The Coming of Sprite | Chickens in the Road

Jul
6

Sprite is a fainting goat. Fainting goats have a hereditary genetic disorder called myotonia congenita that causes them to abruptly fall over when they’re startled. (It’s painless, though it can be hilarious.) Supposedly this trait was bred into them so that they could be placed with flocks of sheep as bait–predators would hone in on the frightened–and thus fallen–goats, giving the valuable sheep time to escape. Or so the story goes. Fainting goats are slightly smaller than the standard goat and are classified as meat goats, though they aren’t generally raised for meat because they’re also a threatened breed. Mostly, they’re raised for fun. They’re a novelty breed. And there aren’t very many of them in West Virginia, so the idea is to get Sprite and Pepsi together and start making little bottle caps.

You can see some YouTube videos of fainting goats here and here.

Right now, Sprite is in Tennessee.
sprite3
She’ll be coming here in a few months.
img_4763img_4763
Pepsi can’t wait!

More posts you might enjoy:

20 Responses
RSS feed for comments on this post | TrackBack this post

7-6
4:38
am

We can’t wait either Suzanne. This could turn into a money making proposition. Sprite and Pepsi mixed together…what do you call that drink?

Box Call -
7-6
6:18
am

That goat is beautiful! I’d never heard of ‘fainting goats’ before Pepsi. LOL What are you going to have next?!!

Lynda Dunham-Watkins -
7-6
6:38
am

They’ll make pretty little cans of soda! Fresca, Dr. Pepper, Nehi Grape, I can see them now. And both of these kids have beautiful markings.

Nancy in Atlanta -
7-6
6:55
am

Sprite is very pretty. Sprite and Pepsi will make pretty little bottle caps.

Diane -
7-6
7:20
am

They are sooo cute!

Christine -
7-6
7:25
am

Hooray! I couldn’t wait til you said you were getting Sprite! Pepsi is going to be so happy! (Not that he isn’t now though)

Claudia W. -
7-6
8:26
am

Let the games begin…they will make cute babies

Bev -
7-6
8:49
am

oh my cuteness!! I can’t wait either! The exploits of these two will be legendary!

Kristi of Million Dream Mom -
7-6
11:46
am

Ah bless! They’re gorgeous.

Winifred -
7-6
1:30
pm

They will make really cute bottle caps!

Estella -
7-6
2:28
pm

So… when are you going to get some miniature hereford cattle?

Tori Lennox -
7-6
4:24
pm

Making cute little bottle caps!! LOL!!

Kacey -
7-6
7:17
pm

I was wondering how Pepsi was doing. Sprite is too cute and I can’t wait to see baby goats.

Shells -
7-6
8:25
pm

Little bottle caps!! I imagined baby goats with hats that look like bottle caps on.

SarahKoski -
7-6
8:56
pm

“little bottlecaps” So darn cute. I never would have thought of it. This is just one of many reasons why I love this blog so darn much.

trish -
7-7
7:25
am

Hi there. I live in MD, but have a weekend place near Romney, WV. Sometime during the last couple of months, there was a story in The Hampshire Review (local Hampshire County paper) about a local teenager who raises fainting goats. Their Web site is not very extensive, but I’m sure if you called them and asked them about the boy who raises fainting goats, they’d help you find him.

ToadMama -
7-7
8:36
am

That Pepsi is such a cutie! I’m sure Sprite will be thrilled and will love her new home!

Sheryl (Runningtrails) -
7-7
1:13
pm

We don’t have any “fun” goats, just Nubians (dairy herd), like Lady Bug here:

That’s a cute fainting goat, though!

Steve O -
7-7
2:35
pm

I want to be one of your animals, LOL. That produce looks pretty yummy. Do you know how much they charge now for a head of lettuce here (Charlotte, NC) in the grocery stores? over a $150 now . Susie

queenymom -
7-7
2:36
pm

Opps that is $1.50. Susie

queenymom -