INTRODUCTION

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I grew up with chickens, and sheep that would disappear every year – only to return, cut up and in small plastic bags, reputedly with their head on top of this arrangement.

As I grew older we moved to a beautiful farmhouse in Hampshire that had a bit of land and I was lucky enough to get a Connemara pony. My mother kept Greyface Dartmoor sheep, Angora goats and an assortment of ducks, chickens and bantams that seemed forever to happily litter the place.

I was first intrigued by the idea of British native breeds when I saw a stand at Countryfile Live in August 2016. Sheep were displayed that would have been around from 5,000 years ago to the present day and the differences were staggering.

It was not until I sent a proposal to publishers for my book World’s Most Endangered about critically endangered species worldwide that I received an enlightened reply saying: ‘But what of our own critically endangered species? Blue Albion cattle – now extinct. Polled Suffolk cattle, Tamworth pigs, Cleveland Bay horses, Scottish wild cats – all critically endangered.’ This struck a chord in me as I used to own a fabulous four-year-old Cleveland Bay cross named Flapjack, and it was because of her that I could not let this go.

Mulgrave Royal Emperor, Cleveland Bay stallion at Castlerise Stud. Brian Comb

Now I find myself writing a book on rare breeds, and all those memories come flooding back to me. I’ve enjoyed writing about each and every one of these 63 animals and 76 poultry on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist, learning about their historical significance and what really makes them unique.

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is the UK charity working to save British native and rare breeds from extinction. From current registers of breeding females, those most at risk are the Vaynol cattle (12 cows), Cleveland Bay horse (64 mares), Suffolk Horse (80 mares), British Landrace pig (138 sows) and the British Lop pig (161 sows). No endangered breed has become extinct since the RBST was founded in 1973.

I would like to thank the Breed Societies who have so generously supplied photographs for this publication.

***

Les Miles kept the only surviving flock of North Holland Blue chickens for decades in his small back garden in Enfield on the outskirts of London, until he died aged 92 in 1992 having made a real difference to poultry conservation. The species had been pivotal in the UK chicken industry from 1934 to 1960 but was supplanted by American hybrid chickens.

If you have a patch of land, however small, maybe you could cherry-pick your breed from this book and keep the DNA of these historical species alive.

SHEEP

VULNERABLE

(500

TO

900

BREEDING FEMALES

)

Boreray

Leicester Longwool

Lincoln Longwool

North Ronaldsay

Welsh Mountain Pedigree

Whitefaced Woodland

AT RISK

(900

TO

1,500)

Border Leicester

Castlemilk Moorit

Cotswold

Derbyshire Gritstone

Devon and Cornwall Longwool

Dorset Horn

Hill Radnor

Manx Loaghtan

Portland

Soay

Teeswater

Wensleydale

MINORITY

(1,500

TO

3,000)

Balwen

Devon Closewool

Dorset Down

Greyface Dartmoor

Llanwenog

Norfolk Horn

Oxford Down

VULNERABLE (500 TO 900)

BORERAY

•To get onto the island of Boreray, conditions have to be calm and one must clamber onto the rocks or jump into the sea.

•In the past, if a St Kilda resident wanted to take some sheep from the island, they would have to throw them into the sea, where an anxious vessel would await them.

•Like other primitive breeds, the Boreray is usually killed as hogget or mutton.

•Both sexes have spiralling horns, the ram’s being especially resplendent.

•The Boreray is ideal for conservation grazing – succeeding where other sheep might fail.

Overview

The Boreray is a primitive sheep, hardy enough to be able to survive in a harsh environment. They seem to be generally disease resistant, particularly to foot rot and flystrike. They have a lambing percentage of 140 per cent, and lamb well into their teens. They can shed their own fleece naturally.

The island of Boreray in the St Kilda archipelago.

Kerry Gibb and Suzannah Coke (Glavan flock)

History

St Kilda is an archipelago, west of the Outer Hebrides. The island of Boreray is found four miles north-east of the remaining islands of St Kilda. It is a difficult island to access, known as ‘The Fortress’. Erosion by the waves have created sea stacks. To get onto the island, conditions have to be calm, and one must clamber onto the rocks or jump into the sea. Then there is a steep climb in order to reach the local flora. In the past, if a St Kilda resident wanted to take some sheep from the island, they would have to throw them into the sea, where an anxious vessel would await them.

