# Fainting goats!



## dianneS (May 2, 2010)

Does anyone have any Tennessee fainting goats?

I just picked out my two little wethers today!  They won't be able to come home for another eight weeks.  One is polled and the other had horns, but he's been disbudded already (I'm not opposed to horns, half my herd has them).  

I'll post pics when they arrive!  They are too cute, and will be my first fainters.

I'm learning all I can about fainting goats, and I'm surprised that its not just fright that makes them "faint".  They will faint at anything that excites them.  This is going to be a new experience for me.  I also have a livestock guardian dog.  I hope he doesn't frighten them to the point of fainting all the time!

Is there anything more I need to know about fainters that make them different from other goats?


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## Roll farms (May 2, 2010)

If you go to Onion Creek Ranch's website, there's a lot of info on myotonics.  

But....If the owner of that site (who also owns "Chevon Talk" Yahoo list) reads someone calling them, "Fainting goats" she will ban them from the list.
That's a bit too fanatic for my taste.

She has a lot of knowledge, but she's one of those, "My word is law and that's all there is." types...no room for any other opinions.

I read her rants this weekend on how "having friendly goats is ruining the species".  Seriously....seems if we love on our goats, that makes them lose their 'wily nature' / will / ability to survive....and makes them dangerous, because she tripped over one of her bottle babies.

BUT....nobody else on earth probably knows as much about Fainters as she does.


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## Horsefly (May 2, 2010)

I have some fainting goats and they are my favorite.  They will get used to things that scare them and they won't go over at it as easily.  My oldest gets stiff when she start to run or tries to jump on something but it passes and she carries on.  They usually don't start to faint till they are a month or two old.  Thay are pretty easy to contain because they don't jump or climb like other goats.  They will get on top stuff but it's not the grand leaps of the non fainters.  
We have a ditch that fills with water when it rains and the goats wade through or jump it to get across.  I remember once one of the fainting goat make this most beautiful leap across and promptly falls in the mud on his side at landing.  It was funny.
You probably know but they don't actually faint and pass out, their muscles just contract and get stiff, it affects the back legs them most but the front will go rigged too when they fall bad.  When older they learn to kind of hop run when startled and only fall if off balance when scared. It is actually a genetic disorder called myotonic conginita and has been developed into a breed.  They say German shepards with expensive flocks would put the fainting goats with them for when a preditor came they would fall over and be caught lettig the expensive sheep get away.       
There is some good information on the internationl fainting goat assotiation website http://www.faintinggoat.com/ .  I hope this helped, if you have any specific questions please ask them, I could talk about my goats for days lol as could we all.


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## cmjust0 (May 3, 2010)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> But....If the owner of that site (who also owns "Chevon Talk" Yahoo list) reads someone calling them, "Fainting goats" she will ban them from the list.
> That's a bit too fanatic for my taste.


I feel she's about 95% to blame for CL being as prevalent as it is today..  If not for her "DON'T DO IT OR YOUR GOAT WILL DIE!!!" warnings to people over the use of Case-Bac...and the fact that those warnings continue to linger on the intarwebs and are ranked VERY HIGHLY by the googles...who knows, we might actually have a handle on CL in this country today.

If ever I have the misfortune of corresponding with her, I think I might just waste the opportunity by seeing how many times I can use the phrase "fainting goat."

"My fainting goat won't faint.  Why won't my fainting goat faint?  I bought this fainting goat so my 12 kids could make it faint, but I'm not sure it's a fainting goat now because when they shoot their bottle rockets at it -- _like they do_ -- it just runs instead of fainting.  How can I make my fainting goat faint?"


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## Roll farms (May 3, 2010)

I double dog dare you....and please cc me on her response????

Do you know she's now claiming to be helping C.V. help MAKE the CL vac...ain't that some irony for you?


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## cmjust0 (May 3, 2010)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> I double dog dare you....and please cc me on her response????
> 
> Do you know she's now claiming to be helping C.V. help MAKE the CL vac...ain't that some irony for you?


Ironic?  Totally.  Surprising?  Absolutely not.  

What else would one expect from a person who took two known breeds and -- instead of simply improving on and contributing to those breeds -- actually endeavored to distinguish "hers" from "yers" by copyrighting not one, but two breed names out of thin air, establishing her own breed standards, keeping her own herd registries, etc.. 

Tireless self-promoter....she's the Don King of the meat goat industry.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (May 3, 2010)

Seriously, spend 5 minutes reading her website and the only conclusion one could reach is that she is so flipping arrogant.  Please...


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## ksalvagno (May 3, 2010)

After reading all of this, I HAD to go to her sight. Isn't she special! Thank God for her! Where would the goat meat industry be without her! You all should be sending her emails of thanks! What is wrong with you!


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## Roll farms (May 3, 2010)

I got banned from her Yahoo list for saying that Kiko goats consistently out perform myotonics and Tex Masters for rate of gain / hardiness on official buck tests.

Since she couldn't prove me wrong, she had to shut me up...otherwise someone out there might realize there ARE other breeds of meat goat besides HERS.

Btw...sorry for the threadjack...truly wasn't my intent.


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## HeatherM (May 3, 2010)

We have a few Mytonics. I just love them!  They are quite entertaining, I've had a doe faint on me just because she was so excited from me watering them.  And, I love how muscley they are.  The only thing I don't like about them is how slow they grow.


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## dianneS (May 4, 2010)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Btw...sorry for the threadjack...truly wasn't my intent.


That's okay, this is all very interesting.  That woman is a piece of work isn't she?  I've checked out her website and signed up for the forum.  I'm still pending approval, but if I'm approved, I swear I'm tempted to try the "fainting goat" reference too, and see how long it takes until she bans me!

I'll have to ask the breeder that I'm getting my fainters from if she knows about this woman.

One other thing.  This breeder with my babies, is organic and practices holistic goat care.  She doesn't worm or vaccinate, but uses homeopathics and herbals.  She teaches classes on it too.  She will worm and vaccinate my babies if I ask her to.  Should I?

My goats only get vaccinations as babies and a few wormings when necessary, or if I have a goat that has issues with worms, otherwise, I'm borderline organic!  I have plenty of pasture and fresh grass and sunshine, very little moisture and no where near over crowding.  In my experience, my goats do very well, even the sickly rescues, with just fresh air, sunshine and plenty of space.  I've even had a lice infested goat clear up with no treatment and didn't spread to the others with just the change in housing conditions.

Should I have these babies vaccinated or just let her do her holistic thing?


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## aggieterpkatie (May 4, 2010)

Just for clarification, you can still vaccinate and be organic.  Me personally, I won't skip vaccinating at least CD/T.


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## jojo@rolling acres farm (May 6, 2010)

I keep and breed fainters and Mini Silkies...they are really wonderful little creatures...you'll love them!


BTW - I would not skip the CD& T vacs. Too risky. Good luck & enjoy.


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## TeamChaos (Aug 1, 2010)

Came here to read up on fainting goats and saw this thread, how are the babies working out?


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## jas (Aug 4, 2010)

I bought my first fainter's a few months back. They are a ton of fun to watch. It took them some time but they finally started playing king of the mountain with out fainting by the time they reached the top. Good luck. Be sure to post some pics for us!


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