Welcome to Hill Country Miniatures. We are a small breeding farm located in Rockwall, Texas, about 30 minutes east of Dallas, Texas. We initially started raising Miniature donkeys in the 1990's but had to sell most of our herd after I had a bout of cancer. We have successfully raised, shown and sold donkeys all over the world. We have donkeys in South Africa, Australia, England, France, Spain, Belgium, and Canada. We have bred numerous national champions, but decided to transfer to animals that need a smaller footprint and are easier to handle. As with the donkeys, we purchased the best bloodlines and animals that we could, because Quality breeds Quality. We spend lots of time with our goats and make sure that they are imprinted at birth, as well as having monthly hoof care, checked for parasites monthly and blood checked for Cae, Cl and Johnes every year. They are routinely exposed to our teenage daughter, our young grandchildren, and surrounded by our boxers, our cats, our donkeys and our chickens, so they are easy to handle.
If you are on our mobile site, please tap on the three bullets on the upper left side of the page to go to our for sale page, our bucks page and our doe page. If you see something that you like that is not for sale, please call me at 214-335-0024 or shoot us a message on our contacts page.
Miniature Silky Fainting Goats Mini Silky Fainters are usually very small goats, averaging 22 to 25" tall. They are very friendly and gentle, and make great pets. They are very rare, with about 9,000 registered at this time. They do not have to faint, but silky, long hair and facial hair is desirable. They should look like mini terriers in appearance. They are mainly used for dairy production and fiber production. There is a strong demand for these goats, so we recommend that you get on our waiting list.
Myotonic Goats or Fainting Goats We raise and sell full sized Myotonic Goats. The Myotonic goat is a distinct breed yet it has many synonyms for names, including Nervous Goats, Wooden-Leg Goats, Scare Goats, Fainting Goats, and Tennessee Fainting Goats. The breed is a multi-purpose goat derived from a variety of strains of goats that were originally from Tennessee. However, the breed does have several distinctive features that set them apart from other goat breeds, and it is these features that help to define the Myotonic goat as a breed. Several old strains of Myotonic goats persisted in Tennessee, and goats of these lines can still be found. In addition, several lines developed in Texas since the 1950s, and some of these have a slightly different “look” by virtue of being selected in a different environment and for different goals. One must remember that the Texas goats ultimately originated in Tennessee and so both strains are indeed branches of the same breed. Myotonic goats have a very distinctive breed type that is based mostly on head and body conformation. They also have a muscle condition called myotonia congenita. This inherited trait leads to an overall increase in muscle mass so that the goats are very muscular when compared to other breeds of similar size. The frequent contractions of the muscles that are associated with the "fainting" makes for very dense, low fat meat. This trait is so distinctive that it is easy to confuse the trait with the breed. However, the Myotonic goat is much more than just a myotonic condition; it has a host of other consistent traits that are very important and need to be conserved for future generations. Myotonic goats of all sizes are stocky, with obvious width for height. The body is wide, full, and deep, with heavier than average muscling evident throughout. Muscle development increases with age, so that older goats are more heavily muscled than younger ones. Tennessee bloodlines tend to be lower and broader than Texas bloodlines, which tend to be taller and a little less blocky. They are alert, good-natured animals with a conformation that is smooth, functional, and rugged. They are also generally quiet, and are much quieter than many other breeds of goats. Parasite-resistance is another trait that the breed is renowned for. The myotonic does usually range from 80 to 130 pounds and the bucks are 130 to 175 pounds.
Upkeep: Many people ask about upkeep of the coats on the mini silkeys. They do need a thorough brushing in the spring to get rid of the winter fur. If you want a pet, that is all that is required to keep the coat in shape. To get the show coats is another matter. Show goats must be brushed weekly, conditioned monthly and sprayed with detangler. The goats need regular shots to prevent diseases, worming when they need it and hooves checked and trimmed every two or three months. Most goats do well on a diet of coastal hay or alfalfa. We feed mainly coastal hay free choice, with alfalfa pellets each day for the does. We also mix in black oil sunflower seeds to give them extra oil for their coats. They require minerals and baking soda to be available daily and the boys need aluminum chloride to help them avoid stones. They do not need daily grain, and in fact it is not good for them. We have dog houses scattered about the property and they love to sleep in them and jump on them. We also have a large run in shed to protect them from the elements. These goats are quite hardy and require minimal upkeep.
