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
Shetland animal breeds which was also the ancestor of the Hebridean and North Ronaldsay sheep). Shetlands are classed as a landrace or "unimproved" breed. Although Shetlands are small and slow-growing compared to commercial breeds, they are hardy, thrifty, easy lambers, adaptable and long-lived. The Shetland breed has survived for centuries in difficult conditions and on a poor diet so they thrive in better conditions. Shetlands retain many of their primitive survival instincts so they are easier to care for than many modern breeds. Shetland was the last surviving locality for a type of domestic pig known as the "grice." Small in size yet