Preserving Breeds of Livestock

By Josephine Roberts
Published on July 20, 2010
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A Welsh mountain badger-faced ewe with her full fleece.
A Welsh mountain badger-faced ewe with her full fleece.
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These Soay sheep are part way through losing their winter fleeces. The Soay has a natural type of wool growth, which allows the fleece to shed gradually without human intervention. Anyone wishing to use the wool could simply collect it from the land. Wool does not have the value today that it once did in the U.K. because the price of wool rarely covers the expensive and backbreaking task of shearing.
These Soay sheep are part way through losing their winter fleeces. The Soay has a natural type of wool growth, which allows the fleece to shed gradually without human intervention. Anyone wishing to use the wool could simply collect it from the land. Wool does not have the value today that it once did in the U.K. because the price of wool rarely covers the expensive and backbreaking task of shearing.
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A light Sussex cockerel, a good all-’round bird.
A light Sussex cockerel, a good all-’round bird.
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A medley of British breeds: a Welsh mountain mare and foal, pictured alongside a Hill speckled ram. Welsh mountain ponies are amazingly hardy and nimble creatures capable of surviving in harsh conditions. These ponies belong to breeder Gwyn Berry, who takes pride in continuing a long tradition of keeping these ponies in their native Snowdonia.
A medley of British breeds: a Welsh mountain mare and foal, pictured alongside a Hill speckled ram. Welsh mountain ponies are amazingly hardy and nimble creatures capable of surviving in harsh conditions. These ponies belong to breeder Gwyn Berry, who takes pride in continuing a long tradition of keeping these ponies in their native Snowdonia.
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Nipper the Shetland pony, my neighbor’s pride and joy. The Shetland is Britain’s smallest native breed of pony, hailing from the Shetland Isles in Scotland, where the breed is known to have existed for more than 2,000 years. The Shetland pony is tiny in stature; the islands’ harsh conditions allowed only the smallest, toughest animals to survive. For its size, the Shetland is the strongest of all horse breeds. As well as cultivating land and being an all-’round work pony, the breed is also famous for working in the mines of the U.K. The use of children as mine workers was banned in 1847. At about that time,
Nipper the Shetland pony, my neighbor’s pride and joy. The Shetland is Britain’s smallest native breed of pony, hailing from the Shetland Isles in Scotland, where the breed is known to have existed for more than 2,000 years. The Shetland pony is tiny in stature; the islands’ harsh conditions allowed only the smallest, toughest animals to survive. For its size, the Shetland is the strongest of all horse breeds. As well as cultivating land and being an all-’round work pony, the breed is also famous for working in the mines of the U.K. The use of children as mine workers was banned in 1847. At about that time, "pit ponies" became popular, with the Shetland being the favorite breed, due to its small size, brave nature and extraordinary strength.
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A pair of young Welsh pigs. According to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, the breed is at risk of extinction.
A pair of young Welsh pigs. According to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, the breed is at risk of extinction.
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Welsh Black cattle free ranging in the mountains of Wales. It is unlikely that a modern commercial breed would thrive on the tough, wiry mountain grass of the Snowdonia. These hardy black cattle fatten without lush lowland grass and are nimble enough to manage the difficult terrain. The Welsh Black has been bred in Wales for more than 1,000 years. At one time they were used as currency, which led to the tradition of the Welsh Black being commonly described as
Welsh Black cattle free ranging in the mountains of Wales. It is unlikely that a modern commercial breed would thrive on the tough, wiry mountain grass of the Snowdonia. These hardy black cattle fatten without lush lowland grass and are nimble enough to manage the difficult terrain. The Welsh Black has been bred in Wales for more than 1,000 years. At one time they were used as currency, which led to the tradition of the Welsh Black being commonly described as "Black Gold."

We preserve our old tractors, so why not preserve our old breeds of livestock too? Here in the British Isles we have some very old breeds of livestock, some of which are becoming so rare that they are in serious danger of being lost altogether. It’s not just livestock either; varieties of fruit and vegetables once popular have become lost in the mists of time.
Sometimes, sadly, things become endangered or extinct because they weren’t that good in the first place. Some old-fashioned breeds of farmyard animals didn’t breed easily, for instance, or didn’t have good mothering instincts. But more often it is a matter of fashion. There might be a trend for larger cuts of beef, sheep that produce white wool or even for apples that have a red skin instead of green.

Protecting native breeds
Many traditional livestock breeds are now endangered, and in some cases only a handful of examples of the breed remain. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) helps preserve British native breeds and promotes the role these animals play in the conservation of genetic diversity, landscape management and agriculture.
Conservation groups like these also recognize the influence these creatures have on our heritage and cultural identity. After all, these are the animals that fed, clothed and provided an income for our ancestors, often as far back as records exist. According to the RBST, throughout the world one breed of farm animal becomes extinct every month, a shocking statistic.
It is estimated that between 1900 and 1973, Britain lost 26 native breeds of livestock as well as many varieties of poultry. For a small island, that is an awful lot to lose. The Somerset sheeted cattle, the Lincolnshire curly coated pig and the Goonhilly pony are among breeds that have disappeared forever. Among the animals on the RBST’s Critically Endangered List are Vaynol cattle, Boreray sheep and the Suffolk horse. Hopefully, moves have been made in time to secure the future of these very vulnerable breeds.

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