Our Herd

Our Story

Years ago we started off with two goats, a mother and her doeling. For beginners, this was a great way to start off in the goat world. With her mother by her side, we didn't need to worry about weaning a baby goat. Goats can be easy keepers until they are not. With the help of a mentor we made it through the first year. There is a lot to learn about goat care. Goats are ruminants and can be plagued with parasite problems. With parasites becoming drug resistant we wanted to raise our goats as naturally as possible. We use good hygiene in the pens, pasture rotation, herbal wormers and most importantly a good healthy diet of forage, antibiotic free grain, Chaffhaye, locally raised hay, and vegetables and herbs we grow at the farm. All food sources depends on the time of year, goats gestating and availability of forage. This year we introduced the mineral buffett instead of mixed commercial minerals. It is amazing to watch each goat self select the minerals they need and leave the ones they in which they have adequate levels. By far, Selenium is the most popular which is no surprize. South Carolina is a selenium deficient state.

Babies!

Our Story

There is nothing more relaxing and uplifting than watching baby goats hopping around the yard. We were hooked. Breeding became a passion about sharing that joy. If you are interested in goats please contact us for more information and to get on our waitlist. We do not take deposits for the waitlist. When babies are born we then take 50% non-refundable deposits and encourage you to come visit your babies while they grow. Babies go home at 12 weeks which is the normal time frame that moms have started weaning their babies. Many breeders will let them go home earlier but I feel they need more time for the rumen to develop, mature and for the animals to learn all they can from moms. Taking home babies too early can lead to undue stress, increased worm load and coccidiosis.

Purchasing

Breeds and myotonia (Fainting)

We carefully screen potential clients to make sure our babies will be well taken care of with educated families. We spend considerable time with our goats training them to be friendly and trusting of their human herd so they are ready to be with future families. Nothing is more disappointing than going home with new goats who seems afraid of you. We also feel it is important to spend just as much time with clients if they are new to having goats. We strongly encourage visits to the farm before purchasing goats.

Breeds and myotonia (Fainting)

We raise Mini Tennessee Fainting goats ( Myotonic Fainting Goats) and Mini Silkie Fainting Goats. They have become my favorite! There are a show breed and many have championship lines. For me they are strictly bred as pets and are extremely friendly, quieter than most goats and gentle. Other important differential characteristics of the myotonic goat include very teachable/trainable, stiffness, high quality adaptation to low-input farm land and foraging.

Myotonia is not a "seizure" and is not painful!! Myotonia congenita is caused by an inherited disorder of a chloride channel in the muscles of the skeleton. It is simply a delayed muscle relaxation after excitement. It can be good excitement as well as being startled. Most common fainting occurs when they see me walking towards them with the grain bucket!! As adults they rarely challenge a fence and certainly do not jump as they lose that ability most of the time due to the myotonia/stiffness. All of our adults will quietly walk up to you and wait to be brushed, fed or loved on. These goats are perfect for young toddlers or children with disabilities.

I am happy to share the pedigree lines on the papers on request. Theres a lot to see!!

Purchasing policy

Horns or no Horns?

Picking up your goats

Deposit and waitlist

All are babies are polled or disbudded. All goats male or female have horns unless polled. Polled means they are missing the gene to grow horns. We disbudd at 5-10 days old before the horns grow. The cells that would become the horns are cauterized. If you prefer horns the full payment is taken by 5 days old as we can not change the fact that they will have horns after that. Nothing wrong with horns. With goat yoga we prefer not to have them. I do love horns on my bucks!! It's a personal choice. Scurs are a few cells that get missed that result a a small keratin growth. Usually very small on does and often fall off and regrow. They tend to rub them off on trees. Bucks are very difficult to not have scurs due to their testosterone but certainly possible. There is never a guarantee there will not be scurs. Again, another reason to visit the farm to see what that may look like.

Deposit and waitlist

Picking up your goats

Deposit and waitlist

We do have a waitlist but do not take deposits until the babies are born. I do send an email about a month before to make sure you are still in the market or if the timing isn't right I can keep you on the list for the next round of babies. I like to talk to customers to see what breed and sex they want. I can then in the conversation help you figure that out what is right for you depending on the size of your property. As babies hit the ground I call folks on the waitlist. They may pick out a baby or pass if they are looking for certain colors. I do try to place siblings together first or at least those born at the same time. We take 50% at that time which is non-refundable. If you change your mind at the time of pick up please realize I have sent potential customers to other farms once I have placed all the babies. During the time you are waiting for them to go home I send home a 4 page email on instructions of what you need when they go home and why.

Picking up your goats

I like to keep babies for 10-12 weeks. It just depends how they mature. Some are ready at 9-10 weeks and some not until 12. I want them to be friendly and some take those extra weeks. Some are just socially immature and need more time with mom even though they may be super friendly. Some moms are so good and generous feeding the babies it delays them eating grain. Could I sell those at 8 weeks? Yes. Is it the right thing to do for certain babies? No. The stress of the move could be a lot for them which sets them up for worm stress and coccidia. So when you leave a deposit you have an estimated time of pick up. I call about 2 weeks before they are ready and together we set up a day and time that works for both of us. Just please know that is a scheduled appointment once set. When we set the appointment I reserve at least 2 hours if needed to answer last minute questions, show you how to read worm sampling and how to trim hooves. That means I rearrange my schedule to not have workers here at the farm. I don't schedule any visits from other families or schedule deliveries around that time. If you change that appointment it is at a cost of $5 a goat a day because it will require me to rearrange another day which can change my whole week. I also am very scheduled on pasture management and rotation. Certain goats are placed together for reasons and having the babies after that time can mess up my rotations schedule. I want customers to understand what occurs on my end. I have been way too lenient in the past with people cancelling for a little rain, family coming to visit or a birthday party. It really is a stress on my part and need people to appreciate that.

