Key Characteristics

The Bagot is a striking parkland breed with the ability to forage in rough scrubland.  It is a popular addition to Farm Parks and country estates with a growing reputation for usefulness in conservation grazing schemes. For example, the RBST herd of Bagots at Shugborough Park Farm are used to maintain the fragile archeology and habitats of a former walled garden.  

• Bagot goats are small to medium in size.
• Both sexes have large curving horns.
• They have long hair, with a distinctive colour pattern being black forequarters and white on the rear part of the body. Some have a white blaze.

History

• The first account of the breed is of a herd at the Blithfield Estate in Staffordshire owned by Sir John Bagot in 1389.
• The exact origin of the breed is unknown.
• One theory for the arrival of the breed in Britain was that in 1380 King Richard II gave the herd to John Bagot.
• An alternative theory, using DNA profiling, suggests that the breed originated from Portugal and travelled by boat with the John of Gaunt army when they were returning from battle in the Castile region of Portugal. 

Uses

Bagots are mainly used for conservation grazing, or more accurately conservation browsing. Their primitive nature means they are hardy and low input. Goats are good at clearing scrub and will usually choose to browse hedges over grazing grass.

Did you know?

The Bagot Goat appears in the Bagot family coat of arms. The coat of arms depicts two goats standing either side of a shield and a goat’s head on the top.

Breed Societies

For more information please visit the Bagot Goat Society