Rare Breeds Survival Trust

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) is a conservation charity, whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the United Kingdom’s native farm animal genetic resources (FAnGR). It was founded in 1973 to preserve native breeds, and since then no UK-native breed has become extinct.

It maintains a watch list of the United Kingdom's rarest breeds of cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, goats and poultry, and an approved list of farm parks.

Projects have included the collection of genetic material to ensure the future of rare breeds in a farm animal "gene bank". This project received publicity in the wake of the foot-and-mouth disease crisis in the UK and was supported by the Prince of Wales.

RBST supports the marketing of meat from rare breeds through the Traditional Breeds Meat Marketing Company, founded in 2003.

Designated breeds

Cattle

• Critical:
  • Aberdeen Angus (Op)
  • Chillingham Cattle
  • Northern Dairy Shorthorn
  • Vaynol

• Endangered:
  • Lincoln Red
  • Whitebred Shorthorn

• Vulnerable:
  • Irish Moiled

• At Risk:
  • Gloucester
  • Shetland

• Minority:
  • British White
  • Hereford
  • White Park

• Other Native Breeds:
  • Ayrshire cattle
  • Beef Shorthorn
  • Belted Galloway
  • Devon
  • Galloway
  • Guernsey
  • Hereford
  • Highland
  • Jersey
  • Longhorn
  • Luing cattle
  • Red Poll
  • Shorthorn
  • South Devon
  • Sussex
  • Welsh Black

Sheep

• Critical:
  • Boreray

• Endangered:
  • Leicester Longwool
  • North Ronaldsay
  • English Leicester

• Vulnerable:
  • Castlemilk Moorit
  • Devon and Cornwall Longwool
  • Hill Radnor
  • Teeswater
  • Balwen Welsh Mountain sheep

• At Risk:
  • Lincoln Longwool
  • Manx Loaghtan
  • Norfolk Horn
  • Oxford Down
  • Portland
  • Soay
  • Wensleydale
  • Whiteface Dartmoor
  • Whitefaced Woodland

• Minority:
  • Cotswold sheep
  • Dorset Down
  • Dorset Horn
  • Greyface Dartmoor
  • Shropshire

• Other Native Breeds: Badgerface Welsh, Beulah, Black Welsh Mountain, Scottish Blackface, Bluefaced Leicester, Border Leicester, Brecknock Hill, Cheviot, Clun Forest, Dalesbred, Derbyshire Gritstone, Devon Closewool, Exmoor Horn, Hampshire Down, Hebridean, Herdwick, Jacob, Kerry Hill, Llandovery Whiteface Hill, Llanwenog, Lleyn, Lonk, North Country Cheviot, Romney, Rough Fell, Ryeland, Shetland, Southdown, South Wales Mountain, Suffolk, Swaledale, Welsh Hill Speckled, Welsh Mountain and Wiltshire Horn.

Pigs

Critical: N/A Endangered: British Lop Middle White Vulnerable: Berkshire Large Black Tamworth Welsh At Risk: British Saddleback Minority: Gloucestershire Old Spots Other Native Breeds: Large White.

Goats

Critical: N/A Endangered: Bagot Vulnerable: N/A At Risk: N/A Minority: Golden Guernsey

Horses/Ponies

Critical:

• Cleveland Bay
• Eriskay Pony
• Suffolk Punch

Endangered:

• Dales Pony
• Exmoor Pony
• Hackney Horse and Pony

Vulnerable:

• Dartmoor Pony

Welsh Mountain (section A)

• Semi-Feral Pony

At Risk:

• Clydesdale
• Fell pony
• Highland pony
• Shire horse

Minority: N/A
Other Native Breeds:

• New Forest pony
• Shetland pony
• Welsh Pony and Cob

Poultry

Critical: Ancona, Andalusian, Brussbar, Campine, Croad Langshan, Hamburgh, Legbar, Minorca, Modern Game, Modern Langshan, Nankin, Rhodebar, Rosecomb, Spanish, Sultan, Sussex (White) and Welbar Endangered: Marsh Daisy, Old English Pheasant Fowl, Old English Game, Orpington (Non Buff), Scots Grey, Sebright Vulnerable: Cream Legbar, Derbyshire Redcap, Indian Game, Ixworth, Sussex (Coloured). At Risk: Orpington(Buff), Dorking, Scots Dumpy, Sussex(Light). Minority: N/A

See also

• Genetic diversity

Similar organizations

• American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC)
• Ark of Taste

External links

• Rare Breeds Survival Trust
• "Rare Breeds Survival Trust, registered charity no. 269442". Charity Commission for England and Wales.