History of the Myotonic Goat
Myotonics (fainters) make wonderful pets. Unlike Pygmys,
Myotonics's are not escape artists. They're very gentle,
they don't butt, they love to go for walks and they
make wonderful companion animals for older
horses and dogs.
The origin of the Myotonic goat has been
traced back to the 1880's in Marshall County,
Tennessee. A man by the name of Tinsley came to
town bringing along a few goats and a "sacred"
cow. He stayed long enough to marry a local woman,
and to help a farmer with the harvest. He sold his
goats to a man by the name of R. Goode and then
departed the community. He took the cow with him,
but alas for the poor wife, left her behind.
Today's Fainting goats descended from those few
goats. The goats were used primarily for meat,
although they were also used to protect sheep. With
a Fainting goat in the herd, if coyotes or dogs
threatened the sheep, the sheep could run away
while the Fainting goat fell over, providing the
predator with an easy meal while the sheep escaped.
These goats were close to extinction by the 1980's,
but have now been bred back to where they are no
longer endangered.
The name "Fainting" goat is
a bit misleading because they do not actually
faint. They have a genetic problem with relaxing
muscles. When they are startled or surprised
their muscles lock up and the goat then sometimes
falls over. Hence the name "Fainting"
Goat. Older goats are more adept at bracing themselves, leaning
against a fence or barn and so they don't exhibit
this trait as much as younger goats. It's kind
of like doing isometric exercises and so these
goats have about 40% more meat than a comparably
sized goat. They are also known in some parts
of the U.S. as "nervous" goats, and in Texas as "stiff-legged" etc...
Breed specifications:
Lifespan - Average 10 - 12 years - can live up to 15 years!
Height - Fainting goat's average height is about 17-25" at withers
Weight - Fainting goats average weight is 80-200 pounds
Fainting goats are a very amazing breed that - as you probably already know - faint when startled or overly excited. While it really does appear as a real faint - they do not actually lose consciousness at all. Fainting goats have a genetic condition called myotonia congenita, which causes their skeletal muscles to instantly contract in certain situations -- most often resulting in a lot of laughter! The "faint" lasts about 10 seconds, after which they get back on their feet and go about their goatly affairs ~ as if nothing ever even happened.
A lot of people ask if this is harmful or painful to the goats and as far as we know, the answer is no. Humans with a very similar form of myotonia known as Thomsen's disease report no pain or trauma when they experience involuntary muscle contractions. While it is true a human with this condition could easily be harmed from a fall, goats fall over in a much different way than people and being much closer to the ground they are unharmed when this occurs~ In general, fainting goats are very tough animals.
Fainting goats are very friendly and social animals, and if well-socialized and treated kindly they are very safe with young children. They are often kept as pets, show animals and sometimes bred as meat goats and are also used for weed control. They are easy to care for, a lot of fun to have around and unlike regular goats, they cannot climb very well or escape fencing very easily.
Fainting goats are considered a rare species by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and currently on their "watch list". We would like to see fainting goats protected and preserved as a true breed for our future. Who knows what someone might someday discover about this amazing breed that may help a person with a severe debilitating muscle disease.
To begin keeping fainting goats you need to consider that they are herd animals and do not do well on their own. A minimum of two or three fainting goats should be kept together to keep them happy and healthy!
You will need:
-Fenced Pen with a strand of electric
-Shelter
-Food
-Fresh water supply
-Vaccinations
-Veterinary care when necessary
Myotonics (fainters) make wonderful pets. Unlike Pygmys,
Myotonics's are not escape artists. They're very gentle,
they don't butt, they love to go for walks and they
make wonderful companion animals for older
horses and dogs.
The origin of the Myotonic goat has been
traced back to the 1880's in Marshall County,
Tennessee. A man by the name of Tinsley came to
town bringing along a few goats and a "sacred"
cow. He stayed long enough to marry a local woman,
and to help a farmer with the harvest. He sold his
goats to a man by the name of R. Goode and then
departed the community. He took the cow with him,
but alas for the poor wife, left her behind.
Today's Fainting goats descended from those few
goats. The goats were used primarily for meat,
although they were also used to protect sheep. With
a Fainting goat in the herd, if coyotes or dogs
threatened the sheep, the sheep could run away
while the Fainting goat fell over, providing the
predator with an easy meal while the sheep escaped.
These goats were close to extinction by the 1980's,
but have now been bred back to where they are no
longer endangered.
The name "Fainting" goat is
a bit misleading because they do not actually
faint. They have a genetic problem with relaxing
muscles. When they are startled or surprised
their muscles lock up and the goat then sometimes
falls over. Hence the name "Fainting"
Goat. Older goats are more adept at bracing themselves, leaning
against a fence or barn and so they don't exhibit
this trait as much as younger goats. It's kind
of like doing isometric exercises and so these
goats have about 40% more meat than a comparably
sized goat. They are also known in some parts
of the U.S. as "nervous" goats, and in Texas as "stiff-legged" etc...
Breed specifications:
Lifespan - Average 10 - 12 years - can live up to 15 years!
Height - Fainting goat's average height is about 17-25" at withers
Weight - Fainting goats average weight is 80-200 pounds
Fainting goats are a very amazing breed that - as you probably already know - faint when startled or overly excited. While it really does appear as a real faint - they do not actually lose consciousness at all. Fainting goats have a genetic condition called myotonia congenita, which causes their skeletal muscles to instantly contract in certain situations -- most often resulting in a lot of laughter! The "faint" lasts about 10 seconds, after which they get back on their feet and go about their goatly affairs ~ as if nothing ever even happened.
A lot of people ask if this is harmful or painful to the goats and as far as we know, the answer is no. Humans with a very similar form of myotonia known as Thomsen's disease report no pain or trauma when they experience involuntary muscle contractions. While it is true a human with this condition could easily be harmed from a fall, goats fall over in a much different way than people and being much closer to the ground they are unharmed when this occurs~ In general, fainting goats are very tough animals.
Fainting goats are very friendly and social animals, and if well-socialized and treated kindly they are very safe with young children. They are often kept as pets, show animals and sometimes bred as meat goats and are also used for weed control. They are easy to care for, a lot of fun to have around and unlike regular goats, they cannot climb very well or escape fencing very easily.
Fainting goats are considered a rare species by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and currently on their "watch list". We would like to see fainting goats protected and preserved as a true breed for our future. Who knows what someone might someday discover about this amazing breed that may help a person with a severe debilitating muscle disease.
To begin keeping fainting goats you need to consider that they are herd animals and do not do well on their own. A minimum of two or three fainting goats should be kept together to keep them happy and healthy!
You will need:
-Fenced Pen with a strand of electric
-Shelter
-Food
-Fresh water supply
-Vaccinations
-Veterinary care when necessary