Windsor White and Bagot Goats in UK zoos.

[Pertinax]

Does anyone have any information on Zoos(or Farm Parks) where they have seen either Windsor White or Bagot goats RECENTLY? Both these domestic breeds would usually be found in the Children's zoo area...

Whipsnade was the traditional home of the Windsor Goats but they are phasing them out with now only a few females left. This is the breed where the males are traditionally used as mascots by army regiments. Anyone know of other zoos now breeding them instead?

Bagot goats are the ones with black forequarters on a white body.There's a park in Stafforshire where they keep a herd but its not very large. I'm trying to find out if any zoos are breeding them too. I think Colchester have a couple(females).

I think both breeds are probably kept by a number of private owners too, so not in any real danger of dying out.

 

[bongorob]

Isn't it a herd of Windsor white goats which live feral on the Great Orme? I only know of the ones at Whipsnade.

 

[bongorob]

Just found out that Noah's Ark Farm has Bagot goats.

 

[Pertinax]

Isn't it a herd of Windsor white goats which live feral on the Great Orme? I only know of the ones at Whipsnade.

Exactly right Rob. They were originally presented to Queen Victoria and came from Persia or somewhere like that. A pair of hers were given to a landowner who later liberated them on Great Orme.

The Whipsnade ones came from Windsor. I also believe a few billies from the Whipsnade stock were added to the Great Orme herd at some stage in their history. There is often controversey about attempts to cull the feral ones because they are a nuisance, but now they have some measure of protection.

I think some have gone to private breeders but I don't know where.

 

[Pertinax]

Just found out that Noah's Ark Farm has Bagot goats.

Okay. The original group in Staffs (Blithfield Hall) can't be too far from you?

I believe Cotswold Farm Park has some too, but I read recently that numbers of Bagots are actually very small (less than 100 total..)

 

[bongorob]

Blithfield Hall is about 5 miles due east of Stafford, making it around 15 miles from where I live. The Bagot Goat Society only know of 60 pure bred females in the UK.

 

[Pertinax]

Blithfield Hall is about 5 miles due east of Stafford, making it around 15 miles from where I live. The Bagot Goat Society only know of 60 pure bred females in the UK.

Yes, I thought it was near you somewhere...

That's a very low number(of females) for any breed- remarkable as most 'rare' breeds aren't so rare any more. I discovered Trotters World of animals have about 6 as well. Any idea how many are still kept at Blithfield Hall?

 

[Pertinax]

. Any idea how many are still kept at Blithfield Hall?

I've just been reading up about them on the net. I'm not sure there are any at Blithfield anymore. They were all dispersed in the 1950's but the park was restocked again in the 1960's. Now it seems they may have all been dispersed again in the late '80's or thereabouts and are now only in zoos, farm parks and with private breeders but I'm not absolutely sure on that..

The Rare Breeds Trust lists them as Category 1. 'Critical' which would certainly be the case if there are only 60 or so purebred breeding females left.

Zoos/farm parks I now know which have some are;
Cotswold Farm Park(presumably)
Noahs Ark. Bristol.
Trotters World of Animals. 6.
Odds Farm Park. (Berkshire) 'about 11'
(possibly) Colchester.

There is a register with some private breeders too as well but I'm not going to explore that far...however, there can't be very many.

 

[Pertinax]

The Berkshire farm park has more like 20 I think. Its billed as the '2nd largest group' in the Uk. I wonder where the biggest herd is?

Small numbers also at; a farm Park at Cholderton nr Andover/ Salisbury.
a farm park at Havant, nr Portsmouth
Birmingham Nature Centre.

 

[zoogiraffe]

Paradise Park Hayle has got 2 enclosures with Bagot Goats 1 has 1.3.0 the other has 2.0.0 as the as both young animals i think they are young born in the last few years

 

[zoogiraffe]

Only saw 1.2.0 Bagots Goats at Trotters when i visited yesterday.