Goat Care
Goat Colors
Horns
IFGA & MGR - many registries, several choices
Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes
There is a tremendous amount of good information available about goat care, both online and in books. Here are the resouces I have found useful so far. I am always reading and investigating, so I suspect this list will change.
A friend and I created and manage a Facebook group Holistic Goats & Goatcare
Please download and read my basic article on Goat Care
I mainly use products from Dynamite and Waiora for my goats. Please visit the Toxins Tidbits page of my Horses, Humans & Healing website for more information about Waiora Natural Cellular Defense.
As you speak with different Myotonic Goat breeders, you will learn that there are various viewpoints on acceptable coloring for this breed. Some feel that the original colors were black and white, or black, brown and white, and that all other colors are inappropriate and possibly indicate mixing with other goat breeds.
Some breeders feel that a phenomenon called moonspots (spots of creme, tan or brown instead of white) also indicate mixing with outside breeds. Other breeders consider moonspots to be highly desireable and rare.
According to D. Phillip Sponenburg, DVM, PhD all of these color variations may be found in pure Myotonic goats.
Here at Oak Hill, we enjoy all colors and are comfortable that a goat can be pure Myotonic and have this variety.
I personally adore peacock and blackbelly patterns, and breed for those.
An excellent website discussing color genetics is www.goatspots.com
Goats may have horns. Horns or no horns is a controversial topic. Horns have a blood supply and help the goat stay cool in warm weather. Horns are normally useful for defense as well, although with Myotonic goats, the goat is likely to faint during an attack. Horns can be used to poke, butt, prod and stab other goats and people. Horns can become entangled in fences and feeders. Horns can be used to break another goat's legs, and can become hooked on other horns. Some 4-H clubs ban horns on goats. Deciding whether to have horns or not is up to each goat owner. Goats born with horn buds can be dehorned. As kids, within the first few days only, the horn buds can be burned off. You can learn to do this yourself or find a local goat farmer who freelances doing horn removal. Fias Co Farm has an excellent discussion of the procedure and equipment. I prefer to use my goat vet, to give the kid a shot of painkiller. As adults, horns can be surgically removed, which involves a vet, anesthesia, and removing a layer of skull as well as post-surgical wound care. Adult horns can also be removed by banding. I personally consider banding to be inhumane. However, others are very comfortable with the approach. An internet search will turn up directions for banding horns.
Some goats are born without horn buds. These goats are called polled. There is debate and controversy whether polled goats should be bred to polled goats. Some feel that polledxpolled breedings produces hermaphrodytes (goats with male and female sex organs combined). I suggest visiting the Yahoo Group Polled Goat Genetics and reading the reseach before making your decision. At Oak Hill, we do breed polled to polled to produce polled kids, as I prefer to avoid dehorning when possible.
Myotonic goats may have blue, brown or blue/brown marbled eye color. Blue eyes are popular in the pet goat market. Some goat breeders consider blue eyes a flaw (possible sun sensitivity) and cull any blue-eyed goats. At Oak Hill, we are breeding for the pet market and have added blue eyes to our herd. Generally speaking, blue eyes are genetically dominant. There is an excellent discussion of blue eye genetics at www.goatspots.com
Several breed registries exist to serve Myontic goat breeders. The 2 oldest are the The International Fainting Goat Association and the Myotonic Goat Registry. Both registries have information about their origins, history and services. There are differences between the registries, which I am happy to discuss with potential buyers. As a service to our purchasers, Oak Hill maintains registrations with both registries whenever possible. Oak Hill buyers have the option of joining and registering with either or both.
Oak Hill Fainting Goats
Fainting or Myotonic Goats & Goat Supplements For Sale In Pennsylvania
Useful Information
