Anamchara
Farmstead
Anamchara
AH-nem-Kah-ruh
Ancient Gaelic that literally translates to "Soul Friend." This is how we feel about each other, our land, and this lifestyle.
Anamchara Farmstead is located in Crossville, Alabama - just about an hour and a half south east of Huntsville, Alabama.
We raise Lamancha and Mini-Lamancha dairy goats focusing on healthy and hearty goats that are productive in the milk pail.
A Story About The Goat That Started It All
CeeCee and Freya were the first two goats we brought to our farm in 2015. They were both bred prior to arrival and CeeCee kidded five days after arriving! We unfortunately lost Freya that fall to a tragic accident. CeeCee was registered but back then we didn’t care as much as we do now about “papers”. She was our herd queen for many years and would stand up to any goat in the herd, big or small! She was also a pest and chewed more holes in clothes then any goat here. She taught me about goats, kidding, milking and the unconditional love that comes along with these creatures. We lost CeeCee in November 2020 and she is buried on the hill still overlooking the barn where she reigned as queen for so long. We miss her always and are thankful for all she taught us along the way.
Meet Anamchara Farmstead's Dairy Goats
When deciding on what type of goats we wanted to raise, we initially chose Nigerian Dwarfs for their high butterfat content. We quickly realized that for the amount of milk we hoped to need, Nigerians weren’t going to be enough. With more research, I was drawn to Lamanchas and then discovered Mini Lamanchas! They were supposed to be a perfect blend of both standard Lamanchas and Nigerian dwarfs; how could we not be interested! So in 2016 we bought our first Lamancha does to breed our own minis and we haven’t looked back since! We're continually learning and improving our breeding program as we strive for happy, healthy, productive goats.
Lamancha Breed Standard
The LaMancha goat was developed in the US. It has excellent dairy temperament and is an all- around sturdy animal that can withstand a great deal of hardship and still produce. Through official testing this breed has established itself in milk production with high butterfat. The LaMancha face is straight with the ears being the distinctive breed characteristic. There are two types of LaMancha ears. • The “gopher ear” has an approximate maximum length of one inch but preferably is non-existent and with very little or no cartilage. The end of the ear must be turned up or down. • The “elf ear” has an approximate maximum length of two inches or less, and the end of the ear must be turned up or down and cartilage shaping the ear is allowed. In does, one type of ear has no advantage. However, bucks must only have the “gopher ear.” Any color or combination of colors is acceptable with no preference. The hair is short, fine, and glossy. - The American Dairy Goat Association
Mini Lamancha Breed Standard
The LaMancha is the only breed developed in America, making it a truly “made in America breed”. The Mini-LaMancha is well known for their docile, even temperament and a steady production of fairly high butterfat. The hair is short, fine and glossy. The face is straight and with the ears being the most distinguishing characteristic of the Mini-LaMancha. The ears which are either ‘Gopher’, lacking cartilage but do have a ring of skin around the auditory canal or the ‘Elf’ which has some cartilage and should be no longer than 1.5” long. In does, both ear types are equally accepted but bucks must have ‘Gopher’; ears to be registered as American or Purebred. - The Miniature Dairy Goat Association
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