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 also currently shrinking, with rapid and uncontrolled loss of breeds and conjointly their often uncharacterized genes. Nearly 100 livestock breeds have gone extinct between 2000 and 2014. With the loss of these breeds comes the loss of their unique adaptive traits, which are often under the control of many different genes and complex interactions between the genotype and the environment. In order to protect these unique traits, and the diversity they allow, collaborative global efforts towards the characterization and management of these genetic resources must be made. Unlike plants, which can be easily conserved in seed banks, a large portion