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Main Group Info Parties Pavilion Rental Special Events Birth Schedule Rare Breeds Animal Facts Rescues
Rare Breeds |
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Main Group Info Parties Pavilion Rental Special Events Birth Schedule Rare Breeds Animal Facts Rescues
Rare Breeds |
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 Watusi, a rare breed from Africa
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Rare
domestic animals??? Most people have heard about endangered species, but most of us think that refers to wild animals. But, this is a crisis faced by many domestic animals as well. Among the better known are the Clydesdale horse and Longhorn cattle, where it is estimated that only a few thousand exist globally. At Domino's Petting Farm we are dedicated to helping preserve rare animals through careful breeding and nurturing. |
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breeds represent history In our pre-agricultural era, we domesticated animals while we still lived in caves. The first four animals to be domesticated were the goat, sheep, dog and reindeer. But, these are not the same dogs and goats we see today. Since our days of living in caves, the farm animals we know today have evolved and changed, just like humans. The value in preserving rare breeds is in the variety they represent and in the preserving our own history. Rare breeds represent history.
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 A Highland Cow. Highland cattle come to us from their native Scotland Their long shaggy coats protect them from the harsh climate of Scotland.
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 Belted Galloway |
Factors
in domestication How did this happen? Why would we lose breeds through domestication? I'm sure you've heard of natural selection, where nature plays a role in what species of animal survives based on natural surroundings. For example, the Scottish Highland cattle has more fur than the Watusi because it lives in a colder climate. Domestication is a process where humans help decide the selection process. Our cattle today were bred to be smaller than their wild ancestors so they could be easily controlled and fenced. Humans also breed animals to have coats of unusual colors -- something that would not have happened in nature because animals need to hide from predators. As you might expect, breeding for some qualities means that other characteristics disappear and a species can vanish!
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role in domestication We also domesticate animals to be better producers -- leaner animals for food and cows that can produce more milk. In order for the modern farm to survive, it must do what it takes to produce as much as possible with less and less pasture. In the United States and Canada, most of our milk comes from the Holstein cow. But, if you've ever seen the beauty of a Jersey or Guernsey cow, you know that these are worth preserving. Looking at this Horned Dorset ram, just imagine a farm without such animals, simply because farming is easier with sheep that don't have horns. |
 A Horned Dorset, has become rare due to sheep farmers preferring their polled (lacking horns) cousins.
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 Yak, an animal related to cattle and native to Tibet
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The
value of breeds The value in rare breeds is that they exist because of natural selection. They possess characteristics that might some day be important in understanding human genetics or in helping to produce a better breed of farming animal. . |
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| The Jacob sheep is a very ancient breed with origins in Persia (now Iraq) from about 4,000 years ago. This is a 4-horned Jacob, but they can have 2, 4 or even 6 horns. The name of the Jacob comes from a passage in Genesis. Jacob, the son of Isaac, was a shepherd keeping the flocks of King Laban, a Syrian and his father-in-law. He worked unpaid, but it was agreed that he could keep all the spotted sheep in the flock. To increase his wages, he bred the flock with only spotted rams, so he received the majority of the newborn lambs. He is the first recorded breeder to use basic genetic techniques to produce more spotted lambs. |
 Jester, a four-horned Jacob |
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Gisselle and Babbette, Poitou Donkeys |
The Poitou donkey originates from southern France. From ancient drawings, historians believe the breed dates as far back as 54 BC. Poitou. because of their immense size, were used for breeding with draft horses to produce draft mules. During WWII the donkey’s numbers were drastically reduced and by 1977 there were only 44 purebred Poitou donkeys left. The numbers have recovered a little bit since then, but the Poitou donkey remains on the endangered list with only 200 registered donkeys in the world.
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