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* The real La Manche Sheep are from the La Manche Province of Spain. They are a milk type sheep used to produce the famous Monchego cheese. The Real La Manche sheep is a full sized, wool sheep with ears.*

 While looking to put a herd of sheep on my ranch I discovered a website that advertised a LaManche sheep. This sheep being advertised is an earless sheep. This site advertised an earless LaManche Sheep as a rare breed of sheep, or exotic sheep. The history on the website was given that this was a "re-discovered" rare breed of miniature hair sheep. The LaManche sheep is registered with the MNSBAR, or Miniature and Novelty Sheep Breeders Association and Registry. The following description was given.( click to read description)

http://www.toledotel.com/~smokeyvly/Lamanchas.html

 I e-mailed the registry and ask questions. They forward my e-mail to the founder of the breed Carla. She ask me to contact a man that had her 9 sheep and needed a new home for them. I did call the man. This conversation left me with many questions. He read the pedigree of the sheep to me and stated they had come from Blue Mt. Soay Sheep ( who later confirmed that the sheep did come from 2 Soay parents). A sheep farm in the state of Washington. I then called Carla to ask about the origin of these sheep. Although she tried to stick to the above published story, she also admitted that the ewe lamb she acquired was out of a Soay ewe, and that she had used Soay rams to produce the earless sheep. She promised me that the owner of the MNSBAR did all the research on her original lamb and that this person assured her that what she owned was a breed other than Soay. How can this be if Carla herself knew that the ewe lamb ( now 5yrs old in 2007) she started the Lamanche sheep( in America) breed with less than 5yrs ago was out of a Soay ewe and she had only used Soay rams? The truth is she didn't know someone would ever call her that knew most Corsican breeds have the receive gene for gopher ears, or ask if the sheep had ever been blood typed, or have heard of the famouse Monchego producers in Spain, the REAL LaManche breed.  All breeds with this receive gene highly discourage breeding individuals with the gopher ear trait. Why? Because it reduces the horns, sometimes even causes polled individuals in other wise horned breeds. It also reduces the size of the animal it's self. Is she developing a new breed?  Is this breed the rare and now re-discovered LaManche Sheep the MSNBAR claims it to be? NO!!!!!! Its a fraud. The Soay has been around since over 3000 BC. It has never needed to be "re-discovered. Most hair sheep do carry the gene for small or gopher ears. The Hawaiian Black Sheep is also a Soay that when the receive black gene was bred with others of the black gene developed a black strain. Some of the Hawaiian Blacks also are earless, or "gopher eared". They are still Soay and not a rare re-discovered breed. Simply a mutation of a very well know and never lost sheep.

So if you are in the market for a LaManche sheep be advised what you are actually buying is an earless Soay sheep.  The bloodlines used by Carla came from Blue Mt. http://www.soaysheep.com/  Soay Rams were imported from England's rare breed trust in the 1990s, then purchased by Carla. This is documented in the pedigrees of the sheep she is trying to sell now as LaManche.

Here is the only link on the web that talks about LaManche Sheep in English... Call them and ask questions and see if you don't feel they are trying to pull the fleece over people eyes that just bought their first small farm and want a few special animals to enjoy. http://www.toledotel.com/~smokeyvly/Lamanchas.html

Photos of the sheep are pictures at the above link.

I publish this page only to keep unsuspecting buyers thinking they are purchasing the famous and much sought after La Manche sheep of Spain. The Spanish sheep is a large, wool sheep with ears, not a dwarf, earless hair sheep. Manchego cheese is in such demand that it is one of if not the highest proceed cheese in the world. Demand far out goes supply. La Manche sheep are highly prized. I feel their history and the truth about the real La Manche sheep should be known so that American buyers are not taken in to be greatly disappointed.

I have been threated with lawyers for publishing this information. I feel, however; that our animals are only as good as our word and honesty is sometimes worth the risk of being honest. I in no way intend to "slander" anyone. This webpage only publishes facts, no hearsay, no opinion as for the La Manche sheep. Facts on this page can easily be found by surfing the web. My purpose of this page is to keep those coming into the small farming seen, and wanting rare and exotic animals from being taken. It is heart breaking to spend hundreds of dollars only to find that what you bought, was not at all what you had hoped. The only course of action is to take local sale barn prices for animals you had visions of "saving" or having a special market for. Unfortunately this happens all to often in the United States. In other countries the government regulated registrations and requires proof and documentation for new breeds. In the United States anyone can set up a registry and print papers from their home computer. I know, I have done it. see www.ridingsteers.com for that example. Although many of these registries and associations are legitimate, it is all to common for cats, dogs, even sheep to find there way into hands of those wanting to make a fast dollar and find buyers that wish to do the same. Please do your homework when shopping to stock up that new farm you just bought and always dreamed of having someday. Make sure those rare animals that you hope to help preserve are actually in need. check with the rare breeds conservatory, or other reputable breeds to see if their experience with that breed is all you hoped it would be. Above all, remember that owning and breeding a rare breed can be rewarding, profitable and fun. There are many breeds out there that do need special breeders to help them make it to the next generation. I hope this example has helped those starting out rather than deter them.

I have now been told via e-mail there is a court case against me in the state of WA for slander. ( Definition of slander is... "The utterance of an untruth that effects someone's reputation to the negative" Note the word FAULTS...

It is sad when people think they can do anything they want, then call a lawyer and get away with it... Not this time Carla  X

*UPDATE* No attorney ever contacted me in any way, even though Carla gave me a case number. No actions have been taken against me in any way.

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