Adventures WITH RARE BREEDS Inside: Rare Breeds Facts and Fun
We are the rarest of the rare! Leicester Longwool Sheep Two hundred years ago, Leicester Longwool sheep were a common sight in many parts of the country. At that time, wool was very valuable for all sorts of uses and with long wool that practically touched the ground, the breed was very popular. In those days too, people ate a lot of mutton, and Leicester Longwools also provided a hearty and tasty meal. The Leicester Longwool is in Category 3 Vulnerable on the RBST Watchlist Northern Dairy Shorthorn Cattle Northern Dairy Shorthorn cattle originally came from the areas around Durham and Westmorland. They were bred to do well living outside all year round on hilly upland farms and were kept to provide farmers with both beef and milk. The Northern Dairy Shorthorn is in Category 1 Critical on the RBST Watchlist 2
Large Black Pigs The Large Black is one of our oldest breeds of pig and as its name suggests, it is very big indeed! At the beginning of the 20th century, it was very popular, winning lots of prizes at shows. Many were bought by pig breeders all over the world because they were strong enough to live in very hot countries and because of their dark skin, they didn t get sunburn. The Large Black is in Category 3 Vulnerable - on the RBST Watchlist Suffolk Horse Known as the Suffolk Punch, there were many thousands of these horses in East Anglia before the First World War. They are very strong and they were used by farmers to work on the land and to pull large, heavy carts on the roads. The Suffolk is in Category 1 Critical on the RBST Watchlist Bagot Goats Bagot Goats have been in Britain for around 700 years but they weren t used for milk or meat! They were often found in the grounds of stately homes, where they made attractive decorations because they are so striking to look at. Bagot goats are in Category 2 Endangered on the RBST Watchlist 3
Brussbar Chickens Brussbar chickens were first bred in the 1940s as a bird that could produce a lot of eggs and make good meat for the table. Unfortunately they did not become popular with chicken farmers and are now one of the rarest chickens that still survive. Quiz 1 What is special about the Leicester Longwool s wool... 2 Where did Northern Dairy Shorthorn cattle used to live?... 3 Why don t Large Black pigs get sunburn?... 4 What did farmers use Suffolk horses for?... 5 Where would you have been able to see Bagot goats?... 6 When were Brussbar chickens first bred?... 4
Can you guess which county I came from? Most of our rare breeds can trace their history back to the part of the country where they were first used in farming or for working. They were adapted to the countryside and the weather where they lived and it wasn t for many years that they would be found in other parts of the country. See if you can guess which counties in Britain these breeds first came from: Tamworth pig a) Shropshire b) Staffordshire c) Warwickshire Whiteface Dartmoor sheep a) Devon b) Cornwall c) Somerset Traditional Hereford cattle a) Gloucestershire b) Wiltshire c) Herefordshire Exmoor pony a) Dorset b) Devon c) Cornwall Orpington chickens a) Suffolk b) Surrey c) Kent 5
Did you know? North Ronaldsay sheep Did you know that I eat seaweed instead of grass? My original home is the island of North Ronaldsay which is in the Orkneys, the North coast of Scotland. I live on the seashore there and I eat the seaweed. Middle White pig Did you know there is a shrine to my breed in Japan? Because my meat is so tasty, it is popular all over the world and it is said that the Emperor of Japan will eat no other meat. There is even a shrine in honour of my breed in Japan. Gloucester cattle Did you know that cows can have horns too? Some people think only bulls (male cattle) have horns, but the females can have them too. In fact, there are quite a few rare breeds of cattle whose cows and bulls have horns. There are also breeds where neither the male or female has horns these are called polled cattle. Hackney Horse Did you know that I was once a sports car? Before the motor car, when everyone depended on horse-drawn transport, my breed was very popular with well-off young men to pull their carriages. Because I have a very flashy high-stepping action and can move quite quickly, they would show off with me as if I were a modern sports car. Cream Legbar hen Did you know that I lay blue eggs? Instead of brown eggs, I lay ones with pretty light blue or even green shells. But don t worry the white is still white and the yolk still yellow and my eggs taste delicious! 6
Design your own rare breed cow Starting at number 1, join the dots to complete the picture. Then colour it in to make your own rare breed cow. Choose a colour from one of the breeds mentioned in this booklet or make one up of your own! 7
What do you call a Baby: Female: Male: R A E Baby: Female: Male: O L R Baby: Female: Male: F T E Baby: Female: Male: H N R Baby: Female: Male: B O L Baby: Female: Male: N D Y 8
