Sheep breed
Manchega
Manchega
The sheep behind Manchego cheese, from the La Mancha plateau.
Description1
A sheep breed from the La Mancha plateau of Spain, best known for the milk used to make Manchego cheese. True Manchego must be made from the whole milk of Manchega sheep raised in La Mancha.
A medium-sized entrefino-type sheep; about 90% are white and the rest black, and both sexes are polled. Its three subtypes are the Alcarreña (Manchega pequeña), the Montesina and the black Manchega.
It gives about 100 litres of milk a year, mostly in April–June, often milked by hand. Kept in flocks of 100–600, occasionally up to 2,000, it grazes the grassy plains of La Mancha year-round, supplemented in autumn and winter with vine tendrils and crop stubble.
History1
Ancient
Its ancestors (Ovis aries ligeries) migrate across the Pyrenees and northern Spain to settle in La Mancha.
Over centuries
Bred almost only within the breed, so its character barely changes.
Later
Its genetics contribute to the Segureña and Talaverana breeds.
Breed standard and breed society
The official breed description, breeding goal and herdbook rules are published by the breed's recognised breed society.
- English Wikipedia – Manchegahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchega
Photo gallery
All photos are freely licensed (Wikimedia Commons, Flickr); author, source and licence are shown under each image.
Sources
Accessed: 2026-10-18.