St Kilda is home to several breeds of sheep. The roots of these go back to the Iron Age, where the sheep inhabited most of northern and western Europe. The Scottish Dunface, also known as the Old Scottish Shortwool, evolved from these Iron Age sheep, sharing many of the same characteristics. They were found throughout the Islands and Highlands of Scotland, up until the late eighteenth century. Breeds, such as the Boreray, the North Ronaldsay and the Shetland all originate from the Dunface. They were further bred with the Scottish Blackface, which became popular in the late nineteenth century, and the pure Scottish Tan Face, which is now extinct. They are the only remaining descendant of the Scottish Tan Face.

In 1930 the islands of St Kilda were evacuated. Sheep were taken from Hirta, the biggest island, to the safety of the mainland, but the sheep on Boreray were too difficult to reach. They were left as a feral herd, where they remain today.

There are Boreray sheep on the mainland. They have all descended (and been registered), from sheep taken from Boreray by the Brathay Expedition in 1971. They were taken by ABRO (Animal Breeds Research Organisation, now known as the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh) to research the Boreray’s wool composition and quality.

Appearance

The breed is small. Ewes weigh about 30kg and rams are 45kg. Ewes stand at 55cm at the withers. They tend to have a cream fleece with white legs and face. Typically, there are small patches of black or tan over the body, face and legs. Occasionally a dark sheep will appear. Rams will often have a darker ‘collar’ around their necks.

Both sexes have spiralling horns, the ram’s being especially resplendent. His horns are used in the making of shepherds’ crooks. This short-tailed breed has the ability to shed their own fleece naturally. The wool is rough, and it is used for tweeds or carpets yarns.

Conservation Grazing

The Boreray is ideal for conservation grazing – succeeding where other sheep might fail. Its native conditions are so harsh that it is able to go into grazing sites to help improve the biodiversity of the area. However, since numbers are so low – most of the population is feral; this area of expertise has yet to be capitalised on. The breed historically was used for meat and wool.

Meat

Like other primitive breeds, the Boreray is usually killed as a hogget or mutton, hence gaining a larger carcass. The meat is rich in flavour. Due to low numbers, cross-breeding has not occurred with the Borerays.

Wool

The wool has a staple length of 10–15cm and a fleece weighs 1.25kg.

The Boreray Today

Numbers of Boreray sheep have been growing year on year since 2012. In 1999, there were thought to be 74 ewes and a grand total of 84 sheep. By 2002, estimates indicated between 92–100 animals. 2012 saw a huge increase, with 204 ewes registered, and as the years went by to 2017, numbers grew so that the RBST could take the animals out of the Critical category and into the Vulnerable, since it believed the number of breeding ewes to be above 500. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) however, listed only 426 breeding ewes in 2017.

Information is taken from the herd books that are collated by breed societies, which are then multiplied to take into account the population of feral sheep that cannot be counted.

LEICESTER LONGWOOL

•The Leicester Longwool was among the first pure bred sheep to have been transported to Australia, reaching those shores in 1826.

•The Breed Society was created in the UK in 1893.

•There have always been black Leicester Longwools but for years they have been sent off to slaughter. In 1986 they were finally accepted for registration.

•Research is being carried out at Cardiff University to see if they can determine a gene denoting fleece colour.

•Other research at York University is analysing parchments, which are made predominantly from sheep skin and contain hair follicles.

Naming

The Leicester Longwool is known by other names, such as Leicester, Bakewell Leicester, Dishley Leicester, Improved Leicester and New Leicester.

Selective Breeding

They were developed at Dishley Grange in Leicester over 200 years ago, in the eighteenth century by the sheep breeding pioneer and agricultural innovator Robert Bakewell (1725–1795). Bakewell was at the forefront of selective breeding and improving agricultural practices. Some of his projects involved the selective breeding of Shire horses and Longhorn cattle, and he spent time on agricultural drainage systems as well as working with turnips and cabbages.

Agricultural Revolution

The Leicester sheep in the 1700s were predominantly found in the Midlands. They were slow to mature and roughly boned. Bakewell used the Lincoln and Ryeland sheep to work on the Leicester, providing a large framed sheep that produced a sizable amount of wool and meat. This led to increased food production, which in conjunction with other agricultural projects, caused a boom in population and enhanced health. This selective breeding was part of the Agricultural Revolution in Britain in the eighteenth century. Other causes were the removal of common property rights to land and novel methods of cropping, using clover and turnips. The Agricultural Revolution of the eighteenth century created the circumstances needed for the Industrial Revolution in Britain.

Worldwide Populations

Today, partly due to their ability to live in exposed conditions and survive in many different regions, including hilly and mountainous zones, Leicester Longwools are found in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States. The Leicester Longwool was among the first pure breed sheep to have been transported to Australia, arriving in 1826. The Breed Society was created in the UK in 1893.

