Fainting Goat v non-Fainters

[Riverdale]

The wife is leaning towards Fainters because she read they did not climb/jump/etc. as much as regular goats.

Is this true?

I was raised on a farm,but it was dairy/beef situation. Goats, sheep and hogs are new to me!

Glad I found this place

[sandc]

When we had our fainters I noticed they didn't get into stuff or onto stuff as much as our alpines. They weren't near as much fun......

I just don't put things into their areas that I don't expect to have them climbing all over.

[farmmom]

My concern with fainters would be predators, but with very secure fencing, they would probably be ok. I know someone here that keeps them with their calves so the predators get them instead of the calves. (I think they should get better fencing - heavy duty electric)

[deineria]

I haven't heard that, but I just doubt it being the case. . . maybe?

I'm interested to see if this is true and why it would be.

[beccachow]

I am curious too. I had to tie myself into a chair to keep from buying some fainting goat kids...at only $100 a piece...

I have heard they outgrow the "fainting" thing, that it is a type of neurological thing?

[delphinium]

Has anyone here bred a fainting goat to toggenburg? Just wondering what the outcome would be. I have a smallish maiden doeling (tog) and no tog bucks that I can find in the area. I could use one of my nigerians but someone near me has a gorgeous black & white spotted buck (fainting).

[Otter]

Originally Posted by deineria

I haven't heard that, but I just doubt it being the case. . . maybe?

I'm interested to see if this is true and why it would be.

I understand it to be true and know people who keep them for that (I do NOT approve).
Basically, goats are cheap, they run fainters with more expensive livestock where predators are bad, the coyote shows up, the whole herd bolts, the fainter faints, the coyotes take the animal that's down and the more valuable beasties are safe.
Horrible, isn't it?

Show breeders will swear up and down that they were never ever bred for that purpose, but what good reason can there be for purposely breeding a neurological defect into your stock??

They are a meat breed, so crossing with a dairy doe you'll get what you'd expect form any other meat/dairy cross.

I will never own one. Ever. A good friend of mine got some because she wanted a small, docile meat goat. She had a lovely pasture with a little shallow (2 feet deep at it's very deepest point) pond under a shade tree in the back. She lost a whole bunch of them. The neighbors dogs ran up to the fence and barked and her fainters fainted and drowned in 6 inches of water. To say she was heartsick about it doesn't even begin to describe.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/myotonicgoats.html

[QoTL]

I have a buck who, according to the man I purchased him from, has zero fainter in him.

But he faints. And he looks just like the pics of the 'silkie' myotonics (with slightly shorter hair ).

He's very calm, doesn't climb the fences. He doesn't butt things, and so far hasn't broken ANYTHING.

The only thing I don't like about him is that he also is a bit afraid of stairs, so getting him out of the barn can be a bit of a hassle.

I probably wouldn't have bought him if I'd known he was a fainter, but I don't regret it at all. He's a very well behaved boy.

Then again, I make sure I don't scare him, either, since it's obvious to me that he doesn't like fainting (which is why I think he is so very careful). I don't... morally like the idea of causing an animal to have an uncomfortable situation for my own amusement, so I go out of my way to keep things as calm as possible for him.

I wouldn't discount the breed based on why they were bred. He has been a wonderful change from my last buck (who broke everything he could and chased me out of the pen numerous times before he was finally shippped off). As a matter of fact, when I consider the fact that I should be 'breeding up' with a purebred buck, the fact that my current boy IS so well behaved is the holding back point for me. His calm, quiet demeanor fits in perfectly with my little homestead.