I have a couple of fainters & I love them. Working on getting more- just trying to save up the ca-ching for a herd for sale. They have quiet, laid-back personalities. They are easy kidders, and are easy to keep fenced. Mine show no interest in getting out, unlike my squirrely little pygmies! They come in various sizes- the majority of them being small like pygmies, although the majority of the breed is raised by people who like them for the exotic fainting quality. There are Tennessee Meat Goats, which is a strain of mytonic goats which are raised specifically for meat. They are MUCH larger, much more muscular & much more expensive. My buck has Tennessee Meat Goat blood in him (Grandfather) & it shows. He has very nice muscling. And he drops on a dime. Fainters also have various types of coats. Most have short hair, some have longer.
Supposedly, the fainting gene makes them a good candidate for a meat goat, as it gives their muscles a work out every time they faint. However, not every fainter actually faints. There are different degrees. There is lotsa info on
http://www.faintinggoat.com about the breed. If you are interested in a Tennessee Meat Goat, then check out Onion Creek Ranch's website (don't know it off hand). Lotsa info on that site as well.
Comparisons with Boer goats... well, I'm fairly new to Boers. Just got my first 2 this summer. This would be my thought: Boers are the bigger, better meat goat. They also are going to eat more, need more pasture/housing requirements. It costs more to deworm them. If you have ideal housing & pasture management then those costs would minimize. A lot of factors come into play. Like I said, I am new to the whole Boer breed, but I like them as much as my Fainters. Do what I did- get a couple of each
Liz
