Courtesy of Danielle Langloism, Wikipedia CCLMyotonic Goat Show
The Myotonic Goat Registry has announced the date and guidelines for its 2010 goat show. Normally this might not be of note to anyone outside the myotonic (better known as fainting) goat community, but it brought to mind a thought.
I was just wondering if there would be someone on staff to blow an air horn or yell and chase the goats around. After all, what’s a myotonic goat show without goats dropping and rolling like flies? Yes, I know, disrespectful and somewhat macabre, and yet….you were wondering the same thing.
I enjoy your site, it’s very attractive and informative.
Ref. Fainting Goats.
Please list myotonic goats as a meat breed. Two fainters recently won the Maryland state tests for field and pen kept meat goats. Myotonic Goats routinely have the best meat/bone ratio of any pure or cross breed and are very efficient converters of feed. They also require less medical care and CANNOT climb fencing. The above listed characteristics are some of the most important reasons the breed continued popular for so long.
When bred with larger meat breeds the resulting cross-breds often win for DWG (daily weight gain) at 4H shows. I cross my dairy breed does with Fainter bucks and get nice tempered, quiet doelings that are easy to handle and are good non-commercial milk producers – the wethers make gentle, chunky pets. Cross-breds are normally above 60% Myotonic before they “lock up”. Personally, I enjoy fainters for their mild, affectionate personality and ease of handling. As an older woman with handicaps, even a pygmy goat can cause problems. They are also much less vocal than my pygmy or nubian goats. If you would like more information on Myotonic Goats or an expanded article, please feel free to contact me.