Boring Zoom meetings getting you down? You're in luck because a British farm is now renting out its goats for online cameos to help liven up even the dreariest video conference call.

Cronkshaw Fold Farm in Lancashire, northwestern England, offers a five-minute appearance by one of their goats on any video-calling platform for just under $7. 

So far, the farm has earned $69,000 through the service. 

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Customers can choose from up to seven different goats on the farm's website, all the way from "highest-ranking nanny" Margaret to adorable brown-and-white kid Lulu.

Farmer Dot McCarthy says the team came up with the idea when the economic impact of COVID-19 started to hit their business.

"When the first lockdown happened, I had just taken on my first ever two members of staff about two or three months before," she says.

"I was gutted because their wages were relying on work that we weren't getting anymore."

She adds: "I was just trying to think of things we could do to earn extra money. 

"This started as a joke putting goats on video calls to prank people in their work routines, and it's just gone a bit crackers really."

The popularity of the goats on Zoom has allowed Cronkshaw Fold Farm to keep its employees, but McCarthy isn't kidding herself about it being a lasting business.

"I've been saying this since the first lockdown, but I definitely think this is just a phase," she says.

"But, yes, we'll keep going. As long as people want goats, we will bring goats to the people."

Video editor: Riaz Jugon

Cover image: William Edwards, Paul Barker/AFPTV/AFP