Rare Livestock Breeds Going Extinct?

[JulieLou42]

Check this in today's news:

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2007/...mals-face.html

[piglady]

I think that is so sad. We belong to the American Livestock Breeds Conservency and raise rare breeds ourselves. No one person can save them but together we can.

[bob clark]

all those rare breeds are cool but, i dont see the big worry.

rare breeds are being exploited to some extent by hobby farmers that are jacking prices up on inferior stock. it comes down to what is popular at the time

[tinknal]

I think that these countrys will develop unique strains of the new breeds, likely using the indigenous breeds to cross with. Same thing occurred in the US With breeds like the Santa Gertrudas, and Brahngus.

They will also develop a local flavor to these breeds. For example, an American bred modern Hereford or Angus look nothing like their European counterparts.

That said Their should be efforts to preserve these breeds.

[pancho]

Just about any breed can be recreated with a little study of genetics. If there is enough interest in any breed it is possible to develop the breed again.

[Cat]

The ALBC, while a noble idea, is seriously flawed. They don't have a good way to actually determine what is rare and what is not because they have no reliable way to count what is being raised. The Welsh Harlequin, for instance, is listed as rare when in fact the birds can easily lay up to 300+ eggs (easily hatched eggs, at that) per year! They're not rare, there just weren't the numbers seen in the data they collect from their voluntary polls to qualify it as a common/popular breed.

IMO, it's better to pick a breed based on how well it fits into your program, your ideals, goals, etc. and try to improve that breed than to buy a breed just because someone makes a claim of it being 'endangered' or 'rare'. Sadly, all breeds aren't necessarily worth preserving.

[georgec]

Originally Posted by pancho

Just about any breed can be recreated with a little study of genetics. If there is enough interest in any breed it is possible to develop the breed again.

The problem isn't breeding to something that looks like the heritage breeds, the problem is the lost genetics. You can't get those lost genes back. A single disease could wipe out 95% of the dairy industry because Holsteins make up such a large part.

[pancho]

Originally Posted by georgec

The problem isn't breeding to something that looks like the heritage breeds, the problem is the lost genetics. You can't get those lost genes back. A single disease could wipe out 95% of the dairy industry because Holsteins make up such a large part.

A single disease could wipe out 95% of all cattle, no matter what the breed. The likelyhood is very small, just about the same as a single disease wiping out all of the dairy industry. There is some difference in disease resistance from breed to breed but nothing that would save a single breed while the rest died. Also no disease that would pick out one breed and leave the rest.

I may have taken years to get the genetics we have now in all breeds but it would be much easier the second time.