The Week Junior - UK (2022-04-23)

10

Lower Teign Barn farm in Devon,

England, is celebrating the arrival of

Bertie, a new foal for one of Britain’s

oldest and rarest horse breeds. The

Suffolk Punch has a distinctive reddish,

chestnut coat and a muscular build.

They were originally bred to pull heavy

loads on farms in the 1500s. However,

their numbers fell with the spread of

motorised machinery and today there

are fewer than 500 left.

Good times for

Bagot goats.

Ups and downs for UK’s rare breeds

A

new survey of rare livestock (farm animals and

other species used by humans) has revealed

a mixed picture in the UK. It’s good news for goats

but things look gloomy for some other animals

because their numbers are falling.

The survey was put together by the

Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST),

an organisation that helps to

preserve unusual types of animals.

Traditionally, farmers create breeds

by choosing animals with desirable

characteristics (their behaviour,

say, or appearance or strength),

and breeding from them. Breeds that

were popular in the past can be at risk

when fashions or needs change – such as

the need for very strong horses to pull carts or big

dogs to defend houses from thieves. The RBST’s 2022

Watchlist counts individuals in a breed and how

closely related the animals are, which affects

how healthy their offspring are likely to be.

Rare native UK goat species

such as the Bagot, Old English

and Golden Guernsey are

doing well because people

are keeping them as pets.

Goats’ milk, cheese and meat

are becoming more popular,

so more farmers are keeping

herds of them. Dartmoor and

Exmoor ponies are also doing well;

the natural grazing and trampling

habits of these small native horses are being used for

“rewilding” landscapes across the country. Rewilding

means introducing plants and animals back into an

environment where they used to thrive.

In contrast, the Hackney horse is now at risk. This

high-stepping horse was bred to pull carriages and

trot over long distances but few people need that

nowadays. As a result, there are just 31 breeding

females left in the UK. Large white pigs, a Yorkshire

breed that was very popular in the 1950s, are also at

risk because today they’re often bred with other types

of pig to create porkers that suit modern tastes.

Christopher Price of the RBST said the populations

of many rare native breeds are remaining steady.

“However, some of our native breeds are in pretty dire

straits right now,” he added.

A high-stepping

Hackney.

A patter of tiny hooves

First steps

for Bertie.

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Song thrush

At this time of year, gardens, parks and

the countryside are alive with birdsong.

One of the most distinctive is that of the song

thrush, which sings in short “phrases”

that repeat several times over,

starting well before dawn and

around dusk. This shy, medium-

sized brown bird is easy to spot,

thanks to its pale chest covered

in small brownish flecks. Song

thrushes can be seen in gardens, hedgerows, parks

and woods across the UK. You’ll often see them

hopping about near shrubs and undergrowth,

where they feed on bugs and worms in

summer and fruit and berries in

winter. At this time of year, look

out for remains of their pale blue

eggshells. These are often found

under hedgerows once the

chicks have hatched.

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In full song.
The Week Junior • 23 April 2022
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