It s all about conservation Exmoor ponies + = Peacock butterf ly Conservation means looking after and while we look after our rare breed farm animals, they can help us look after our countryside. They do this by doing what comes naturally grazing. Sheep, cattle and ponies are used by many Wildlife Trusts and other conservation organisations to help look after areas of natural beauty. The animals keep vegetation in control by eating it and as they move around they break up the ground which allows wildflower seeds to grow. Even their dung provides a home for some particularly rare insects. This brings more wildflowers and the butterflies and insects that feed on them. Create your own colourful butterfly 9
Find 11 Differences 10
What meal do I make? Draw a line to match the animal to the meal. 11
How to make a woolly jumper It takes a year for a sheep to grow a complete fleece of wool and to turn that fleece into a woolly jumper takes time and needs special skills and machinery. First, the fleece is removed from the sheep by shearing this doesn t hurt and makes the sheep feel more comfortable in hot weather. When it comes off the sheep, the fleece is coated with grease which has helped to keep the sheep dry. It can also have mud, seeds and thorns in it. This means that the fleece has to be scoured, which is the special name for washing, rinsing and drying it. The clean wool is still very tangled, so it is carded on a special machine that separates the wool into individual fibres. Next the wool goes onto a spinning machine that twists and draws it out into a long continuous thread. This can either be done in a woollen mill on a machine or by hand on a spinning wheel. Last the wool is wound into balls and really to be knitted into a woolly jumper. What do these pictures show: Shearing Fleece Spinning Balls of knitting wool............ 12
Help the hen find her chicks Hattie the White Hen needs to find her chicks help her choose which way to go. 13
Answers... What do you call a page 8 Quiz page 4 1 It touches the ground 2 Durham and Westmorland 3 Because they have dark skin 4 Work on the land 5 At stately homes 6 In the 1940s Sheep: lamb ewe ram Pig: piglet sow boar Horse: foal mare stallion Chicken: chick hen cockerel Guess which county page 5 Tamworth pig Staffordshire Whiteface Dartmoor sheep Devon Traditional Hereford cattle Herefordshire Exmoor pony Devon Orpington chickens Kent Find 11 differences page 10 14 Cattle: calf cow bull Goat: kid nanny billy
Farm Parks Map Approved Farm Parks & City Farms Shetland 1 2 3 4 5 Bill Quay Community Farm 0191 441 9715 www.billquayfarm.org.uk Cholderton Charlies Farm 01980 629438 www.choldertoncharliesfarm. com Church Farm Rare Breed Centre 01366 382162 www.churchfarmstowbardolph. co.uk Cotswold Farm Park 01451 850307 www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk Croxteth Home Farm 07842 479382 Northern Scotland Caledonian 6 Orkney 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Doonies Farm 01224 875879 www.dooniesfarmaberdeen. co.uk Kingston Maurward Gardens and Animal Park 01305 215000 www.kmc.ac.uk/gardens_ animal_park Odds Farm Park 01628 520188 www.oddsfarm.co.uk Palacerigg Country Park 01236 720047 www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk Sandwell Park Farm 0121 553 0220 www.sandwellvalley.com Shugborough Park Farm 01889 881388 www.shugborough.org.uk Rare Breeds Centre 01233 861493 www.rarebreeds.org.uk Home Farm Tatton Park 01625 534431 www.tattonpark.org.uk Home Farm Temple Newsam 0113 336 7557 www.leeds.gov.uk/ museumsandgalleries/pages/ templenewsamhouse/home-farm Walby Farm Park 01228 573056 www.walbyfarmpark.co.uk Wimpole Home Farm 01223 206000 www.wimpole.org Gorse Hill City Farm 0116 2537582 www.gorsehillcityfarm.org.uk Heeley City Farm 0114 258 0482 www.heeleyfarm.org.uk Spitalfields City Farm 020 7247 8762 or 07951 449136 www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org Sperrins & Lakeland Northern Ireland Cornwall 9 NW Wales Devon Borders 15 Cumbria Lancashire 5 13 7 11 10 4 1 Dales Cheshire Staffs Shropshire & Mid Wales Somerset 14 18 Peak District 2 17 Warks & Northants Severn & Wye Chilterns Wiltshire Dorset York Centre East Mids Lincolnshire 8 16 East of England 19 3 East Anglia 12 RBST Head Office: Stoneleigh Park, Nr Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2LG. Tel: 024 7669 6551, enquiries@rbst.org.uk. www.rbst.org.uk 15
Securing the Future of our rare and native breeds of farm livestock has three tasks: Monitor We monitor the numbers of rare and native breeds. Each year RBST collects data from breed societies and uses the number of animals registered in a year to calculate the effective population, to produce the annual Watchlist. We monitor threats to breeds. Other factors, such as inbreeding and geographical concentration, can threaten our breeds. We monitor and act to try to reduce these threats. Save We save genetics in our National Gene Bank. We collect and store genetic materials from animals, in the form of semen from males and, where practical, embryos from females. This is our insurance policy. If a breed were to become extinct, we can use this store to reinstate a breed. We save animals. In emergencies RBST will buy genetically important stock and place it in approved breeding centres. Promote We promote the breeding and registration of rare and native breeds. Together our staff, members and support groups provide a network of knowledge to support and encourage breeders. We promote the use of rare and native breeds for food, fibre, conservation grazing and to represent our cultural heritage. To find out more, visit www.rbst.org.uk RBST RBSTrarebreeds Registered Charity No 269442