Fainting goats have a neurological disorder called myotonia congenita, also known as Thomsen’s disease. This condition causes their muscles to lock up and become stiff when startled, sometimes leading them to fall over. While it might look like they are fainting, they are not actually losing consciousness.

Elaboration:

Myotonia Congenita:

This inherited disorder causes a slow relaxation of skeletal muscles after voluntary contraction. When startled, the muscles of fainting goats become stiff and locked, often causing them to collapse.

Not a True Faint:

The term “fainting” is a misnomer because the goats don’t lose consciousness. Their muscles are simply unable to relax, causing them to stiffen and fall.

Genetic Basis:

Myotonia congenita is caused by a mutation in the CLCN1 gene, which codes for a chloride channel in muscle cells. This channel is important for muscle relaxation, and the mutation disrupts its function.

Varied Severity:

The severity of the condition can vary from goat to goat, with some exhibiting stiffening every time they are startled and others less frequently.

Adaptation Over Time:

Younger goats may fall more easily during an episode, but as they mature, they often learn to adapt and avoid falling by simply running away on stiffened legs.

It’s generally not recommended to flush ticks down a septic tank, but not because it harms the tank. While flushing may temporarily remove the tick, it doesn’t kill it, and ticks can survive in water. A more effective way to dispose of ticks is to place them in rubbing alcohol, which kills them.

Alternatively, you can wrap them in tape or place them in a sealed container.

Here’s why flushing ticks isn’t a good disposal method and what to do instead:

Ticks don’t drown:

They can survive submerged in water for several days.

Flushing doesn’t kill them:

While flushing will remove the tick from your immediate area, it won’t kill it.

Ticks can escape:

If the septic tank doesn’t filter effectively, ticks could potentially escape and return to your property.

Effective disposal:

Place ticks in rubbing alcohol (which kills them), wrap them in tape, or place them in a sealed container.

To prevent mastitis in livestock, consider supplementing with vitamin E, selenium, zinc, and calcium, as these nutrients play a crucial role in immune function and udder health, while also maintaining good hygiene and proper milking procedures.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

Key Nutrients and Their Roles:

Vitamin E:

Vitamin E supplementation, especially around calving, can reduce mastitis incidence and improve milk output. It boosts immunity and reduces oxidative stress in the udder.

Selenium:

Selenium is an essential nutrient that, along with vitamin E, enhances phagocytic activity, which is important for fighting off infections. Selenium deficiency has been linked to increased mastitis incidence and severity.

Zinc:

Zinc is crucial for maintaining epithelial barriers to infection, which help prevent bacteria from entering the udder.

Calcium:

Proper calcium supplementation can improve overall therapeutic outcomes in mastitis cases.

Probiotics:

Some studies suggest that probiotics, like Bacillus subtilis C-3102, can help prevent mastitis and reduce the need for antibiotics.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV):

ACV can help maximize the nutrition in cattle feed, help the cow ingest and process vitamins and minerals properly, and flush out harmful toxins and mastitis pathogens.

Other Important Considerations:

Hygiene:

Maintaining a clean and dry environment for dry cows is crucial to prevent infections.

Proper Milking Procedures:

Good milking practices and equipment maintenance are essential for preventing mastitis.

Teat Disinfectants:

Using a good teat disinfectant after every milking is a vital preventative measure.

Teat Sealants:

Teat sealants can help prevent new infections during the dry period by creating a barrier in the teat canal.

Vaccines:

ENDOVAC-Dairy with Immune Plus is a vaccine that can provide protection against gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli Mastitis, Pasteurella, Mannheimia, and Salmonella.

Essential Oils:

Some essential oils, like basil and bergamot, have shown antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, a common cause of bovine mastitis.

Udder Comfort Spray:

Some products like Udder Comfort Spray are used to help with udder health and mastitis prevention.

