Is it ethical to raise fainting goats? (or any animal bred specifically to promote a defect)?

Image by Kristin Brenemen
This is Joe. He’s some far-flung relative I hear. These are two 4-week-old orphan goats that they’re raising. Baby goats bleat often and endearingly.

Question by redhairedgirl: Is it ethical to raise fainting goats? (or any animal bred specifically to promote a defect)?
Fainting goats have a genetic condition called Myotonia that causes their muscles to stiffen to the point where they can’t move when they are startled or excited, and therefore they fall over and look like they have fainted (they do not actually lose consiousness). People that raise them say that it doesn’t hurt them. Another example would be the Munchkin and Polydactyl cats. People pay big bucks for animals with these defects. In your opinion is it ethical?
Theresa A – myotonia congenita is a neuromuscular disorder, not a breed. It occasionally occurs in ALL breeds of goats (and it also occurs in PEOPLE). People take goats with myotonia congenita and specifically breed them together to perpetuate the disorder. Birth defects unfortunately do not “die out”.
Anybody can breed any animal for any defect or mutation, set up a registry, and call it a new “breed”. It happens all the time, but in this case the “breed” is based on something that causes obvious discomfort and distress to the animal. I personally can not call it a legitimate breed when an animal is purposely bred to have a neurological defect and must have that defect to be considered for registration. I am very well aware of the history of fainting goats and the fainting goat registries, and how the registered fainters were descended from 3 goats. However it DOES occur in any breed of goat. Any goat that has myotonia DOES HAVE myotonia whether it can be a registered fainter or not, no matter what breed it is. Google “myotonia congenita” and learn about it. It is a DISORDER, and I’m certain you wouldn’t want your children afflicted with it.

What do you think? Answer below!