# Why no ears?



## Reed77 (Mar 20, 2011)

Why do Lamancha goats not have ears? were they bred like that for a reason?


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## Rechellef (Oct 5, 2010)

There is no particular reason from what I know regarding the history of the breed. I just think their darn cute and weird at the same time. They have fantastic personalities. The one thing I do know is they don't do too well in very cold climates (like Maine or Minnesotta) because their ear canals have no protection from the colder weather.


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

Rechellef said:


> There is no particular reason from what I know regarding the history of the breed. I just think their darn cute and weird at the same time. They have fantastic personalities. The one thing I do know is they don't do too well in very cold climates (like Maine or Minnesotta) because their ear canals have no protection from the colder weather.


They do just fine in Ontario! A friend of mine who is a well-respected breeder, and has bred many Grand Champions keeps hers in a barn that is open to all weathers. Her goats wear coats all winter, but not hats.  They are fat as ticks and sleek.


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## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

What I've been told by a friend who has had all breeds of goats is that their ear type has to do with where they originally came from. Swiss breeds have erect ears because they are better to hear predators and avalanches. Nubians have floppy ears because their ancestors came from the desert region and their long ears keep the sand out. The ancestors of La Manchas are from tropical regions and their small ear canals help keep the bugs out.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Shock value?

Many times breed characteristics come about from the random genetic defect, which someone finds cool and then they line breed. Thus the creation of a new breed. 

I would be neat if they could breed dogs do have ears similar to Lamancha and avoid surgical removal. 

Is the ear canal really smaller? I haven't had the pleasure of being up close and personal with lamancha, so I don't know. I find them odd. To me it looks like someone chopped their ears off. But then I love animals with big ears.. Rabbits, Nubians, Great pyr, GSDs.. I only just recently noticed the pattern. LOL


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## Kye022984 (Apr 23, 2010)

I always have people ask me "is that one not supposed to have ears?!" Or "why'd you clip that one's ears!?":happy0035:


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

My LaMancha did MUCH better in our -70 degree weather than my Nubian buck did ! He got frost bite on his ears .....


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

Here is a detailed history of how the LaMancha breed as we know it came to be. It was not a random defect that was linebred for. It was a dominate gene that kept cropping up. They foundation of the breed is tiny eared Spanish goats. Both Nubians and French Alpines were heavily used in the development of the breed. Saanens and Toggs were used as well. 

They handle both the heat and the cold extremely well. Whether its a humid 110 degree day here or the windchills are below zero, our Manchas do just fine.

http://www.dairygoatjournal.com/issues/86/86-3/Eula_Fay_Frey.html


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## coso (Feb 24, 2004)

You can also go to Quixote website and read the "Tale of the Ear" . Very interesting for LaMancha breeders. http://www.goatsleap.com/info.html


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## Reed77 (Mar 20, 2011)

I remember when I was in FFA with my Boer goat I went to the fair and asked why some of the goats had no ears, he told me they were attacked by a dog. of course he was joking but being the gullible blond I am I believed him


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

ALL of my LaMancha goats have ears. They are just VERY small. ound:


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> ALL of my LaMancha goats have ears. They are just VERY small. ound:



So very true!


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## Laverne (May 25, 2008)

wolffeathers said:


> Shock value?
> 
> 
> Is the ear canal really smaller? I haven't had the pleasure of being up close and personal with lamancha, so I don't know. I find them odd. To me it looks like someone chopped their ears off. But then I love animals with big ears.. Rabbits, Nubians, Great pyr, GSDs.. I only just recently noticed the pattern. LOL



The ear canal can be very small and with the gopher ears it can be impossible to even open it up to look down in it. My Gopher eared goat doesn't seem to make ear wax but the elf eared ones do and it doesn't dry out and shed out of the ear like a regular eared goat so regular cleaning is necessary.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

coso said:


> You can also go to Quixote website and read the "Tale of the Ear" . Very interesting for LaMancha breeders. http://www.goatsleap.com/info.html


Very interesting article. 
This particularly.


> It is interesting to note that both Draper and later Louise Erbe (private communication) referred to these early LaManchas of being of more than one type. Mrs Erbe described one type as "long bodied and real dairy", and the others as "the fat ones: heavier boned, shorter legged with high, round udders." She also said she culled heavily at first and admired their good temperment and non-fussy attitude about eating.


Out of a very long bodied doe I got a not real large doeling and bred her to a Fr Alpine buck from excellent dairy lines. She gave me a single doeling as a FF and that doeling grew rapidly and has a high, round udder. Wonderful temperament, and good milker, but definitely a throw back of some sort. I guess the genetics of that doe and buck just didn't mesh. The other three doelings I got last yr are quite nicely "dairy". I'll be selling the "throwback" as a family milker, which she'll be great as. I bred her to a fine, large "dairy" LaMancha buck this yr and got a doeling who is larger and stockier than the doelings from my other does. She'll be sold as a milker too, most likely.


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