The Fainting Goats

1. Omnipotent Poobah
   November 11th, 2006 at 3:55 pm

   I love these things.

   There is a small herd at California’s Old Faithful geyser. The geyser is a pale imitation of Yellowstone’s, but the goats make the trip worth it.

2. dead_red_eyes
   November 11th, 2006 at 4:03 pm

   Haha, I’ve seen that before. Really funny stuff.

3. ted
   November 11th, 2006 at 4:43 pm

   I feel guilty about it, but it’s hilarious.

   You have to wonder about the guy in the field deliberately spooking the goats for no apparent reason.

4. Voodoo
   November 11th, 2006 at 5:03 pm

   It’s a genetic defect in the species. There are so many of them today because they were bred because of their defect. They were placed in flocks of sheep. When predators would attack the flock, the goats would get excited and pass out, allowing the sheep to escape while the predators consumed the helpless goat. Useful at one time and I’m sure they still are in certain parts of the world.

5. MrPumpernickel
   November 11th, 2006 at 5:03 pm

   One use for the breed is actually to protect herds from predators. A predator attacks, the whole herd runs away except this goat who gets killed and eaten. Which obviously is better than a predator mortally wounding several animals instead.

6. MrPumpernickel
   November 11th, 2006 at 5:05 pm

   Haha, awesome, two posts with the same meaning at the same time.

   They are still being widely used where sheep herds and predators are common. Eastern Europe where wolves are more common for instance.

7. Denita TwoDragons
   November 11th, 2006 at 5:58 pm

   Here in Texas they’re bred as a novelty. Apparently there’s a booming market for narcoleptic livestock.

   Which is kinda sad, if you ask me. I’d prefer a flock of healthy herbivores and a few well-trained sheepdogs, thanks. Something about deliberately breeding neurological defects into an animal strikes me as cruel.

   –TwoDragons

8. jimbo
   November 11th, 2006 at 11:19 pm

   ha, funny stuff I hadn’t seen that before. Glad I did now.

9. nihilist
   November 12th, 2006 at 8:56 am

   I came across this in a show I watched recently, and if I recall correctly, the genetic defect also confers more meat on the goat, which is a good thing, at least to farmers.

10. Denita TwoDragons
    November 12th, 2006 at 9:50 am

    “…which is a good thing, at least to farmers.”

    …or coyotes, wolves, stray dogs, and hungry bums…

    –TwoDragons

11. yayo
    November 12th, 2006 at 10:37 am

    Some male goats may appreciate too XD

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