Dos Cabras Ranch is a small mini goat farm located on the outskirts of the beautiful Beartooth Mountains. We enjoy fresh mountain air; crisp, clean water and of course, an overabundance of snow 9 months out of the year. However, the fishing around here is awesome and you really can't beat the view of the Red Lodge Ski Mountain and Beartooth Pass (Yellowstone National Park is just around the corner).
I purchased my two myotonic "fainting" goats from Genesis Acres Exotic in 2010 and have never lived a day I regretted the choice. Let me tell you, these goats are the perfect companions for an animal lover like myself.
Firstly, it is not because they faint. Sure, it is super funny when it does happen. The fainting goat breed is worth so much more than their stigma. They are adorably affectionate and quite intelligent little creatures. Not to mention, they are very easy to care for.
For me, it was love at first sight and I am extremely happy to be beginning my journey into the cosmos of fainting goat breeding.
I am happy to include the mini silky fainting goats into my lineage as well in my herdsires Bells Goats Javier and Triple A Acres Chocolate Mousse. Their coats are just gorgeous and if a sweeter fainting goat could be made, it is definitely found in mini silky goats.
I purchased my two myotonic "fainting" goats from Genesis Acres Exotic in 2010 and have never lived a day I regretted the choice. Let me tell you, these goats are the perfect companions for an animal lover like myself.
Firstly, it is not because they faint. Sure, it is super funny when it does happen. The fainting goat breed is worth so much more than their stigma. They are adorably affectionate and quite intelligent little creatures. Not to mention, they are very easy to care for.
For me, it was love at first sight and I am extremely happy to be beginning my journey into the cosmos of fainting goat breeding.
I am happy to include the mini silky fainting goats into my lineage as well in my herdsires Bells Goats Javier and Triple A Acres Chocolate Mousse. Their coats are just gorgeous and if a sweeter fainting goat could be made, it is definitely found in mini silky goats.
Photo courtesy of Onion Creek Ranch
(www.tennesseemeatgoats.com)
(www.tennesseemeatgoats.com)
History of Myotonic Fainting Goats...
The myotonic breed of goats history can be traced by to the late 1800's when a farm laborer named John Tinsley brought his goats from Nova Scotia to Tennessee. These goats had an unusual "stiffness" to them. After that, they became known by many different names such as; Tennessee Fainting Goats, Tennessee Meat, Texas Wooden Leg, Stiff, Nervous, Scare Goats and of course, Myotonic when their muscular condition was later identified as Myotonic Congenita. This condition can also be found in other animals such as Mini Schnauzers and humans.
Because this condition affects the muscles of the animal, it provides them with a more muscular anatomy, which breeders found made them excellent meat goats. There inability to jump fences and extremely easy breeding made them highly valued back then and even now. Texas and Tennessee became the major breeders of the fainting goats. The goats were raised by two different methods: those who bred the animals to be raised for meat production and the other for their small size to be sold as pets or show stock.
Technically though, this breed of goat is still considered endangered because the number of goats found in the US is still very low compared to other breeds and since crossbreeding, especially with Boer goats who are also known for their meat, is so popular; it threatens the conservation of this special breed.
(See http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/tennfaint for reference information)
The myotonic breed of goats history can be traced by to the late 1800's when a farm laborer named John Tinsley brought his goats from Nova Scotia to Tennessee. These goats had an unusual "stiffness" to them. After that, they became known by many different names such as; Tennessee Fainting Goats, Tennessee Meat, Texas Wooden Leg, Stiff, Nervous, Scare Goats and of course, Myotonic when their muscular condition was later identified as Myotonic Congenita. This condition can also be found in other animals such as Mini Schnauzers and humans.
Because this condition affects the muscles of the animal, it provides them with a more muscular anatomy, which breeders found made them excellent meat goats. There inability to jump fences and extremely easy breeding made them highly valued back then and even now. Texas and Tennessee became the major breeders of the fainting goats. The goats were raised by two different methods: those who bred the animals to be raised for meat production and the other for their small size to be sold as pets or show stock.
Technically though, this breed of goat is still considered endangered because the number of goats found in the US is still very low compared to other breeds and since crossbreeding, especially with Boer goats who are also known for their meat, is so popular; it threatens the conservation of this special breed.
(See http://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/tennfaint for reference information)
History of Mini Silky Fainting Goats...
The mini silky fainting goats are actually considered a new breed of fainting goats. They were initially created by a woman named Renee Orr and her husband Steve around the 1990's, when they were experimentally breeding their long-haired Nigerian Dwarf goats with long-haired Tennessee Fainting goats which produced what is now called the Mini Silky Fainting Goat.
One thing to know about Mini Silky Goats is they may or may not faint. The breed standard for these goats relates more to their hair and size than simply their fainting abilities. Mini Silky goats are bred to have long hair and bangs and shouldn’t be any larger than 24” tall.
The Nigerian buck first used was named Gingerwood and was sired by a Nigerian Dwarf who's sire was a fainter. Renee talks about how she wanted the size and color of the Nigerian goats and the look of the fainting goats. In 2004, they started a herd book to keep records and started offering registration forms for breeders interested in keeping the long-haired goats. Thus, this was the beginning of the Mini Silky Fainting Goat Association. (See http://msfgaregistry.org/msfga-history for reference information)
The mini silky fainting goats are actually considered a new breed of fainting goats. They were initially created by a woman named Renee Orr and her husband Steve around the 1990's, when they were experimentally breeding their long-haired Nigerian Dwarf goats with long-haired Tennessee Fainting goats which produced what is now called the Mini Silky Fainting Goat.
One thing to know about Mini Silky Goats is they may or may not faint. The breed standard for these goats relates more to their hair and size than simply their fainting abilities. Mini Silky goats are bred to have long hair and bangs and shouldn’t be any larger than 24” tall.
The Nigerian buck first used was named Gingerwood and was sired by a Nigerian Dwarf who's sire was a fainter. Renee talks about how she wanted the size and color of the Nigerian goats and the look of the fainting goats. In 2004, they started a herd book to keep records and started offering registration forms for breeders interested in keeping the long-haired goats. Thus, this was the beginning of the Mini Silky Fainting Goat Association. (See http://msfgaregistry.org/msfga-history for reference information)