Targeted government action needed to protect country's native rarebreeds as latest watchlist revealed

The Watchlist also shows major challenges for the UK’s rare native pig breeds, but there is a more positive and stable picture overall for native equines, cattle, sheep and goats.

Christopher Price, Rare Breeds Survival Trust Chief Executive, said: “Each of our rare native livestock and equine breeds is unique. Some have provided communities with food, fibre and power for centuries. As well as their great value to our national heritage these breeds have a crucial role in the UK’s transition to sustainable food production that also supports the natural environment.

“Today’s new RBST Watchlist reflects the major challenges faced by people keeping pigs and poultry over the past two years, notably the avian flu outbreaks and the sustained increase in animal feed and husbandry costs.

“We have moved all native poultry breeds to the Priority category as we continue providing urgent support for these irreplaceable breeds’ conservation. Seven of the UK’s 11 native pig breeds remain in the Priority category.

“The Government’s new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme encourages farmers and smallholders to choose native breeds for grazing, but it does nothing to help safeguard the future of our native pig and poultry breeds. Today’s Watchlist shows the outlook for our rare pig and poultry breeds is a great concern, we want to see the ELM’s SP8 supplement broadened to include native pigs and poultry as well as grazing animals.”

Red priority sheep are Lincoln Longwool, North Ronaldsay, Whitefaced Woodland and Welsh Mountain Pedigrees. Priority cattle sees Albion, Chillingham Wild Cattle (Feral), Dairy Shorthorn (Original Population), Gloucester, Northern Dairy Shorthorn and Vaynol. Cleveland Bay Horse, Dales Pony, Eriskay Pony, Exmoor Pony, Hackney Horse and Pony and the Suffolk Horse are the equines at risk while Berkshire, British Landrace, British Lop, Large Black, Large White, Middle White and Tamworths are the priority pigs.

Completing the list are the English Goat and Old English Goat.

The RBST Watchlist also confirms growing concerns about a number of individual rare breeds including the now rare Section B Welsh pony, Shetland cattle which are thought to have come to the UK with the Vikings and Original Population Lincoln Red cattle which has served Lincolnshire since the 17th Century if not before.

However there is positive news for a number of other rare UK livestock and equine breeds.

Greyface Dartmoor sheep are is no longer categorised as rare as since 2009 the number of flocks has increased by 155 per cent. Norfolk Horn sheep saw a 14 per cent increase in the number of breeders last year. Vaynol cattle recorded two years of stable numbers. Irish Moiled cattle saw an increase of eight per cent in the number of dams in 2023.

Saddleback pigs bucked the general decline across the pig breeds and the number of breeders is also up while the New Forest pony is performing well numerically and if current trends continue could move out of the rare categories in the coming years. The Dartmoor pony has recorded stable numbers and the Exmoor pony has seen the number of dams increased by 28 per cent in 2023.