Watch list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watch list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust The Watch list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a listing of rare and native United Kingdom breeds of domestic cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, goats and poultry, compiled by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Mammalian farm breeds are classified into five levels of endangerment, based on the number of breeding females. The five classes are: Poultry – chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys – are not categorised by degree of numerical rarity; some are classified as "priority breeds". In 2017, the watch-listed cattle breeds were: The other native breeds listed were the
Animal genetic resources for food and agriculture sustainability of a breed and therefore to the potential for successful conservation activities." The Pantaneiro cattle of Brazil are only one example of many at risk of extinction. Despite the importance of animal genetic resources, their diversity has been continually decreasing over time. "Factors as causes of genetic erosion: One of the greatest threats to livestock diversity is pressure from large-scale commercial production systems to maintain only high-output breeds. Recent molecular studies have revealed that the diversity of today's indigenous livestock populations greatly exceeds that found in their commercial counterparts. Climate change and its impact on livestock is being studied.