This fainting goat is a star in Outer Cove just don't expect to see her faint

Life on a homestead is a little noisy. For Turnip the fainting goat, those noises can cause a reaction that has made her particular breed internet-famous.

"A fainting goat has a startle reflex which causes the muscles in her legs to lock up," explainedowner Shawna Walsh.

"While it sounds like it can be kind of scary and aggressive, it mostly means that she tips over for about a second and she only falls two feet."

Walsh's husbandand Turnip's co-owner, Steve Miller, says you never know what's going to send Turnip toppling.

"Chainsaw, wheelbarrow rolling by unexpectedly," he listed. "There's always a snicker or two whenever it happens, because it always happens at a very inconvenient or comical time."

"Yeah, it's never a tense situation when all of a sudden the goat tips over," agreed Walsh.

It's a reflex, not a trick

Walsh and Miller are homesteaderswho have dubbed their home in Outer Cove "Rain Drizzle Farm." They grow their own crops, raise chickens for eggs, and also own a pair of mischievous goats.

Walsh, who also works as a schoolteacher, says that when she looked into different breeds of goat, a hilarious quirk like fainting was the last thing on her mind.

"We knew that we wanted to have a homestead for our children and for our family. So I did a lot of research into the most docile breeds, and while it's cute and silly that she faints, she's really easygoing with children. So I've been able to bring her into schools with me she's done work with agriculture in the classroom," she said. "She's exactly what we were looking for."

As one of only two known fainting goats in Newfoundland and Labrador, Turnip has become a bit of an Outer Cove celebrity. Miller says she brings a lot of visitors to Rain Drizzle Farm.

"We have a bunch of neighbourhood kids that love coming over and feeding the animals, and they get a big kick out of the two goats, especially Turnip. They immediately want to see a faint, and ask if it hurts."

The answer to both questions is, basically, no.

Walsh saysfainting isn't a trick Turnipcan do on command, like getting a dog to sit. She and Miller don't like to startle Turnip on purpose, and besides, not much shakes her these days.

"As she's aged, she's fainted less and less as she gets used to the antics around here." says Walsh.

As to whether fainting hurts a fainting goat, Walsh says it's a firm no. "We did research there and it doesn't hurt them at all. She's gone for about 10, 20 seconds at most, then she's back on her feet, ready to cause trouble."

Since it doesn't hurt, it seems OK to laugh at it. For that reason,fainting goats are right up there with cats as one of the internet's favourite animals. Videos with names like "Best of Fainting Goats" have racked up millions of views on YouTube, and even National Geographic has produced segments on the breed.

Check out our own video of Turnip the fainting goatexploringRain Drizzle Farm in Outer Cove:

Meet Turnip the fainting goat, star of Rain Drizzle Farm

4 years ago

Duration 2:10

For homesteaders Shawna Walsh and Stephen Miller, Turnip the fainting goat is the GOAT animal a homesteader could ask for.

Evolved to be dinner

Of course, fainting goats didn't evolve to star in viral videos. Walsh says the explanation for the fainting is a genetic trait the goats have been bred for.

"This is obviously something that would not happen in nature," Walsh said. "This is a domesticated breed, and obviously goats have been domesticated for some time. This [trait] made this breed of goat easier to catch. If you had a herd of goats out in a field, you would send the dog in to corral them, and these guys would tip over upon startling. So there's your meat goat right there."

At Rain Drizzle Farm, nobody plans on eating Turnip. Just the opposite actually; the farm depends on the goatsfor what the animals can eat themselves.

"Great Garburators," said Miller.

"Yeah, that was one of the reasons we went for goats, is because they're instant compost," added Walsh.

But no matter how much free fertilizer she makes, Turnip will always be most loved for the laughs herfainting has offered the couple over the years. Miller recalled one faint that could be Turnip's GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).

"After a snowstorm, I was bringing her around to warm up in the house, and our front steps are steep," Walsh recalled.

"She was working her way up over the steps and got a bit excited, and had a faint, and locked eyes with me as she groaned and tumbled backward and poof! Disappeared into a drift."

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