All over YouTube you can see hysterical videos of these small critters called Fainting Goats. But the question is, do they really faint? Answer: Not necessarily. Most of the time when an animal is scared or startled the first thing they do is run off as fast as they can. However, there is one minor exception, the fainting goat. Some other names you may have heard around the grape vine include Myotonic goats, Tennessee fainting, scare goats, and Stiff-Leg Goat.

The reason for this obscure occurrence is a condition known as Mytonia Congenital. Although it may appear the goats actually faint, this inherited genetic disorder causes a voluntary muscle contraction which results in the failure of the muscles to relax. This disorder can also be found in humans, believe it or not.

This reaction occurs within the nervous system of the goat and can last for a few seconds depending on the goats age, breed purity and how intensely startled the goat was. The genetic disorder is caused by a recessive gene and affects the external muscles which completely allow the goat to be aware of the situation. It is not recommended that one purposefully should scare the goats, but a loud noise or violent movement could make the goat topple over.

Fainting episodes are typically seen in younger goats as they do not know how to handle themselves. Most of the time the goats fall over, and have no control over where they land, coming off as paralyzed. As the goats become older, they typically spread their legs very wide or find something to lean on to support themselves. Although, the muscles freeze up during this stage, some goats can hobble around while they are experiencing an episode.

Fainting goats originated in Nova Scotia around the 1800’s and were later sold to Tennessee goat farmers for meat. The first noted origin of fainting goats was recorded in Marshall County, Tennessee and they can now be found throughout most of the state and parts of the country. An old wise tale once said these goats were added to flocks of sheep and large tribes of goats to sacrifice themselves to predators. When the goats would faint, the wild animals would attack them and this would give the rest of the heard time to escape to a safe place.

The primary use (other than entertainment) is for meat. It has been said that the meat from a fainting goat is actually very palatable and can be very lean. Usually these goats are not used for milk because many dairy goat farmers are worried their condition can be passed through the milk.

If you would like to learn more about fainting goats, there is a festival every year in Marshall County, Tennessee to celebrate their heritage! The “Goats, Music, and More” festival takes place every year in October. It is specifically designed to honor fainting goats, but in addition there are fun activities and great music the whole family can enjoy!