Anyone have fainters?

[punkin]

I am thinking about getting a couple of miniature fainting goats and have been doing some research. What I really need to know is how much pasture area would 2 little fainters require? I am going Saturday to look a them. If I decide to get them, she will keep them for me until I have shelter for them. What is the best type of shelter? She said a 3 sided shelter would be OK for them but I want something more suitable.

Please give me some pros and cons of owning fainting goats. I'm afraid the "cuteness" factor is going to push me over the edge.

 

[cherrychicken]

i imagine they might hurt themselves falling over...

 

[miss_jayne]

they don't get hurt...their legs just freeze. not actual fainting.

they are way cool. you know you want them! go for it if it works for you and your family!

we are thinking about some too!

 

[minifarm8]

They are awesome! We got two in April and absolutely love them. We are building a pole barn at the moment but they have been sheltered in a tarp covered dog run all summer. As long as they can get out of the rain, they seem fine. We need to get the barn done before winter so they stay warm. The breeder we got them from had a very simple shed with a heat lamp for the cold nights.

We have 1.3 acres which has been more than enough. Their fenced pen is much smaller than that but we take them out of the pen to browse when we are home and doing chores outside. They are very friendly and tame. Ours are poled (naturally have no horns) and we have had no worries even with my 1 and 3 yo niece and nephew. They will do anything for food. We are hoping for a baby in the spring.

I say go for it. They fall over less and less as they get older but our buck gets stiff legs a lot which is nearly as funny to watch.

Penelope(brown) and William(black)

 

[animalgirl2010]

We have two fainters they are the best goats we ever owned. We tried the boer goats but with our fences not being tall enought they just jumped them and go and eat our neighbors trees. We had to get rid of them so we got fainters then. One good thing I dont know if it is just with mine or everyones is that the dont really jump the fence I guess because of the whole fainting thing. I also dont have to trim there hooves as much as my other goats. I have a simple three sided shelter and it works. The only thing they really go in there for is when it rains. They are an all around joy to have around for us

 

[cgjsmith]

We had a pygmie/ fainter. It was kinda funny because only the front legs would freeze. So it would be running along legs freeze up and the back legs still going and over she went ha ha. Crystal

 

[tvtaber]

Goats hate rain (and i assume snow) and would very much appreciate a place where they could get out of it. Ours are also afraid of the hose (long, green snake like thing moving across the ground) and helicopters and wind and anything other suddon noise and run for the shed at the slightest notice. I am certain they appreciate their shed with its cozy four walls! We also keep hay, DE, minerals, etc in there on high shelves which is super convenient. They nibble the hay where they can reach it but it is no big deal. OBTW, be sure to ask the breeder about the minerals goats need, I'd have never known otherwise and they are important to have available depending on your area's soil content.

If I could find a fainter at a good price I'd grab it in a heartbeat! We have 5 pygmies and LOVE them!!

 

[KingsCalls]

We have mini-fainters and we love them! The funny thing is....I never wanted goats. Fainters are easy to care for, become very friendly, kid easily, and the males do not stink! I have 7 and their housing is a 8 foot long x 4 foot tall x 5 foot deep 3 sided shed. Just turn the open end away from the prevailing wind and this is fine for them. I fence mine in with 4"x6" woven wire 4 ft. tall, above this I run electric wire 6" above the woven wire. (this is to help keep other animals out not the goats in) I also put chicken wire from the ground up 2 feet to keep the goats from poking their heads thru and getting stuck.
The only bad thing about fainters is......they were used more or less as bait in order that other more valuable animals could escape if chased by coyote's or whatever. By this I mean if something got after them the fainters would fall over and the predator would have an easy meal while the other animals got away. And they do this! So make sure you fence more for keeping things out, than for keeping them in!!!!! You will love them

 

[Haviris]

Did you go look? I like fainters, they would have been my second choice after Nigerian Dwarf. I had one, he was a nice goat, very calm and laid back, here's a baby pic,

And after he grew into a nice handsome buck!

He was a buck and did stink just like any other buck, but I found that the larger the area the less noticable it is (right now my barn smells horrible because the bucks all want to hang out there). But it sounds like you're just looking for pets, so I'm assuming does and/or wethers, I'd say go for it! If you did get some I hope you're going to share pics!

 

[chickenfanatic]

gosh we have been wanting some of these forever they are so cute and from what we understand make great oets but we have noooo clue as to how obtain them . in this part of the country it seems they are pretty rare if anybody could help us find out or even sell us some we would be greatful wow those are great pics.