November 2014
New President for RBST
At the AGM in August, Vice President Alan Black formally welcomed Richard Matson into his new role as president of RBST, taking over from Peter Titley. Alan said of Richard, a former Trustee 'He is someone who will bring a lot to the Trust, who has integrity and incisive mind, with a background in agriculture and well known in the equine world.' Richard has been a member of RBST for over 35 years and was honoured to be asked to take on the role of RBST President 'I was enormously honoured but asked 'why me?'. I gave the matter a lot of serious consideration and talked to a number of people before I accepted the invitation, because I wanted to be sure that I could make the right sort of contribution. I will be different to Peter but I believe I can bring my own approach to the role.'
North Ronaldsay Rams Update
  
Last Autumn, RBST Field Officer Ruth Dalton and North Ronaldsay Sheep Fellowship (NRSF) representative Cathy Cassie moved a group of rams from the island of North Ronsaldsay to the mainland. The plan being to use the rams in breeding programmes on a mix of Linga Holm origin and mainland-bred flocks.
The rams were placed with six flocks of Linga Holm origin to create a primary breeding cycle and with three mainland-bred flocks to establish a secondary breeding cycle. Five remaining 'spare' rams were kept on behalf of RBST by the Cassie family. Unfortunately, over the winter, two ram lambs were lost, but there were other representatives if the two flocks from which these orginated in use for tupping in 2013.
With lambing completed for the 2014 season, a total of 30 ewe lambs and 17 ram lambs were generated from the six primary cycle flocks, using only pure Linga Holm or island ewes. A further 10 ewes and 10 ram lambs were produced from the two flocks that were initial participants in cycle two and one additional cycle two flock will be using an island ram from this autumn.
The next stage of the project will be to ensure that semen is collected from as many of the Island rams as possible after the 2014 tupping season. Going on from there, the first generation of lambs bred on the mainland from these Island rams will enter their first breeding season in autumn 2015.
Support this year's Christmas Campaign for the Native Sheep and Goats Gene Bank This Christmas and throughout 2015, RBST will be raising money for the rare and native breeds of sheep and goats on the Watchlist. There are currently 23 breeds of sheep and 2 breeds of goat ranging from the critically endangered Boreray (less than 300) to the Greyface Dartmoor (between 1500 and 3000).
Although, there have been a number of success stories with our sheep breeds over the years including the Hebridean, Southdown and Shropshire breeds having all progressed from the main Watchlist to Category 6. The 2014 Watchlist presented RBST with new challenges and trends, for example, the Devon Closewool sheep moved from category 6 to 5 as their population dropped below 3,000 for the first time since RBST formed in 1973. Although twelve breeds are showing increasing trends, one is static and nine are in decline, it is important that RBST do not get complacent and carries on working hard to protect every single breed on the Watchlist, no matter how safe they may seem now. For these reasons, RBST need to raise money to fund semen collections from rare breed rams and male goats for the National Gene Bank. It is vital that we are able to collect from at least 25 unrelated rams from each breed. This is an important number because if the population were to crash and all rams were lost, it would be possible to re-establish approximately 90% of the original genetics from these numbers. Some of the breeds listed such as the Border Leicester and Devon Closewool are not represented at all so if a disease epidemic or another situation beyond our control depleted the current populations of these breeds, there would be no way for us to save them from extinction. Twenty five collections per breed is the absolute minimum needed to safeguard these breeds since a full spread of genetics within the breed is vital. The semen collected will be used for the conservation of the breed:
- 55% to go into permanent National Gene Archive stored by RBST.
- 30% to be stored for use in conservation breeding programmes.
- 15% will be available to the owner of the ram, free of charge.
Can you help us fund this work?
RBST has not been able to collect from any rams or male goats since 2011, so please consider making a donation towards this project. It costs RBST £650 per collection and any amount you can give will greatly help to fund this important work. Donate here
Revision for Combined Flock Book Breed (CFB) Description for Portland Sheep
The conservation of rare breeds involves finding a balance between the conflicting aims of:
- Preserving the purity of the breed
- Maintaining genetic diversity within the population.
This is particularly challenging for breeds that are numerically small.
RBST and the Portland Sheep Breeders Group (PSBG) are pleased to announce that they have agreed amendments to the breed description for Portland Sheep in the CFB with the aim of achieving that balance.
For several years, the CFB Breed Description has differed from the Breed Standard for Portlands, which was adopted by RBST and PSBG in the 1990s. Following talks with RBST, PSBG membership recently approved the revision to the CFB Breed Description and consequent amendments to the Breed Standard.
Cate Le Grice Mark, the incoming chairman of PSBG, says: 'The revised wording of the CFB Breed Description will help to preserve and promote the Portland breed. We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with RBST and we welcome the Trust's recent cooperation in resolving a complex issue.'
Tom Beeston, RBST CEO adds: 'It is important that RBST recognises the work done by the breeders and in preserving our rare breeds. This agreement on the CFB Breed Description demonstrates the benefit of a combined approach by RBST with the breeders groups and societies.'
Featured Breed
Portland Sheep
Category 4 'At Risk' Between 900- 1500 registered breeding ewes in the UK
   The Portland sheep is a heathland breed that has been found in its native Dorset area for several hundred years, and it is a representative of the Wessex tan-faced group of sheep. It is a small, attractive, thrifty and hardy animal, the average adult ewe weighing 38-40 kg. The legs are fine-boned and free from wool, with an even tan colour. The face is a tan colour but may have lighter areas around the eyes and muzzle, and a little wool on the forehead. It is horned in both sexes, and those of the ram are heavily spiralled.
The fine, creamy fleece is much sought after by handspinners. Lambs are born with a foxy-red coat which changes in the first few months to a creamy white though some red kemp fibres may be found on the britch. The wool is of good quality with a fibre length of 6-9 cm.
The breed has been noted since the time of George III for the delicacy of its mutton, and it continues to produce high quality meat with fine texture and excellent flavour. Portland ewes are good milky mothers, and the breed has the unusual ability to lamb out of season, but are not prolific averaging only about 100% lambing.
Photo(middle): Michelle Norman
2014 National Goose Survey
   
Embden Buff Back West of England Sebastopol
Numbers of pure bred geese kept in the UK in the 21st century is very low and has now been recognised by all the UK Waterfowl groups, RBST and DEFRA. Both DEFRA and RBST have compiled a list of 'Breeds at risk' which currently includes:
- Brecon Buff
- Embden
- Grey/Buff Back
- Pilgrim
- Sebastopol
- Shetland
- Toulouse
- West of England
To ascertain a better estimate of these geese breeds in the UK, The Goose Club are conducting a survey. If you keep any of the breeds listed above, please follow this link and complete the survey.
Grazing Advice for Meadows
Did you know that hay meadow species diversity is increased when grazing and cutting are combined, rather than cutting alone? Grazing animals can also take the place of a hay cut on sites where access is difficult or equipment is hard to obtain and native breeds of cattle, sheep or ponies can have a hugely beneficial effect on species richness.
The Coronation Meadows project is able to offer advice and support on grazing through the Rare Breeds Survival Trust's Field Officers, Ruth Dalton (North) and Richard Broad (South) - this could take the form of a phone chat, site visit or even a training session. If you're already carrying out grazing with native breeds and would be willing to host a farm walk with a discussion on the benefits of conservation grazing, please do contact Ruth or Richard.
Ruth Dalton
E: ruth@rbst.org.uk T: 01539 816223
Richard Broad
E: r.broad@rbst.org.uk T: 07772 007399
|
