Putting the plug back in the gene pool. Why rare breeds may be invaluable for the future of farming

Summary: Farm animals as we know them today have been selected for desirable traits or characteristics such as fast growth rate, heavy muscling, good fibre production, good milk production or perhaps temperament. Along the way, some breeds may have been discarded from main stream farming for a variety of reasons, and their numbers have dwindled, perhaps even to the point of extinction. Some domesticated breeds may have returned to the wild, and in doing so returned to a free living state. In New Zealand the guardians of these animals are The Rare Breeds Conservation Society, whose role is to conserve, record and promote these breeds with the particular aim of maintaining genetic diversity within our livestock species. In this interview, I talk with Mike Willis, a spokesman for this society, and himself, a custodian of a number of rare breeds. Have a look at the New Zealand Rare Breeds website at http://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/