08/04/2026
Why HSFGR? Why Now? 8/3/2026
HSFGR was not created overnight. The first time I discussed a new registry was 4/25/2019 and you would be surprised at some of the people involved in those early discussions. So development began years ago, long before the current ownership of MSFGA, because serious questions were already being raised about the future of the Silky Fainting Goat. The rumblings of shortfalls as some called it, only became louder.
The MSFGA written standard had remained largely unchanged while the population, breeding priorities, and interpretation of type continued to shift. Broad language left breeders and judges considerable room to decide for themselves what the breed should become. Some breeders chose to select well beyond the minimum. Many did not. When I realized that this criteria was shared with few other breeders it became clear that our herds needed a different home. It was not just a personal preference, it was crucial to the perpetuation of the breed.
So HSFGR was built to provide a clearer preservation direction, over a span of what is now approaching 7 years.
More than a dozen breeders have weighed in on what they felt was lacking and what they desired for a registry and for the breed. The goal was to carry forward without severing the silky from the traits, structure, myotonic identity, temperament, coat, and history that made the Miniature Silky Fainting Goat recognizable and desirable in the first place.
There is a history to these goats that many don’t seem to understand and in that same breath I must say the silky breed was not “created” by one person but rather, it was “developed.” But the bigger question is; is the Mini Silky Fainting Goat even a breed yet? There is work to be done.
HSFGR is not a show organization that happens to maintain a herd-book. It was created to do work that needed to be done differently. We have built clear standards, broader records, open pathways with safeguards, meaningful breeder tools, and a culture centered on stewardship rather than status. It is a preservation registry built around the animal, the breeder, and the population as it exists today.
HSFGR will no longer describe itself merely as “another option.” We are a preservation registry with a distinct purpose. HSFGR was built around the goat, not the show ring. It was built for the whole herd, not only the most visible portion of the community. And it was built because the living mini silky fainting goat population deserves focused, intentional action now, while there is still time to protect what matters, and guide the breed forward without losing its foundation.
The worth of a goat cannot be measured by one judge, one show season, one photograph, or one visible set of traits. I have long said that there are breeders out there with goats as nice or even better than goats in a show ring. Shows by default depend on who has the money to spend. The standards the registry sets should guide the breeds development. Showing can be useful. It can provide education, comparison, recognition, and community. HSFGR will support showing. But a goat does not need to enter a ring to contribute to preservation, and HSFGR chooses to recognize this for the longevity of the breed.
HSFGR considers the whole inheritance: phenotype, pedigree, genotype, family history, functional structure, myotonic character, reproductive soundness, and consistency across offspring.
Many things within the MSFGA standards were so vague or not even acknowledged in standards. Flaws in search of that perfect look were left unspoken and even kept secret. What stands before us matters. What stands behind it matters too. HSFGR was designed for breeders to be comfortable with transparency without judgement.
A new registry is an open registry by default, but we do not view ourselves as an open floodgate. All registrations should be done thoughtfully and with clear purpose but over the years many breeders have fallen away. 15,000+ over a span of two decades does not necessarily reflect the living population and certainly not all of them are breeding animals today. So we agree that the numbers are not sufficient for the future stability of this breed. A herd-book closed too early can have implications for decades to come. We remain open because no existing herd-book can safely assume that every worthy animal and bloodline have already been found or are still in existence. And we believe more work needs to be done before we can declare that this breed has “arrived.”
Older farm lines, disconnected herds, and goats registered elsewhere still hold value that deserves careful evaluation. Closing every pathway may reduce administration, but it can also close the door on genetics that cannot be recovered once they are gone. We will remain open to responsible registration and breed forward with clearer purpose.
HSFGR is a sole proprietorship but will not be a dictatorship. We believe in a democratic process. That is one of the reasons development has taken this long, (not to mention several years of a world wide pandemic.) It is not the input of one person, but of many voices that shaped this registry. While one person may start a registry, the ideas and priorities expressed by HSFGR are the work of numerous breeders. We respect their desire to remain private for the time being, but the goal of this registry will be a collective endeavor rather than one person’s vision.
A Hard Look at Registry Culture
We do not require personal loyalty to a registrar, show circle, or social-media group. Our goal is to earn your trust rather than expect public loyalty. No registry owns the breed. Breeders have the right to choose the organization whose standards, philosophy, services, and culture best reflect their goals. HSFGR exists to provide that meaningful choice.
“What is the benefit?” does not have one universal answer. Breeders do not all share the same goals nor do they have the same concerns. The value of a registry depends on what the breeder is trying to build, protect, and leave behind. So the question is not whether HSFGR will have the same benefit to everyone. It may not. The question is whether its purpose, standards, tools, and culture, will support the kind of breeder you want to be and exemplify the organization you want to belong to. The benefit is not a single feature.
So Why Should Someone Choose HSFGR?
Choose HSFGR when you believe registration should do more than confirm parentage and issue a certificate.
Choose HSFGR when you want your animals recorded within a preservation-focused herd-book.
Choose HSFGR when functional structure, myotonic identity, temperament, heritage type, and long-term usefulness matter alongside coat.
Choose HSFGR when you want a registry that serves the whole breed, including breeders who may never step into a show ring.
Choose HSFGR when you believe the future of the Silky Fainting Goat should be guided deliberately rather than left to minimum eligibility, changing trends, or the loudest voices in the room.
Choose HSFGR if you see silkies as far more than a show goat and help us move this breed to greater national acceptance in the caprine world.
All of This, Is the Work Before Us.
Same breed. Different focus. A clear choice.
Michelle Davis
