Benefits Of Breed Societies

Kim Stoddart takes a look at just some of many groups tirelessly championing their chosen livestock, and outlines the benefits of society membership

- Kim Stoddart

As smallholders, we often keep a wide variety of animals, and can become very attached to some breeds. It could be the way they look, their size, their temperament, the quality of the meat or a combination of all these factors. Once you find a type of chicken, sheep, cow, pig, donkey or goat that you like the look of and become attached to, it makes a great deal of sense to join the relevant breed society.

For starters, this enables you to tap into a wider source of expert knowledge on your livestock of choice. At the same time, you’ll be supporting the genetic security of your favoured animal for the longer term, which is important in any case, and arguably especially so in the case of the rarer breeds of livestock which need our help if they are to prosper and survive (see Jack Smellie’s feature on rare breeds on page 14).