swooning goats
In the United States, in the state of Tennessee, breeders are breeding a special breed of goats, which are popularly called fainting. In emergency situations, the goat falls into a complete stupor and falls on its back or side with its legs outstretched.
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1. Fainting goats (scientifically called myotonic) are a rather rare American breed that has been known since the end of the 19th century, and almost completely disappeared in the 1980s.
2. These goats are famous for their rare genetic disease, myotoma congenita. When they are surprised or frightened, they have complete muscular paralysis, and the animal loses the ability to move, while experiencing absolutely no pain and being fully conscious. She cannot stand in this state, and therefore falls on her side or on her back with outstretched hooves.
3. Because of this feature, the breed is called "nervous goats", "wooden goats" and "stiff-legged goats" in different states. They do not belong to frisky animals, and partly because of this, and partly because of the disease, the average fainting goat is 40% thicker than an ordinary goat, that is, they are a beef breed.
4. The set of situations in which a goat faints is approximately the following: immediate danger to life; a lot of grain (they are very fond of grain); handsome man (beauty) of the opposite sex. Any of these factors incapacitates the animal for at least 10-15 seconds.
5. The disease gene is inherited and is recessive, that is, it manifests itself in every second generation. A myotonic goat can be crossed with a normal goat and the gene will be passed on to offspring. Fans of nervous goats organized in 1989 an appropriate international association that monitors the purity of the breed and outlines the standards.
6. For many years, the value of fainting goats was not at all in meat. Several generations of sheep farmers have used them in a rather creepy way. Instead of guarding the herd with dogs, they added a nervous goat to each flock. When a coyote suddenly appeared from the forest, the sheep scattered in different directions, and the unfortunate goat fell into a stupor. She was bitten to death, but the rest of the herd remained safe and sound.