The Bucks

Rigby

Topher

Rigby

Green Pastures Rigby

MGR F1275

5th Generation

Grand champion lines

Just wait for the pictures!!! This guy is stunning with his moon spots. Rigby is a Tennessee Myotonic. This is the short haired fainting goat. Originally a meat goat, these fainters were breed down in size with Nigerian dwarf goats to get the miniature fainting goat. These are pet goats not the big bulky meat goats. Rigby has 5 grand champions in his direct line.

Rigby

Topher

Rigby

All our bucks are chosen for particular characteristics but Rigby certainly has the the pedigree to back it up.

Topher

Lil Keepsake Bustin Loose AKA Topher

MSFGA 10721

Buck

4th generation pedigree

This handsome boy is only 9 months in this picture. He is already off to a great start with his coat. I Can't wait to see when it's all grown in. Oh those bangs!!

Myotonic and Mini Silkie Fainting Goats

Livi

Greta

Livi

Creekside Farm Lavinia Andronicus CCG

MGR D1614

5th generation pedigree

Polled

Livi is a great mom. She has triplets every year and they are just beautiful. She faints easily especially at hoof trimming time! She loves her veggies! I grow lots of veggies on the farm for the goats and there isn't anything she would pass up! She is our herd leader.

Lucy

Greta

Livi

Creekside Farm Luciana CCG

MGR D1615

5th generation pedigree

Blue eyed

Lucy-loo is the loudest eater! Poor think grunts when she eats and it's so unlady like! She was the most submissive goat in the herd until she became a mom. I almost sold her because I felt so bad about how shy she was. Once she became a mom and learned to defend her babies she blended much easier into the herd.

Greta

Gracie

Green Pastures Greta CCG

MGR # E9836

5th+ generation

Like her sister Gracie, Greta too has a double registered sire with long hair and short haired dam. She has long hair on her back legs that I refer to as pantaloons. She will be registered in 2024 officially as a "mini" myotonic. A new class in the registry as of 2023.

Gracie

Green Pastures Grace

MGR # E9835

5th+ generation

This little girl has a double registered mini silkie sire and Tennessee dam. She has short hair but has potential to throw long haired or shaggy coated babies. She is very hard to get a good picture because she is always under foot when I am around. She too will be registered as a "mini" in 2024. The goats have to be 3 years old and under 19 inches tall to qualify.

Millie

Gracie

Millie

Critter Creek Millie

MGR F2972

Blue eyes

Millie is the daughter of Greta and Finn. Finn is a mini silkie fainting goat with a gorgeous long coat. Millie is already growing a soft fluffy coat. I am anxious to see the coat when full grow. She will remain a very small doeling.

Lottie

Gracie

Millie

Green Pastures Lottie Dah

MGR E9096

Blue eyes

Lottie has a heart on her back that is so sweet. She is an easy fainter. Also, has permanent Grand Champions lines. Is a perfect foster mom as well. She produces so much milk she allows any baby to feed off her. This actually causes problems with the other moms so she gets her own pasture with her babies.

Emmie

Cordelia

Emmie

Green Pastures Emmie

MGR E9042

This girl has the thickest cashmere winter coat I have ever experienced. Its so soft you want to run your fingers through her hair. Everyone mistakes her for a sheep with that winter coat. Thankfully she loves a brush out too! She also has Grand Champion Lines.

Gemma

Cordelia

Emmie

Green Pastures Gemma

MSFGA E9041

Gemma has long hair that does show up in the short haired myotonics from time to time but she is all myotonic. She has 7 champion lines including a Reserve National Champion

Cordelia

Fern Creek Farm Cordelia CC

MSFGA 7075

Cordi was my first mini silkie goat. She has a half coat. Not long to the ground like my other ones. I was intimidated by the upkeep so started with the shorter coat. Truthfully there is very little maintenance. I do brush her for yoga so she looks her best but her hair never mats.

Alice

Cordelia

Green Pastures Alice

MSFGA 8112

4th Generation Pedigree

Polled

Alice is super tiny. I wait until the fainters are 2 years old before breeding because they are slow growers. Everyone thinks she is still a baby. She is my sweetest goat and so far all her babies have been the same.

Zola

Alice

Poppy

Critter Creek Farm Zola

MSFGA 12890

4th generation

Zola is Alice's granddaughter. She inherited the long thick coat which I continue to watch grow. She is only 6 month in this picture. Super outgoing as a baby she made the mistake of trying to drink off the herd leader and was kicked which resulted in a broken leg at 6 weeks. She spend a few weeks in the house recuperating in may lap. Thankfully she has no damage and healed nicely without any signs of a limp. As a breeder I had to make sure that was the end result and would never have sold a lame baby. She has captured my heart!!

Poppy

Alice

Poppy

Green Pastures Poppy CCG

MSFGA 11446

4th generation

Poppy's coat is called "blue" in the mini silkie world. She faints very easily and is very affectionate! I can't wait to watch her grow up and she what her coat looks likes. She will have her first babies 2024.