# Pygmy/LaMancha Cross?



## Rechellef (Oct 5, 2010)

I know this sounds like a silly question, but some friends of our raise Pygmys and they are interested in breeding one of their does because they are interested in possibly the dairy end of the goat world. My buckling's momma is a heavy milker, so the genese are there. Would this cross result in a potential dairy goat? Would it be the same as a mini-mancha or does it have to be a ND crossed with a LaMancha to produce a mini-dairy breeed?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Mini Manchas are made with a LaMancha doe and a Nigerian Dwarf buck.

You should NOT breed a Pygmy doe with a full size buck. The resulting kids could be too big to pass through the pelvis of the doe at birth.

Pygmies are not dairy animals.


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## Rechellef (Oct 5, 2010)

I didn't think so, but I am fairly new to this, so I always check on things like this to make sure.


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## grandmajo (Mar 25, 2008)

If your friends are interested in a more dairy type of animal, tell them to look for pygmies that are milking, they are out there. A pygmy, if it comes from the right lines, can produce a respectable amount of milk for their size and it's extremely rich.

On a side note, there have been kinder breeders who have started out by breeding a Nubian buck to a pygmy doe. However, the doe is usually from the old style line, which is generally bigger than the pygmies that most people are breeding today.


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## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

I once had a doeling that was out of a Pygmy doe and a La Mancha buck. She was a sweet little thing, but infortunately, I nver got to see how she'd do as a milker. Our neighbor's dog killed her. Though her dam had no problems delivering her, I would not suggest breeding a Pygmy doe to a full size buck. Instead, sell her a La Mancha doeling to breed to one of her bucks.


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## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

grandmajo said:


> On a side note, there have been kinder breeders who have started out by breeding a Nubian buck to a pygmy doe. However, the doe is usually from the old style line, which is generally bigger than the pygmies that most people are breeding today.


Isn't that a pygmy BUCK over a Nubian DOE? The result would probably be similar, I'd imagine, depending on the parents, and I'm not sure, but I _thought_ it was originally the other way around sire/dam wise.


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

I am agreeing with LFRJ, i am perty sure it was the pygmy buck used. I would be concerned that the other way around would be hard on the doe as others have pointed out.


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## grandmajo (Mar 25, 2008)

LFRJ said:


> Isn't that a pygmy BUCK over a Nubian DOE? The result would probably be similar, I'd imagine, depending on the parents, and I'm not sure, but I _thought_ it was originally the other way around sire/dam wise.


That is the way that the KGBA recommends that it be done, but if you look on their website they state that it has been done this way. They don't however recommend it. From their website: 

_"There are a few breeders who have begun successfully with a Pygmy doe and a Nubian buck. The Association feels, however, that it is a safer procedure to use the larger doe with the smaller buck._"


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