Goats: Australian Heritage Percy Island Goat

Australian status

Breed traits

The Australian Percy Island Goat (aka Colonial Percy Island Goat) is a lot smaller in build than Australian Miniature goats. They are very hardy with good pest & disease resistance. Percy Island Goats are good breeders mostly having twins or triplets. They are good milkers & can also be used for meat & skins.

Percy Island Goats are friendly, gentle, loving, alert, active, bold & intelligent animals with well-developed conservation & survival instincts. 

Colours are browns, greys & blacks, they may have a white patch but they are not mixed or patched colour. They can be solid colour, that is, blacks but most have contrast colour facial markings, black eel stripe down the back with matching leg markings & contrasting belly colour.

History

Approximately 150 years ago, the British Admiralty had a policy of dropping goats on islands to serve as food for shipwrecked sailors. There were many such islands along the coast of Australia, including Percy Island, which lies 70 Nautical miles to the South East of Mackay, Queensland. To this day, some of the descendants of these heritage goats introduced to the Island by the Royal Navy in 1874 by Staff Commander Bedwell of the HM schooner ‘Pearl’ still inhabit this island. 

 There would have been a variety of breeds dropped off initially but over the last century they have developed into their own breed. They seem to be the most closely visually & characteristically linked to the Old English Goat, Swiss Oberhasli Goat & Indian Bengal Goats.

Breed association

Australian All Breeds of Miniature Goat and Sheep Society. https://aabmgs.org.au

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