Our operation began in 2004.  I grew up in the country in east-central Georgia, showed Spotted Poland China hogs in high school in FFA, and always wanted to continue my interests in livestock after college.  With the moderate acreage I had in mind of utilizing on my grandparents' property, goats were an obvious consideration.  I didn't want to make any impulsive decisions about which breed to go with, so I spent a lot of time and energy researching the different recognized meat breeds--the Boer, the Kiko, the Tennessee Myotonic, and Spanish.   


I naturally looked at Boers first--they're by far the most popular meat breed in our country right now, and have been for years...although I can't say that I fully understand why.  The more I learned about them the more I realized they weren't efficient for my situation.  First of all, they seem to have had a tough time adapting to the southeast region of the U.S., from a parasite perspective.  Given their home range (South Africa), it certainly comes as no surprise.  You’re talking about climates completely different from one another—South Africa’s hot and dry, very much like our western states in the U.S.  The Southeastern U.S., as you already know, is hot but extremely humid and lush with vegetation which serves as a perfect breeding ground for parasites.  I clearly remember the Boer goat craze back in the early 1990’s and knew lots of folks who bought into great blood lines…but who also had trouble keeping their animals healthy.  The Boer’s immune system obviously had trouble adapting to its new environment.  That was 15 years ago; I assume through selective breeding, stronger lines have been developed since then, although I still know of people today who need to worm their Boers frequently in order to keep them healthy.  Given that I was a beginner having a lot to learn, I certainly didn't want to start out with a breed of goat I knew up front was probably going to need "extra" medical attention simply because of the region in which I'm located.  Not only that, given that Boers are a large-breed meat goat…requiring twice the feed and acreage of a medium-framed meat goat, I just didn't think they were ideal for my situation.


I next looked at Kikos, which seemed to be the second most “popular” meat breed in my area.  I actually knew a person who raised purebred Kikos, and took a day to visit their farm.  I’m sure the person had great stock, animals that were a fine representation of what Kikos should look like, but for whatever reason (call it individual taste)...I just wasn’t attracted to the breed.  Now, I certainly want to give the Kikos the respect I’m sure they’re due—I learned from weeks of reading books and online that they have a reputation for hardiness and parasite resistance.  No doubt their home origin of New Zealand has something to do with that, an area with climate and weather conditions much more similar to that of the Southeast U.S. than South Africa is.  In the end, I think my choice boiled down to personal preference. 


I then began researching Tennessee Myotonics; initially, I was pleased to know the continental U.S. had its own domestic breed of meat goat.  Not only are they domestic to the country, but native to the very region of the U.S. I'm located in, which told me right away they should thrive well in Georgia.  They’re also a medium-framed meat goat, which was going to fit my situation well given my moderate acreage--I just had one problem…I was having trouble finding breeders to talk with!  I kept on looking, though, and one day came across Coyote Creek Ranch’s website, a farm owned and operated by Myron and Lisa Johnson in Gainesville, Florida.  I was immediately drawn in by the look of their animals; their farm specializes in the black & white variety...which are supposed to be true and accurate in color to the originally recorded four owned by John Tinsley in the early 1880's.  I couldn't place why I liked them so much...maybe, subconsciously, they reminded me of the spotted hogs I'd raised from my high school days!  I will say that their animals were the first Tennessees I'd come across at the time that actually looked like a meat goat; so many of the others didn't have stocky, meaty builds.  Whatever the reasons, my curiosity was peaked so I immediately got in touch with the Johnsons to learn as much as I could about their operation.  I corresponded with Lisa mostly at first, and simply received more input and help than I really expected to get from anyone.   It wasn't long after that I found myself finishing up fencing and facilities to make room for my new friends!  I wound up purchasing 2 bucklings and 6 doelings over the course of the next year, which have matured into the foundation stock I have today.  


I guess what meant the most to me at the time was finding someone who was willing to take their time to help a beginner get started in the business--not to mention the Johnson's animals looked fantastic!  Lisa and Myron are clearly passionate about what they do, are dedicated to their breeding program and in the preservation of the old-line genetics of the breed.  Apparently, Tennessee Myotonics were in a bit of trouble in the late 1980’s and were considered endangered.  It wasn’t long after that the International Fainting Goat Association was formed in an effort to work with breeders who wanted to make sure the breed survived, along with the Myotonia Congenita gene.  Since then, the breed numbers are no doubt improving, but still have a long way to go. 
 

I really can't put into words how enjoyable it's been having these animals around the last three years.  Watching them all grow and mature, seeing all their little personalities develop has been such a privilege.  Witnessing my first kid crop being born this past February was the coolest, though!  I must say, if seeing little goat kids jumping and playing about doesn't bring a smile to your face...I don't know what will!  Their nature is so pleasant that it’s pure joy to have them around...therapeutic even.  Whether you’re looking for an animal to have as a pasture pet, or one heck of a meat goat to begin or add to your foundation breeding stock, I certainly like to think these animals fit either desire extremely well.  I will certainly do my part to continue to preserve and do what I can to improve the awesome qualities these animals have.  If you would like to know more about the history of the breed, please check out the link to Coyote Creek Ranch under my Links Page—Myron and Lisa have a lot of great information on their site.


It should also be noted that I raise and maintain disease-free stock.  The animals I have were either born on my farm, or were purchased directly from Coyote Creek Ranch in Florida.  I keep a closed herd and intend to keep it that way.  At no time have any of my animals been exposed to outside stock, and I continue to do everything humanly possible to make sure nothing “sneaks” its way onto my land and into my herd.  I can’t tell you how pleasant it’s been these last three years to not have to worry about treating sore-mouth, CLA, CAE, John’s Disease or any of the other diseases that goats can get and trade back and forth to one another.  To potential customers...remember, in the real world you get what you pay for—I encourage everyone to think about the value of clean, disease-free stock BEFORE you buy an animal from just anyone…and the amount of aggravation and expense you’ll save yourself by making sure you know what’s coming with your goat other than its price tag.  Folks who already have goats will know what I mean!