| 2013-08-29 |    |
Rare Dairy Shorthorn Calf Arrives at Bicton College
Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) is celebrating its 40th year and one of the most iconic native cattle breeds; the Dairy Shorthorn (original population), has moved on to our Watchlist in to Category 1 Critical, this means there are fewer than 150 registered breeding females in the United Kingdom today.
During the 1930’s and 1940’s, the breed was so numerous that two out of every three cows in the UK were Shorthorn or a Shorthorn cross. Since then, fashion has been against the breed and they have become extremely rare.
Survival Strawberry
This Original
Population, bred pure from before 1958, (the herd book was split
in that year to have Dairy and a Beef section) is now moving forward; RBST
have identified all 100% pure Dairy Shorthorn animals and so far registrations
are up by 50% in 2013 (12 compared to 6 in 2012).
The charity recently bought and moved
8 registered Original Population Dairy Shorthorn females to Bicton College. Including two yearling heifers and three
heifer calves see the start of the College’s herd of Original Population Dairy
Shorthorns.
The three heifer calves are great examples of both the breed and in colour; one is Red, one is Roan and one is White, thus displaying the whole range of the breed’s colours.
We are enormously pleased to announce the arrival of the 9th member of the herd, a Heifer calf called Survival Strawberry. Survival Strawberry was born on the 25th August 2013. This new calf is an integral part of our work saving the invaluable and historically important breed.
