Heritage Livestock Canada, a charity dedicated to preserving heritage breeds, is embarking on an ambitious project to bolster the genetics of heritage breed sheep in Canada. This initiative holds significant importance in preserving Canada's agricultural history and ensuring genetic diversity within livestock.
Unlike inanimate artifacts, livestock breeds require continuous nurturing across generations. Heritage Livestock Canada, recognizing this challenge, offers a blend of education, promotion, and hands-on assistance to breeders.
The organization maintains a semen bank for cattle, sheep, swine, and equine, accessible to its members, supported by member contributions, donations, and fundraisers.
Rebecca Lange, HLC chair, emphasizes the importance of maintaining rare breeds, noting their unique attributes and lower feed inputs compared to conventional breeds.
She highlights the cultural significance of these breeds, intertwined with human history, such as the Cotswold wool, which historically financed the construction of English abbeys.
The current project focuses on longwool breeds, endangered globally. These breeds serve as insurance against potential disease outbreaks and genetic narrowing. HLC's conservation list includes breeds like Cotswold, Southdown, Shropshire, North Country Cheviot, and Dorset Horn, all of which are critically rare in Canada.
Additional breeds like Lincoln Longwool, Leicester Longwool, and Border Leicester are also part of this project, with the latter two being reintroduced to Canada as live animals.
This project is vital for breed preservation in Canada. It aims to introduce new genetics to sustain these breeds into the future, responding to a growing market for wool and woolen products. By supporting breeders, HLC provides a foundation to meet this increasing demand.
With at least 10 breeders already involved and plans to expand, especially for Shropshire and Dorset Horn, HLC's efforts are pivotal. The low number of breeders registering offspring for these breeds raises concerns about their potential 'extinction' in Canada.
Heritage Livestock Canada's project provides hope for breed preservation. It not only maintains the genetic diversity of these heritage breeds but also preserves a part of Canada's rich agricultural heritage. The initiative stands as a testament to the organization's commitment to safeguarding these living symbols of history for future generations.
Learn more about Heritage Livestock Canada and the association's work.