Introduction To Rare Breeds In Britain
Published by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
There are many breeds of livestock in Britain. Breeds become rare , either
because their characteristics do not suit present-day demands or because
their qualities have not yet been realised. When a breed population falls to
about 1,000 animals , it is considered rare and endangered by the Trust.
Why Save Rare Breeds?
Less than a century ago, the British countryside was home to a fascinating
variety of
interesting breeds of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses and poultry. Animals
such as
White Park and Beef Shorthorn cattle, Leicester Longwool and Norfolk Horn
sheep,
Suffolk and Clydesdale horses, Large Black pigs and Bagot goats all helped
shape the
countryside around us. Many of them have played an important role in the history
of the
nation and are an important part of our heritage.
These breeds are supported by the Trust and have been saved from extinction
but others, like the Lincolnshire Curly Coat pig, have not been so lucky. Although
rare breeds exist in relatively small populations, they can make a valuable
contribution, both to the livestock industry and to quality of life. Some have
distinctive characteristics, which have value in protecting the environment, and
others have qualities, which make them well suited to less intensive farming
methods. Even those, which have no apparent value at present, may well
possess characteristics that will be important in the future and they need to be
conserved as an insurance against changing circumstances.
Development of Breeds
Livestock farming in Britain is dominated at present by a few breeds. More than
90% of dairy cows are black-and-white Holstein. Suffolk and Texel breeds
compete for the sheep flock, and intensive piggeries are filled mainly with Large
White and Landrace pigs or their progeny. There are many other breeds that play
a minor role, but most of them have changed significantly in recent years. The
once popular Hereford cattle have become long- legged, Jacob sheep are bigger
and heavier and Welsh pigs are longer and leaner. This is the result of artificial
selection or of crossing with imported animals . There are also an equally large
number of rare breeds, which are native to the UK. They have adapted to our
climate and are efficient and thrifty. The rarest are Vaynol and Irish Moiled cattle,
Castlemilk Moorit and Boreray sheep, Cleveland Bay horse and Eriskay pony
and Tamworth and British Lop pigs. Some rare breeds have ancient origins.
Soay sheep, White Park cattle, Exmoor ponies and Dorking poultry were all
found in Britain in
pre-Roman times. New, imported breeds selected for specialist markets
superseded these animals .
Hybrid pigs and poultry are bred for intensive systems of production; British
Milksheep and Sports Horses achieve remarkably high levels of performance,
and Belgian Blue cattle and Beltex sheep possess dysfunctional muscle
hypertrophy (double-muscling).
Currently, the market is reacting to pressures stimulated by animal welfare and
environmental concerns, and intensive systems of management and extreme
levels of
production are coming under critical scrutiny. There is a move towards natural
systems and more traditional standards of production. Animals of traditional
native breeds are likely to benefit from this change. They may yield less or grow
more slowly but their products are of higher quality, and they are efficient
producers in non-intensive systems. Each breed has its own niche in the market,
but in a world of finite resources sustainability must be based on biodiversity
where each breed is used within systems to which it is best adapted.
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
In 1968, the Royal Agricultural Society of England and the Zoological Society of
London formed a working party to save endangered breeds of livestock, and in
1973 this became the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. The Trust relies entirely on
membership
subscriptions and donations to undertake essential conservation work; no
government aid is available. There are no laws in Britain to protect rare breeds of
farm livestock and the Trust stands alone in its dedication to conserving our
living agricultural heritage.
Between 1900 and 1973 more than 20 breeds of British farm animals became
extinct โค" their genetic diversity lost forever. The success rate achieved by the
Trust is reflected in the fact that since its formation not one rare breed has
become extinct. More than 70 rare breeds of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry
and equines are currently supported by the RBST. The numbers of breeding
animals for any one of these species can range from only 50 to 3,000.
For further information about the
RBST, including a list of approved
farms to visit, visit the website,
www.rbst.org.uk
or contact:
Rare Breeds Survival Trust,
National Agricultural Centre,
Stoneleigh Park,
Warwickshire CV8 2LG
Tel: 024 7669 6551
Fax: 024 7669 6706
E-mail: enquiries@rbst.org.uk
Website: www.rbst.org.uk
©RBST 2001
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