The Bagot goat /ˈbæɡət/[1] is a breed of goat which for several hundred years has lived semi-wild at Blithfield Hall, Staffordshire, England. It is a small goat, with a black head and neck and the remainder of the body white.
 A Bagot goat | |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | England |
| Traits | |
| Wool colour | White |
| Face colour | Black |
| |
In 2010 it was considered "critically endangered" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, as there were fewer than 100 registered breeding females in the United Kingdom,[2] but by 2012 had been upgraded to "vulnerable",[3] where it remains as of 2019, with 200-300 breeding females known.[4]
Description
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It is a small goat, with a black head and neck to the withers/girth and the remainder of the body predominantly white.
History
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Bagot goats were introduced to England at Blithfield Hall in the 1380s. They were probably brought back to England by returning Crusaders, and probably trace their ancestry to goats of the Rhone valley.[5] The goats were said to have been given to John Bagot of Blithfield by King Richard II of England to commemorate good hunting the King had enjoyed at Blithfield.[6]
As of March 2017[update], there were said to be fewer than 200 registered breeding females.[7]
By May 2018, the Rare Breed Survival Trust Watchlist reported between 200 and 300 registered breeding females.[8]
Uses
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Bagot goats have no commercial purpose being too small by comparison to the Boer Goat to be viable as a meat breed; producing high quality but low volumes of milk (consistent with generally producing a single kid) by comparison to the Swiss dairy breeds, and producing too little cashmere to compete with the Angora.[citation needed] However, they are good for conservation grazing[9] and have been used at RSPB reserves in Wales, Kent and Canterbury, where their browsing activity promotes diversity in the ground conditions beneficial to other wildlife.[citation needed]. In April 2021 4 young Bagot goats were introduced to the Avon Gorge in Bristol to help control the growth of unwanted scrub on this SSSI and as a supplement the 2 surviving Kashmiri goats originally released for the same purpose in 2011.[10]
Flocks
editA flock is still kept by the Bagot family in the deer park of Levens Hall, Cumbria. Examples can also be seen at:
- Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park
- Bill Quay Community Farm in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
- Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire
- Mary Arden's Farm in Warwickshire[11]
- Aldenham Country Park in Hertfordshire[12]
- South of England Rare Breeds Centre
- St James City Farm in Gloucester[13]
- Bagot's Castle, Warwickshire[14]
- Wimpole Home Farm, Cambridgeshire[15]
- Forge Mill Farm, Sandwell Valley Country Park, West Bromwich[7]
- Farmer and television presenter Adam Henson has a flock, started in 1975 by his father, which has featured in his Countryfile appearances.[16]
- Kingston Maurward House, Gardens and Animal Park in Dorset[17]
- On the cliffs of Cromer in Norfolk.[18]
- Ayleswood Rare Breeds in Meikleour, Perthshire[19]
- Hadleigh Farm, in Essex[20]
- Palacerigg Farm Park in Lanarkshire[21]
- Tannaghmore Farm, Northern Ireland[22]
- The LintMill, South Lanarkshire[23]
- Staunton Country Park, in Hampshire[24]
- Hartpury University and Hartpury College[25]
- Cragend Farm, Rothbury Northumberland: January 2020
The Bagot Goat Society
editThe Bagot Goat Society manages the Bagot Goat herd book on behalf of its members and owners of Bagot Goats. It holds an annual show and sale in conjunction with the "Traditional and Native Breeds Show and Sale" at Melton Mowbray Market.[citation needed]
Postage stamps
editAn illustration of the species by Harry Titcombe featured on the cover of a 1982 book of British postage stamp, issued from vending machines, at a price of 50p.[26] In January 2005, the breed was featured on a first-class British stamp, one of a set of ten, in a se-tenant block, designed by Rose Design using linocut illustrations by Christopher Wormell.[27]
References
edit- ^ "Bagot". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ Bagot goat at Rare Breeds Survival Trust watch list Archived 2010-03-30 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- ^ Bagot goat at Rare Breeds Survival Trust watch list Archived 2010-03-30 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- ^ "Goat watchlist". Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^ Dohner, Janet Vorwald (2001). The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300138139.
- ^ "Bagot goat, Oklahoma State University, www.ansir.okstate.edu". July 2021.
- ^ a b "Sandwell works to save rare Bagot goats". Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ^ "Watchlist overview". Rare Breeds Survival Trust. 20 April 2023.
- ^ Green, Kate (12 May 2015). "Save our Bagot Goats". Country Life. Vol. 42.
- ^ "Four new goats introduced to Avon Gorge in Bristol - Bristol Live". 25 April 2021.
- ^ "Bagot goats". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- ^ "Farm Animals & Poultry". Aldenham Country Park. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- ^ "Goats". St James City Farm. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- ^ "Bagot's Castle Experience". Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ^ "Explore Wimpole Home Farm". National Trust. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^ "Leicestershire". Countryfile. 2018-01-21. BBC Television. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Rare Breeds Accreditation for Gardens & Animal Park | Gardens & Animal Park". Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^ Ganley, Rob (August 2019). "North Norfolk". Camping and Caravanning. 114 (8): 63.
- ^ "Aylswood Rare Breeds". www.facebook.com.
- ^ "Hadleigh Farm EstateMeet the animals". www.hadleighfarm.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2018-06-16. Retrieved 2018-06-16.
- ^ "Palacerigg Country Park". April 8, 2009. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018 – via www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Greene, Jo-Ann (26 November 2018). "Tannaghmore Rare Breeds Animal Farm - leading the way by example". Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^ "The Lint Mill".
- ^ "Staunton is more than just a farm". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Animal Collection". Hartpury University and Hartpury College. Retrieved 21 November 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "50p Rare Farm Animals". Sutton Stamps. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- ^ "GB new stamps, Farm Animals, 11 January 2005". Norvic Philatelics. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
External links
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- Bagot Goat Society
- British Goat Society, Bagot page
- Rare Breeds Survival Trust page
- Bagot goat history, by Peter Evans, Secretary, Bagot Goat Breed Society