Improving other Breeds

They have been widely used to improve other breeds mainly due to their meaty carcass and weighty fleece. Breeds such as the Wensleydale, Lleyn, Border Leicester and Ile de France can all trace their ancestry back to the Leicester Longwool.

Black Leicester Longwools

There have always been black Leicester Longwalls. Bakewell even had one in his flock, but for years they have been sent off to slaughter. But in 1986 they were finally accepted for registration and their own flock book has been established, albeit on a different register to the white sheep.

DNA Research into Fleece Colour

Research is being carried out at Cardiff University to see if they can determine if there is a gene denoting fleece colour. The results of these tests will help breeders concentrate on the strength and diversity of their flock. Other research at York University is analysing parchments, which are made predominantly from sheep skin and contain hair follicles. Using this information, DNA breakdowns can advise researchers on the breed and place of origin of the species. Researchers believe they contain DNA from the ‘Improved Leciesters’ produced by Bakewell.

Leicester Longwool Sheep Breeders Association

Characteristics

The sheep is tall, with long legs and a dense, long, silky fleece. It is hardy, but, like other longwools, it does not do well in prolonged wet conditions. Rams weigh around 100–150kg, whilst ewes are 80–100kg. They do not have any wool on their face and legs and both sexes are polled. They lack the high neck carriage of other longwools and have wide, thickset shoulders which are characteristic of the breed. The sheep is large, sturdy, wide and square with a great body capacity – all key features of the breed.

Cross-breeding

Rams are used commercially to produce heavyweight lambs and hoggets for particular markets. Rams are sometimes used on hill breeds to create halfbred ewes, but Teeswater sheep, among others, are preferred as they have a higher lambing percentage.

Meat

The purebred lamb can weigh 18.9kg at eight weeks old. They are usually slaughtered at 4–5 months with a carcass weight of 20kg. However, chefs are now requiring mutton killed at 18 months for slow cooking for roasts and casseroles.

Wool

The wool should be heavy, long and lustrous with a uniform texture. Growth is 3cm a month and is cream or white, depending on the available nutrients in the soil. Coloured wool has found popularity with spinners. Fleeces fetch a high price – double what some commercial flocks can expect. As a rare breed, the wool is free from the Wool Board directives and can be directly marketed. Staple length is 20–25cm. Fleeces weigh 5–7.5kg with a quality of 40–46s.

LINCOLN LONGWOOL

•Lincoln, as a city, gained a reputation for sheep production in the Middle Ages, when fortunes were to be made from wool. The wool market was fundamental to the economy of the country as a whole, and Lincoln was one of seven officially exporting towns.

•The fleece is extremely heavy. On the sheep it will grow 2.5cm per month.

•Oil-based fibres came onto the market in the 1960s and a decade later the breed was at a critical point.

This breed, otherwise known as the Lincoln, is the biggest sheep in Britain, bred to produce the longest, most substantial and glossiest fleece around. The breed was well sought after and exported all over the world to improve the bulk and calibre of wool in indigenous breeds.

Characteristics

The Lincoln Longwool is a hardy breed, with the added advantage of being notably disease resistant. It is a docile sheep and therefore easy to handle, despite its great size. It has a bare white head and neither sex has horns. Lambing percentages are about 150 per cent and lambs are comparatively small. The fleece of the Lincoln Longwool is extremely luxurious with a long staple length of 20–46cm, yielding 60–80 per cent. It has an exceptional mutton carcass and is suitable for low input, extensive farming.

Wool

The fleece is exceptionally heavy, weighing 8–10kg, and used frequently in hand spinning. On the sheep it will grow 2.5cm per month.

Meat

At eight weeks a pure-bred lamb weighs up to 21.1kg. By five to six months this weight will have increased to a deadweight of 20kg. More often than not, the lamb is taken on to 9–12 months, as the carcass is lean and will weigh in the region of 30kg.

Adobe Stock

Lincoln Longwool Sheep Breeders Association

Beginnings

The Lincoln Longwool was originally a highly sought after breed of sheep in the UK. It produced not only a massive fleece, with hard-wearing, radiant wool, resplendent in lanolin, but it also had the advantage of a huge mutton carcass that provided meat and tallow (an animal fat used to make candles and soap). Lincoln, as a city, had made a name for itself for sheep production during the Middle Ages, when fortunes were to be made in wool. The wool market was fundamental to the economy of the country as a whole, and Lincoln was one of seven officially exporting towns.

