Fainting goats: myotonic goats explained

The most striking characteristic of the myotonic goat is the condition of myotonia congenita, a condition frequently misunderstood by breeders as well as by folks unfamiliar with the breed. Myotonia congenita is a medical condition that is strictly muscular and causes the muscles to become rigid when the goat is startled, moves suddenly or steps over a low barrier.

The condition is due to changes in the ion channels in the muscle cell membranes and has nothing to do with the nervous system. The characteristic stiffening has given rise to a number of names for this breed: fainting, nervous, stiff-leg, wooden-leg, scare and myotonic. The myotonia congenita goes hand in glove with heavy muscling. While not truly a faint, the name "fainter" was long ago chosen by some of the registries to indicate the condition and is a name that has stuck.

A history of the myotonic breed

The unique myotonic breed first enters historical note in the 1880s, when a farm labourer arrived in the middle of Tennessee with four of these goats and a zebu cow in tow. The labourer, Tinsley, worked in the area for few years and then moved on. His employer, Dr Mayberry, purchased the goats and their offspring. This is the beginning of the breed, although the ultimate origin of them is likely to always remain a mystery. They don't appear to have surfaced elsewhere in the world, but certainly must have originated somewhere.

In Tennessee these goats were developed as a local meat source, valued for their environmental adaptability. They were easy to fence in because they jump and climb poorly, if at all. This alone makes them unique among goats. In the 1950s a few Texas ranchers bought some, moved them home to Texas, and began using them them as a local source of meat. The Tennessee and Texas goats spring from a single source; remarkable similarities are present throughout both of these major branches of the breed.

A trend in American agriculture in the 1980s began to seek out and popularise a number of exotic breeds and species of animals – including myotonic goats. As popularity increased, it became prudent to have registries to track the breed and its breeding. A few registries remain, and the main ones today are the Myotonic Goat Registry and the International Fainting Goat Association. These were both developed to track purebred goats, which is an important goal as not all goats with myotonia are purebred myotonic goats. For the breed to be useful it must protect its purity; this is the goal of the registries.

The registries are reasonably inclusive, and recognise that many foundation herds of excellent goats lie behind the present breed. No single strain is able to claim to be oldest, best or purest any more strongly than could proponents of the remaining strains. While size has and does vary, ethical breeders have never resorted to crossing to decrease or increase size, but have instead worked within the breed to achieve a purebred that fits different desires across breeders.

Facial profile

The myotonic goats have a consistent type and style, which helps to distinguish them from other breeds. They have concave to reasonably straight facial profiles; in some the eyes and forehead bulge somewhat. Most myotonic goats are horned, although many are polled (hornless) and some breeders select specifically for polled goats.

Ears

The ears are medium sized, and usually held horizontally. A few are somewhat lopped but are medium rather than large, and lack the characteristic width and carriage of nubian and boer crosses, and also lack the character of spanish goats. Most of the ears have a distinct wave or ripple about halfway down the length of the ear.

Colors

Colors are extremely variable, although some breeders select for a limited range of colors. Black and white goats are relatively common as a result of having been favored by some of the original Tennessee breeders, although even among the older breeders the color preference varied. Many color combinations do occur in these goats. Hair coat varies from very short and smooth, to very long and shaggy. The entire range of hair types occur in most strains, including old foundation strains. While some prefer the smoother goats, the shaggy ones are very resistant to inclement weather and are preferred by some breeders for this trait.

Breed characteristics

The above characteristics could be passed off as somewhat "cosmetic" aspects of the breed, but these traits are an important reflection of breed type and breed purity. This breed is much more than stiffness, even though stiffness is one of its most unique and important characteristics. The head and body conformation traits all go together to define the "type" of this breed, and are an important reflection of purity and utility.

Other traits that are consistent in this breed include thick muscling, and thick conformation throughout. The significance of this for meat production is that these goats simply have more muscle for their weight than do other goats. All results are preliminary, but suggestions from Virginia State University are that the meat to bone ratio in myotonic goats is about 4:1, compared with other types and breeds of goats at 3:1.

Meat

The meat of fainting goats is tender and tasty. Folks who have tried myotonic goats as well as other types of goats tend to rank the myotonic at the top of meat quality. The meat is consistently praised for tenderness, which at first thought might seem at variance with the stiffness encountered while the goat is alive. It is important to realise that the stiffness in no way results in tough meat, but rather just the opposite.

Reproductive function

Reproductive function in the myotonic goats is good and they are highly maternal. Many of the does reproduce nonseasonally and some have kidded at six-month intervals. Accelerated kidding is potentially possible with this breed, especially with does and bucks specifically selected for this trait.

Fertility

Fecundity and milk production in the does are good. Twins are usual and triplets are not uncommon. Does usually have no problem rearing triplets unassisted. Those with four and five kids have a challenge which few does can meet and some of those kids need to be supplemented. The kids are vigorous and are up and nursing within a few minutes of birth.

Feeding

The myotonic goats are good foragers. They are active in seeking out their own food and are efficient with winter feed. They enjoy browsing but are less agile climbers than non-myotonic goats and so tend to be not so rough on the landscape. The myotonia eases stresses on fencing and also limits the height and aggressiveness of their browsing as well. Most breeders of these goats use the forage-based system, so few of these goats are pushed with high concentrate diets or creep feeding. When evaluating growth rates it is important to put this on the background of the type of nutrition the animals are provided.

Parasites

Early work also suggests that the myotonic goat is somewhat parasite resistant. Parasite resistance is always going to be relative to management styles and environmental constraints. When compared with other common breeds, the myotonic goats appear to hold their own in keeping parasites at bay.

Assets

The myotonic goat has much to offer meat goat producers interested in a well-adapted goat for a low-input forage based system. Their heavy muscling and environmental resistance are especially attractive as components of production systems. They are a nearly ideal converter of rough forage into high quality meat, while also maintaining great maternal ability and personalities that lend themselves to being kept as pets.