Had another baby Ram was born March 9th 2025

He is for sale $275

after wethering $175

after butcher $350 ish

Not sure if it’s a boy or girl yet. Born today March 5th, 2025. I’ll check it’s gender when I get home this weekend 🤠

it’s a boy

He is for sale $275

after wethering $175

after butcher $350 ish

So far, three out of four made it. The one on the rear/ far left, didn’t make it. We thought it might not; it acted handicapped or retarded. It made it a couple days, but turned up missing.

The other three, seem to be very healthy. The one could have been in-bread. The guy I bought the ewes from, let the boys bread back their moms; and I’m not sure which are which. But soon, that won’t be a problem anymore. I have those rams sold, and they will be at their new home next month.

I was letting him overwinter his sheep on my land, but then he wanted to sell them; so I bought the ewes. He was going to butcher the rams, but never did. The rams are friendly, and we wanted to keep them; but we can’t. I didn’t want the sheep to in-bread, so we found a buyer for them instead.

They say you may not have problems breading mother to son, but you definitely don’t want to breed brothers and sisters. My former friend David-Ray used to inbreed his goats all the time; that explains why he had problems with his herd, that and neglect. Goats are a little more easy to neglect, they mostly take care of themselves; goats are more low maintenance I think… Sheep on the other-hand… sheep are kind of dumb.

I had a Dorper Ram I was going to bread with these ewes, but he wound up missing as well. He disappeared sometime between the 13th and the 15th of February. Maybe he knocked up a couple ewes before he disappeared, but I think I am going to hold off before buying another Ram. If I buy another Ram. If I do, I’ll probably name him Dodge. lol

So the white one on the rear was born February 15th, the two in the front were born February 7th, 2025

Feb 7th, Shaggy gave birth to two lambs

One boy and one girl. The black one is a girl, the brown was a boy. We were going to weather him, and keep him as a friend for our maybe future Ram; but coyotes got him. 😭 Him and our 1st Ram lamb.

Sheep don’t protect their young like goats do. So before I buy another Dorper Ram; I’m going to have to get a Llama 🦙 or move them to Collins, where we have livestock guardian dogs 🐶 but before I do that, I have fencing that needs to be fixed. It wasn’t as move in ready for livestock as they said. Cattle, almost; but not sheep and/ especially not goats.

• MeatMilkGoats.com

January 14, 2025 

We lost our baby Ram 🐏 a predator came and snatched it 2 days ago. I traced the tracks and call the trapper, they think it was a coyote; probably the scout 🐺

But yesterday, we had two baby bucks born. They are for sale. Thay are .989 Organic Grass Feed

I’ve not named then; because they are for sale, trade, or for food. I call them by different food names, so people know not to get too attached to them. They were born to Momba and Bucky on January 13th, 2025. Bucky is 50% Nubian and 50% Nigerian. Momba is mostly Pyrenean and Nigerian, I think. She is an unknown.

If you want them to breed, you can buy them in April, before I wether them in April; they are $275/ea. Thought, now that I have more land, I may not be wethering them in the future; I may just separate them from the females. I’ll grow them out on the new land.

After April and before December, they will go for meat/wether price at $175-225/ea. You can use them as a companion animal, a Pet Organic Composting Machine; or you can take it to the market for your specific choice in cuts of meat. Wethers are less valuable or less expensive because of two reasons. They have been castrated, and can no longer breed. Butchers will charger at approximately $125 per goat to process them.

After August, and before the end of the year; they will be butchered and the price for meat will be $350/ea. I will also have individually wrapped meat prices at that time, if you don’t want the whole goat. I will probably wait till December to cull them. If you wether them, you can wait longer; otherwise you have to call them before a years time. The older they are, the more I change; cause they cost me more to keep them longer.

https://mizzoumeatmarket.wordpress.com/lamb-and-goat/embed/#?secret=l66JVvjCkQ#?secret=grQ4HlpaKI

You can contact me at (816) 518-8804 and/or the goat trader at (870) 654-3201 his name is Kelby Howerton

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Our first baby Ram was born yesterday January 7th 2025

He is for sale $350

after wethering $175

after butcher $350 ish