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From: <>
Subject: [KYJacksonPurchase-L] Fainting Goats.....An answer
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 19:29:21 EDT

Fainting Goats...... I copied this from:
http://users.vei.net/foothills/GOATS.HTML

(A Questionable History)

Myotonic goats are also called "Wooden Leg", "Nervous", "stiff leg" or
Tennessee fainting goats. These are one of the few goats that are indigenous
to the U.S. There are two strains of this animal. Most of those found in
Tennessee and the eastern U.S. are smaller. Most Texas herds tend to be
somewhat larger, probably due to selective breeding for the meat market. They
also have a market as pets because they are quite unique. Myotonic means when
they are frightened or excited they "lock up" and often fall over (faint) and
lie very stiff for a few seconds, hence the name "Fainting" Goat (they do not
actually faint). It is an over-simplification, but the chemicals which are
rushed to humans' muscles and joints to prepare them for "fight or flight"
are withheld in the Myotonic under exciting or frightful circumstances. This
stiffening is like doing isometric exercises and so these goats have about
40% more meat than a comparably sized goat.

No one really knows their origin. There are two popular theories, and then
there is mine.

One theory traces the origin back to the 1880's in Marshall County,
Tennessee. A man by the name of John Tinsley came to town with four goats, a
billy and three nannies, and a "sacred" cow which he had brought from Nova
Scotia. . He stayed long enough to marry a local woman, and to help a local
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 "sacred" cow with him, but alas
for the poor wife, left her behind. It is believed that all the Fainting
goats in the U.S. can trace their origins back to these four.

The other theory is that there was a spontaneous mutation in the herd which
resulted in the recessive gene.

It is my theory that, like myself, someone liked the fact that these goats do
no climb, so they selectively bred for this recessive genetic trait from
goats with the Myotonic propensity, thus creating the fainting breed.

These 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. Fainting
goats were close to extinction by the 1980's, but have now been bred back to
where they are no longer an "endangered species" and have been placed on the
"rare" list, with an estimated world population of under 10,000.

A Fainting goat averages between 17-25 inches in height, and weighs between
50 and 165 pounds. They are NOT miniature goats. They can be horned,
disbudded (dehorned), or polled (naturally hornless). Their coats can be long
or short, but never curly like Angoras. They come in a variety of colors
including black, tan, red, brown, gray and white. Some people prefer them in
black and white only, others breed for as much color as possible.

Fainting goats have bulging eyes which are very unusual and which distinguish
them from other breeds. They also have very long ears that stand out to the
side of their head. They are a very calm animal and make excellent pets and
unlike other breeds, fainters will not climb to high places (mine won't stand
on a square bale). They are a herding animal, and should therefore be kept
with at least two or three of their own kind.

Females are polyestrous, which means they come into heat year round. They
come into heat every 3 weeks (17-23 days) and can remain in heat anywhere
from 1-3 days. Gestation period is 145-151 days, twins are the norm, but they
frequently have triplets. They are easy kidders and have good milk production
(kids are seldom weaned earlier than 3 months). Many breeders have noted the
breed has the capability to produce two kiddings a year. They are good
mothers so in most cases a bonding pen is not needed. Since they are not
climbers or jumpers they are somewhat easier to keep than other goats.

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