If you are on our mobile site, please tap on the three bullets on the upper left side of the page to go to our for sale page, our bucks page and our doe page. If you see something that you like that is not for sale, please call me at 214-335-0024 or shoot us a message on our contacts page.
Miniature Silky Fainting Goats Mini Silky Fainters are usually very small goats, averaging 22 to 25" tall. They are very friendly and gentle, and make great pets. They are very rare, with about 9,000 registered at this time. They do not have to faint, but silky, long hair and facial hair is desirable. They should look like mini terriers in appearance. They are mainly used for dairy production and fiber production. There is a strong demand for these goats, so we recommend that you get on our waiting list.
Myotonic Goats or Fainting Goats We raise and sell full sized Myotonic Goats. The Myotonic goat is a distinct breed yet it has many synonyms for names, including Nervous Goats, Wooden-Leg Goats, Scare Goats, Fainting Goats, and Tennessee Fainting Goats. The breed is a multi-purpose goat derived from a variety of strains of goats that were originally from Tennessee. However, the breed does have several distinctive features that set them apart from other goat breeds, and it is these features that help to define the Myotonic goat as a breed. Several old strains of Myotonic goats persisted in Tennessee, and goats of these lines can still be found. In addition, several lines developed in Texas since the 1950s, and some of these have a slightly different “look” by virtue of being selected in a different environment and for different goals. One must remember that the Texas goats ultimately originated in Tennessee and so both strains are indeed branches of the same breed. Myotonic goats have a very distinctive breed type that is based mostly on head and body conformation. They also have a muscle condition called myotonia congenita. This inherited trait leads to an overall increase in muscle mass so that the goats are very muscular when compared to other breeds of similar size. The frequent contractions of the muscles that are associated with the "fainting" makes for very dense, low fat meat. This trait is so distinctive that it is easy to confuse the trait with the breed. However, the Myotonic goat is much more than just a myotonic condition; it has a host of other consistent traits that are very important and need to be conserved for future generations. Myotonic goats of all sizes are stocky, with obvious width for height. The body is wide, full, and deep, with heavier than average muscling evident throughout. Muscle development increases with age, so that older goats are more heavily muscled than younger ones. Tennessee bloodlines tend to be lower and broader than Texas bloodlines, which tend to be taller and a little less blocky. They are alert, good-natured animals with a conformation that is smooth, functional, and rugged. They are also generally quiet, and are much quieter than many other breeds of goats. Parasite-resistance is another trait that the breed is renowned for. The myotonic does usually range from 80 to 130 pounds and the bucks are 130 to 175 pounds.
Upkeep: Many people ask about upkeep of the coats on the mini silkeys. They do need a thorough brushing in the spring to get rid of the winter fur. If you want a pet, that is all that is required to keep the coat in shape. To get the show coats is another matter. Show goats must be brushed weekly, conditioned monthly and sprayed with detangler. The goats need regular shots to prevent diseases, worming when they need it and hooves checked and trimmed every two or three months. Most goats do well on a diet of coastal hay or alfalfa. We feed mainly coastal hay free choice, with alfalfa pellets each day for the does. We also mix in black oil sunflower seeds to give them extra oil for their coats. They require minerals and baking soda to be available daily and the boys need aluminum chloride to help them avoid stones. They do not need daily grain, and in fact it is not good for them. We have dog houses scattered about the property and they love to sleep in them and jump on them. We also have a large run in shed to protect them from the elements. These goats are quite hardy and require minimal upkeep.