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The LaManchas are wonderful goats and as with any critter do your research and get them from lines of good milkers. It has been my experiance that they are also quieter then many of the other breeds, we had them while living in town and the neighbors didn't know we had goats.
As far as the billies and their distinct odor. Get them dis-budded as kids, there are scent glands around the horns that will be destroyed when you use a dis-budding iron. During rut there will still be a smell but after the nannys are bred just take and wipe down the buck with a moist wash rag, goats don't like getting wet. It's very rare for a bottle raised buck to go after you, all that we have had were sweeties.
Never buy a horned goat, if they have them they will use them. Plus every now and then they have to be cut out of a woven wire fence.
And the top thing to remember is that it takes quality feed to get quality milk, we feed a lot of alfalfa and just a little bit of sweet stock. Too much grain can kill a goat. Always have grass hay available too, we have found blue stem hay to be great for both horses and goats.
Plus if you raise bottle calves raise them with goats. I have sent 800 pound calves to market that had never been wet. If a goat feels a drop of rain it's off to the barn and the calves will follow their buddies. Dry calves are healthy calves.
Oh and one more thing, I have a friend in Ind. that wanted to see just how long a goat would stay in milk with good feed and twice daily milking, she gave up the experiment after two years and dried her up.
And one more thing. I have never seen an enclosure strong enough to hold a goat but if you keep them happy they will stay in.
