The Breed Grading system was initiated by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) some years ago.  This is now considered to be a disaster and was stopped in the late 1980’s, due to the numbers of grade goats produced and has now all but died out in the Bagot breed.  In the 1979/80 period the numbers of Bagot goats were very low and inbreeding was very high.  It was considered at that time that a way to increase numbers and reduce inbreeding, was to start a grading up system.

The system started when you mated a pure Bagot male with any type of female goat.  If the progeny was a female, this goat was registered as a GRADE 1 goat.  If this Grade 1 female was then mated to a pure Bagot male the female progeny of that mating was registered as GRADE 2.  The grade numbers went on up to GRADE 4  and if a Grade 4 female was then mated to a pure Bagot male the female progeny or this mating was then called full Pedigree.  It must be pointed out that any male kids born off any grade was not registerable.  Only males off pedigree parents could be registered.  The problem with all the above was not the idea, it was the females used in the first grade.  No conditions were laid down for this and so any breed was used and accepted.  Had a specific type of goat been used which was close to the original Bagot breed it would have been that much better.  To-day there are a lot of Bagot goats about that are now called pedigree, but have got there through the grade system.  Unless you are aware of this, there are likely to be genetic throw backs, from these earlier matings.