1750–1840 Developments

The breed was mentioned in John Mortimer’s book, The Whole Art of Husbandry in 1707 where he comments, ‘Lincolnshire in the Salt Marshes breeds the largest sheep.’

In 1796 the first society concentrating on the breeding of Lincoln Longwools was established. This society was formed on the back of the work done by Robert Bakewell, who used the Old Lincoln to improve his Dishley sheep in Leicester. The work done by this society led the way to the Lincoln Longwool Sheep Breeders’ Association that we know today, which was formed in 1892.

1840–1940 Exporting

The Lincolns had great popularity all over the world and were exported widely to improve and evolve additional breeds. South America, New Zealand and Australia saw the most imports. Rams went for extremely high prices: one was sold for 1,450 guineas in 1906.

1950s Popularity Draining

The Second World War saw the fashion in Lincoln Longwools decline. The market in overseas trade of the breed had collapsed due to demand already being fulfilled: Lincoln Longwool genes and sheep had already flooded the market.

Oil-based fibres came onto the market in the 1960s and a decade later the breed was at a critical point. Notably, three breeders, Watts, Read and Bird, saved the sheep from extinction by preserving their bloodlines and continuing to take them to agricultural shows.

1980s–1990s

The Lincoln continued their upward spiral, so that by 1990 there were 100 registered herds. In their heyday of 1900 there had been 350 flocks, so this was quite an achievement. However, commercially, the demand for their wool is still low and the Downs sheep have proved more popular for meat.

News Today

Today most flocks can be found in Lincolnshire. These numbers are in decline from 1990 populations, so the breed does need to be carefully managed.

NORTH RONALDSAY

•The marine iguana, in the Galapagos Islands, is the only other animal known to survive on seaweed.

•The sheep favour brown kelps and have developed a unique metabolism to digest this food.

•They have a high sensitivity to copper and are at risk if put to grass, as the copper in this diet creates toxicity that can be fatal.

Key Characteristics

The North Ronaldsay sheep, also known as the Orkney, are found on the northern most island of Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland. They are a small breed belonging to the northern short-tailed group. DNA evidence shows that they are an extremely close match to Bronze Age sheep found at Skara Brae dating back to 3,000

BC

.

The North Ronaldsay sheep live entirely on seaweed. This diet has evolved through the building of a huge, dry stone wall around the island, which restrict the sheep solely to the shoreline.

The largest flock is found on North Ronaldsay, but in 1974 the RBST established a second flock on the island of Linga Holm which they purchased for this reason. 150 sheep were sent to the island and a further 28 were bought to the mainland. This was done to protect the sheep from any possible dangers, such as an oil spill in the North Sea.

History

North Ronaldsay sheep date back 5,000 years, possibly being the first ovines to inhabit the UK. Since they have been so isolated they have not been crossed, as many other breeds have, with Roman and European varieties from abroad. They are a member of the Northern Short-Tailed primitive breeds of sheep that also include the Manx Loaghtan, Soay, Shetland and Icelandic sheep.

In 1832, a dry stone wall was erected around the island of North Ronaldsay. It is 19km long, circling the entire island, and stands 1.8m high. Its purpose was to keep the domestic North Ronaldsay sheep away from the sea shore, where seaweed was farmed. This seaweed had a high content of iodine, which was commercially extracted. However, this business became unprofitable and the sheep were exiled to a life on the sea shore, so that more productive cattle could take their place in the fields. The sheep became feral and a genetically isolated breed.

RBST

The wall is now an ‘A’ Listed structure and is one of the longest dry stone walls in existence. Also Listed are nine sheep enclosures called ‘punds’ or ‘pounds’, where the sheep are bought in twice yearly for shearing, lambing, counting and slaughtering. Lambing and counting take place between February and May and unusually slaughtering is carried out in winter. This is when the sheep are at their fattest; there being more seaweed available at this time. Shearing takes place in the summer.

1839 saw the creation of the North Ronaldsay sheep court. This body looked after the structure of the wall and the sheep, including ownership. The sheep court is still looking after the sheep to this day, although the European Union would like it to be restructured into a Grazing Committee.

Appearance

As a descendant of the primitive European short-tailed sheep, the Ronaldsay naturally does have a short tail. They have fine bones and are a small sheep. Rams weigh about 30kg and ewes are 25kg or less. They stand 41cm at the withers.

Fleeces come in a range of colours from white to grey, black or brown. Sheep can shed their own fleece, or can be plucked (rooed) instead of shorn. Rams have horns, whilst 20 per