least, if not more than a gallon a day.


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## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

AnnaS said:


> There was a informal study done on a goat dairy in the early 80's. Does that were bred once at the onset of heat and not rebred had 70 does to 30 bucks. Does that were bred multiple times through their heat or once at the end of heat were more likely to have bucks. Pen breeding still made a rough 50/50 ratio.
> 
> The egg is not released until the end of heat. The male sperm swim fast and die young, and the female sperm are slower but live longer. If the doe was only bred once at the beginning of the heat, many of the male sperm will have died off by the time the egg is available for fertilization.
> 
> //sorry about the threadjack.


Oh my gosh! This has been my experience as well! It's fun to see that it's backed up by a study, even an informal one.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

I have a LaMancha x Nubian milker. Lily was giving me nearly a gallon a day at peak as an FF. She didn't want to dry up, either. She's due next month on her second freshening, and I'm looking forward to it. She's a great milker, quantity and taste-wise. 

NeHi


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## HazyDay (Feb 20, 2007)

AnnaS said:


> ??? Never heard this before. Are you thinking about dogs? It's certainly true with many breeds of dogs.
> 
> Nubians (and Lamanchas) were bred for butterfat production, not bulk milk production. It's like comparing Jerseys and Holsteins. They both have their specialties.
> 
> ...


Nope, I am talking about Nubians. When I started out I couldn't find any Nubians local, as all the breeders just gave up. Most said only 5 years ago, every goat around was a Nubian and they would breed any buck to just any doe, and they just couldn't find any good stock to buy and well the breed died out. 
Now the breed is yet again becoming the breed indemand, and I worry that I will have to start bring in animals from out west. As people are paying top dollar now for doelings and then find a crapy grade buck to breed with. Thus killing all the breeders hard work to put a good udder on a doe, and well the kids from the crapy buck now sell for top dollar also and well sometime these bloodlines will come into a good show herd. 

Sorry to hijack!


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## TSYORK (Mar 16, 2006)

How do you get the milk from them if they have babies. Do you sale the kids as bottle babies?


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

If you pick a good, milky Lamancha buck, the daughters should be milky. I love the Lamancha/Nubian does I have had.
Another idea would be to use a milky Saanan buck on your Nubian does. Snubians are known for being good milkers with higher butterfat than the average Saanan.
Since I like Lamanchas better than Saanans, I'd choose Lamancha.


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## HazyDay (Feb 20, 2007)

TSYORK said:


> How do you get the milk from them if they have babies. Do you sale the kids as bottle babies?


Pen the kids at night and milk in the morning, then the kids get to nurse all day long. That is how


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## TSYORK (Mar 16, 2006)

Anyone have a picture of what a Nubian/Lamancha cross would possibly look like?


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## HazyDay (Feb 20, 2007)

Emily's website has one and some other breeder who got one from Emily also has her on their website.


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## Jyllie63 (Dec 30, 2004)

Here's a pic of mine She's the darker one on the right.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Crazy [email protected] 4 months old. Will be freshening this winter.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Love that Crazy Mazie. She's gorgeous!

NeHi


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

TSYORK said:


> Anyone have a picture of what a Nubian/Lamancha cross would possibly look like?


I think they are pretty.  










Peaches










Polk-A-Dot










Red Velvet










Mayflower(now belonging to christij  )










Little Lady










Dusty's baby doeling(now belonging to christiej  )


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## DQ (Aug 4, 2006)

who can resist a request for pictures.


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## dosthouhavemilk (Oct 29, 2004)

This is Jyllie's doe's dam, Elegance. She is 3/4 Nubian, 1/4 LaMancha/Alpine. Her dam, Danielle, is 1/2 and 1/2. The daughter is 7/8 Nubian, 1/8 L/A. This picture of Ele was taken last October. She was dry at the time.
This doe is soooo nice to milk. Her dam was my favorite milker until she came along!
A smidge of Alpine in there and I didn't find that out until 2 years ago...the LaMancha/Alpine buck was used back in 1998 and 1999.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Here's my Lily at just a few weeks old. She's a coming two-year-old now, and will be freshening for the second time in January.










Here she is at 8 months old. She's the one in the back.










I think that she's very pretty, and has a heck of a personality, but that's just me.

NeHi


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Love that Lilly, sunbathing, no better way to relax.


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