Hey, Buddy, I love you!
Welcome to our web site! I'm glad you stopped by. You'll find lots of facts about us and our Fainting goats here.
Kids in the sun 
B's Barn Farm ( BBF ) is located in Burkesville, Cumberland County, Kentucky, in the south central region of the State. We are 12 miles from the B's Barn Fainters are bred by the Breed Standards and we are proud of our quality stock. We breed for blue eyes and have a variety of hair colors and coats. We have polled and horned and our Fainter does usually run from 90 - 120 pounds. Our bucks usually are in the 175 pound range. We have several genetics and/or farms that our breeding stock have originated from.
Fainting goats are a landrace breed, started in 1880, as far as documentation can tell. A Landrace breed is a local breed. Fainters have a distinctive look in addition to the myotonia gene. Generally they have large and prominent eyes also know as bug-eyed. The predominate color is black & white.
We would like you to know that the Fainter is considered parasitic resistant, an easy kidder and good mother, low consumption of food, are considered a quiet breed and make wonderful pets for the family. Fainters are considered a meat goat and their milk can make some wonderful cheeses. Because of their Myotonia they are easy to contain behind a fence. Like in any situation safety is always first. Teach your children to respect the horns as accidents can happen. Words of caution though, please do not keep your goats with collars on or tied up somewhere without supervision. It is very possible that 2 goats will wrestle and their horns will get inside each others collars. As they twist and turn one or both will strangle due to the collars tightening around their necks. To tie a goat can also lead to troubles as they can climb, jump and hang themselves by the chain.
MYOTONIA STIFFNESS – The stiffness of these goats relates to their myotonia congenita, which is an essential portion of the breed type. The various levels of stiffness are arbitrary, but a general guide is useful for breeders. 1. Never observed to stiffen, but other type traits are consistent as is pedigree. 2. Very rarely stiffens, never falls. 3. Stiffens only occasionally, and rarely falls. 4. Walks normally with no swivel. The rear limbs lock up readily, the forelimbs less so, and goats with this degree of stiffness rarely fall to the ground. 5. Animal walks relatively normally, although somewhat stiff in rear and with a swivel at the hip. Readily stiffens when startled or stepping over a barrier. 6. Animal always moves stiffly to some degree, and readily becomes “locked up” when startled or stepping over a low barrier. Comment: The stiffness is integral to the breed and its character, but this breed is much more than stiffness. Genetic consistency and type traits other than the stiffness are equally important to the stiffness when evaluating goats for breed type. Extreme level 6 stiffness can impede a goat from using the environment well, and extreme stiffness is not necessarily desirable (that is, stiffer is not necessarily better when evaluating goats). Level 6 is stiffer than is usual in most of the breed. Levels 4 and 5 are most typical of the breed. Levels 2 and 3 are useful in purebred herds, and when these levels are combined with heavy muscling they are entirely typical. Level 1 goats are referred to as “limber” or “limber leg”, and should be scrutinized. They only rarely have a role to play in breeding programs, and should be discriminated against. Any limber leg goat that is used in breeding programs should be excellent in all other traits typical of the breed and even then should see only minimal use. Level 1 sires should not be used since they are not typical for the breed. Breeders should avoid both overly stiff and non-stiff goats. However, each of these classes will be of occasional use to some breeding programs, and therefore, if they are used at all it needs to be done with much thought and care. We at B's Barn believe in the health of our herd and had testing done in May of 2006. We tested for Johnes, CL and for CAE. We are happy to report that all the stock at BBF has been tested negative for these diseases. We tested again in November of 2006 & 2008 for Johnes and have negative results. BBF has tested fainters that have been brought into our farm or have tested the dams of the kids we may have purchased. We believe that we are able to say that we have a negative tested herd. We are not comfortable in stating that we have a "disease free" herd as birds and other animals can bring in bacteria and viruses on their feet. BBF is also on the federal USDA-APHIS Scrapie program and we are working towards our 5 year certification program. For more information go to this link http://scrapietag.aphis.usda.gov/reports/sisbreed.php
B's Barn ( BBF ) has been breeding Myotonic goats since 1997, when we first fell in love with this breed. We raise only Myotonic's and we do not crossbreed . We are members of the Kentucky Goat Producers Assoc. (K.G.P.A), Myotonic Goat Registry (MGR) ,and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC). many of B's Barn breeding stock is dual registered with the MGR and the IFGA. We believe that in registering our goats that we are providing a tracking system to the genetics of that goat. Because the numbers of the Myotonic/Fainter are considered "Threatened" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, we feel, that by registering we help provide needed information on this breed.
All kids born at B's Barn are registered with the Myotonic Goat Registry ( MGR ). The MGR is a registry that is working to preserve this wonderful breed of goat by being supportive and working hard with breeders across the country to help promote the breed. I highly recommend in joining and registering with the MGR. http://www.myotonicgoatregistry.net/
Come on ma! I want some milk.
The Myotonic is known as a calm quiet breed and because of this trait make wonderful pets. For pets ,wethers(castrated bucks) make the best children friendly pets. In looking for a pet you may decide to have your wether polled (naturally hornless) as some states do not allow children under the age of 9 to show goats with horns. We do not disbud our kids and prefer not to. We prefer the horns as they make great handles to steer your goat. You can, as the goat gets older, have the tips removed and rounded down.
is the condition which causes Fainting goats to stiffen or fall over when startled. This condition lasts for ten to fifteen seconds and then the fainter will rise and walk off stiff. This is caused by a release of a chemical (calcium)in the muscle in which more than is needed is release. In most animals, this release of calcium causes us to flee but in the myotonic the amount of calcium causes them to get stiff. After a short time the stiffness disappears and they will walk like any other goat. This myotonic state only affects the goats external muscles, so they are fully conscious and aware while in a faint.
These faint photos did not harm the goats. The "faint" was not forced upon the goat. This is just showing what can happen when the goat is excited. We do not force nor make our goats go into a myotonic state. These photos were taken as they naturally went down because of excitment.
There are different degrees of myotonia. Some goats completely fall over and stay down for about 10-15 seconds. Others will not fall down but their legs will become very stiff and rigid making it very hard for them to walk. Most adult myotonic's have learned to brace themselves when they feel the myotonia coming on. Their legs will be stretched out or spread wide apart to balance better with. Kids have been myotonic as early as 4 days old as they get a bit older the myotonia is more prevalent.
The below information has been taken from the Myotonic Breed Registry and is part of the Breed Description.
We, among other Myotonic breeders, feel that there is a important need to eradicate scrapie in the USA, even though it is not prevelant in goats. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_diseases/scrapie/
We feel that the most important feature in your new herd of fainters should be their health. There are several diseases that can infect your herd and ground, for many years to come, and be the cause of losing your entire herd, as years progress, with these infections going unnoticed in your herd.
For more information on these diseases please go to our Health & Sales page to read more information on these particular diseases.
We do feel comfortable in letting our buyers know that they can feel confident that their purchases will have been tested or come from dams that have been tested.
BBF kidding season usually starts November and is in full swing by April of the year. We do not keep a Waiting List of buyers any longer but do recommend that you notify us of your interest sometime in Oct for any of the B's Barn fainters.
