Thank you for
visiting Olde Heritage Ranch and thanks for your
interest in our Myotonic Goats which are often
incorrectly referred to as "Fainting Goats".
Olde Heritage Ranch is located in the beautiful
Ozark Mountains near Mansfield, Missouri.
For three generations our family has been involved
with various goat breeds such as Nubian Goats, Boer
Goats, Spanish Meat Goats and Pygmy Goats beginning
with our grandfather who was a bit of a "Goat
Trader". I personally began hand milking and
caring for a small herd of dairy goats daily at
twelve years of age.
For the last several years at Olde Heritage Ranch
our passion and focus has become the Myotonic Meat
Goat or Tennessee Fainting Goat.
The correct name of the breed is "Myotonic Goat".
A misleading but common term used for this breed of
goat however is "Fainting Goat" but the goats do not
actually truly faint but rather "stiffen" due
to their muscles
freezing for roughly 10 seconds when the goat feels
panic or is startled. Though painless, this
condition generally results in the Myotonic Goat
collapsing or "fainting" on its side.
This breed specific characteristic is caused by a
hereditary genetic disorder called myotonia
congenita. When startled, younger Myotonic Goats
will stiffen and fall over however older Myotonic
Goats learn to spread their legs or lean against
something when startled, and often they continue to
run about in an awkward, stiff-legged shuffle.
In short the Myotonic
Goat is a rare landrace breed of meat goat that is
recognized and registered by the
International Fainting Goat Association
and the
Myotonic Goat Registry.
The Myotonic or Fainting Goat has enjoyed an
explosion of popularity over the last 10 years or so
due in part to the public becoming ever so more
aware of this
wonderful breed of
goat. The Myotonic Goat breed is praised for
its meat attributes, improved parasite resistance,
easier containment and fantastic pet
qualities.
The Myotonic Goats
have been carefully preserved over the last 40
years plus by
dedicated breeders, many of those continue their
efforts to breed and preserve this historical
heritage breed of goat today.
Olde Heritage Ranch
has over 25 years of passionate animal husbandry and
breeding knowledge. We believe that through
thoughtful selective breeding, health screening,
hard work and dedication we can produce outstanding
Myotonic Goats that possess all of the desired breed
traits.
The
priorities of our
Myotonic Meat Goat breeding program are simple, we
are committed and resolute to applying our 25 plus
years of breeding experience and knowledge to
establishing great herd genetics and reproducing the
best Myotonic Goats that we're capable of.
We at Olde Heritage
Ranch have made a commitment to the Myotonic Meat
Goat and we believe that through thoughtful
selective breeding, health screening, hard work and
dedication that the Myotonic or Fainting Goat of
today can be preserved and even improved upon.
Home
About
OHR
Myotonic Goat Breed Information
Herd Ancestors
Bucks Does
