Hi! We are Cheryl and Randall Hedrick and we live in Newalla, OK. We raise Fainting Goats, along with Keeshond and Great Pyrenees dogs, and a few peacocks.
A fainting goat is a breed of domestic goat whose muscles freeze for roughly 10 seconds when the goat is startled. Though painless, this generally results in the animal collapsing on its side. The characteristic is caused by a hereditary genetic disorder called myotonia congenita. When startled, younger goats will stiffen and fall over. Older 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. This is a condition which occurs in many species, including humans. The goats do not truly “faint” in any sense of the word, as they never lose consciousness.
IFGA
Their size makes them easier to care for during chores such as foot trimming and administering medication. Smaller specimens of fainting goats are frequently kept as pets. Besides the myotonia, another distinguishing feature of the fainting goat is their prominently set eyes. The eyes protrude from the eye sockets, as opposed to recessed eyes seen in other breeds. The profile is straight as opposed to the convex or “Roman” profile. They are also raised as pet or show animals as they can be friendly, intelligent, easy to keep, and very amusing.
We are proud to say that all of our goats are registered with the International Fainting Goat Association, preserving a rare breed.