Meet Petal – St Augustine’s New Pygmy Goat!

Meet Petal – St Augustine’s New Pygmy Goat!

By Lucia McQuillan-Puccetti

Pygmy goats are a very friendly small breed of goat which have become increasingly popular in the UK as pets, due to their docile and extremely sociable nature. They are considered to be quite versatile, and can be used to clear overgrown land and even provide milk despite their small stature. This goat breed was established in the 1980s by the merging of miniature goat populations of the UK, the major ones originating from West Africa and Southern Sudan. At school, we are lucky enough to have a pygmy goat, Petal, as a new addition to the farm!

“Petal is an 8 week old pygmy goat who is sadly an orphan…she is being bottle fed and has come to live at this school so all the girls can be a part of Petal’s upbringing” said Ms Fraser, the school’s farm manager. She is incredibly affectionate and energetic, enjoys playing with students (and the other animals on the farm), and loves exploring the meadow and climbing trees whenever she can! After only being at this school for a month, Ms Fraser said “She has brought a lot of fun to this school, and is much loved by both students and staff”.

There are many other animals at the farm too, ranging from rescue guinea pigs and chickens, to ducks and sheep! Thanks to the allotment, chickens and ducks, we are fortunate to have our own school produce, from vegetables and fruits, to chicken and duck eggs. Regarding the sheep, Ms Fraser went on to say how the “preparations have already begun for lambing season…and we’ve got seven breeding ewes which are all pedigree Ouessant”. Hopefully in spring, we will have seven lambs (as well as the new lambing shed) to look forward to!

Below are some photos and videos of Petal: