Critically Endangered Heritage Goats
About Our Arapawa Goats
A rare breed. An extraordinary history. A future worth protecting.
Imagine an entire breed of goats disappearing forever. Not because they weren’t valuable, but because so few remained that their survival became uncertain.
For the critically endangered Arapawa goat, that possibility is very real.
At Happy Little Hooves Farm in Sterling, Illinois, we’re proud to help preserve these remarkable animals. Every Arapawa in our conservation breeding program represents a piece of living history, and every new generation brings renewed hope for the breed’s future.
A Breed Nearly Lost Forever
The story of the Arapawa goat begins on Arapawa Island in New Zealand, where goats lived for hundreds of years, adapting to the island’s rugged landscape.
For generations, they survived in relative isolation. But in the 1970s, their future took a frightening turn.
The New Zealand Forest Service determined that the goats were damaging native forests and began efforts to remove them from the island. Suddenly, a breed that had survived for centuries faced the possibility of disappearing.
In 1987, island residents Betty and Walt Rowe, along with friends and volunteers, stepped forward to help protect the goats. Their conservation efforts involved bringing approximately 40 goats back into domestication and helping establish a future for the breed beyond the island.
Thanks in large part to these early conservation efforts, the Arapawa goat gained international recognition and continues to survive today.
Without people willing to protect them, this remarkable breed might have been lost to history.
What Makes Arapawa Goats So Special?
If you’ve ever spent time with an Arapawa goat, you know they’re far more than just a rare breed. They’re intelligent, curious, and absolutely full of personality!
Big Personalities
Some Arapawas are bold and mischievous. Others are gentle, affectionate, and happy to stand beside you for attention. Every goat has its own personality, and some seem determined to supervise everything happening on the farm!
Hardiness & Adaptability
Generations spent surviving in the rugged environment of Arapawa Island helped shape a resourceful, adaptable breed with excellent natural browsing abilities. Like all goats, they still require proper nutrition, parasite monitoring, and veterinary care.
Unique Genetic Heritage
Arapawa goats represent a rare and valuable part of livestock biodiversity. Preserving their genetic heritage helps protect characteristics that could otherwise disappear forever. Every responsible breeding decision contributes to their future.
Our Commitment to Saving the Arapawa Goat
Here at Happy Little Hooves Farm, our Arapawas aren’t simply animals we raise. They’re animals we’ve made a commitment to protect.
For us, conservation breeding is about much more than producing baby goats. It’s about preserving bloodlines, protecting genetic diversity, raising healthy animals, and making responsible decisions that will benefit the breed for generations to come.
Every healthy Arapawa kid born on our farm represents another opportunity to strengthen the future of this critically endangered breed.
Our commitment means daily hands-on care, careful breeding decisions, proper nutrition, veterinary attention, and working to place breeding animals with people who share our dedication to conservation.
We also believe education is one of the most powerful tools for protecting rare livestock. When families visit our farm, we want them to meet these remarkable goats, experience their personalities, and understand why their survival matters.
Because sometimes, all it takes is meeting one special goat to make someone care about saving an entire breed.
Rare-breed stewardship is more than simply raising kids. It involves thoughtful breeding decisions, sound husbandry, protecting animal welfare, and finding responsible homes committed to the breed’s future.
Although Arapawas are often described as hardy, every goat still requires appropriate nutrition, parasite monitoring, veterinary care and species-specific management.
We love introducing visitors to these goats and helping more people understand why heritage livestock conservation matters.
Help Us Keep Their Story Alive
Learn about our rare goats, visit the farm or contact us about responsible breed stewardship.
Contact Happy Little Hooves Farm