Breed club

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Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members of the association. Breed associations or clubs may vary in their goals, activities and nomenclature from country to country, even for the same breed. Most domesticated animals, whether they are agricultural animals such as cattle, llamas, poultry, sheep and pigs, or companion animals such as pigeons, horses, cats and dogs, have breed clubs associated with the breed.

Contents

Purpose

In general, breed clubs and associations create a written definition of the breed (called a breed standard) for the breed with which the organization is associated. Breed clubs also maintain important records, and provide members with information. Many breed associations also have a social component, organising various activities such as shows. In addition, they may regulate breeding or raise funds for research related to the breed.

Examples

Forming a breed club

With the advent of the internet, anyone can create a "breed club" by putting up a web page to advertise their animals. Buyers must research any claims of unaffiliated breed clubs.

Organizations covering groups of breeds

Breeds of animals of a particular species may have an organization that covers a large number of breeds of the species, even though each individual breed may have its own breed club. Often the multiple-breed over-association will maintain the breed records in a central location. An example of this would be the Canadian Sheep Breeder's Association, incorporated under the Canadian Livestock Pedigree Act in 1915, which includes fifty different breeds of sheep. [9]

Other types of animal associations

Associations that include all breeds (as well as crossbred and mixed breed animals) of a particular species also exist. Usually such associations are organized for particular sports, such as hunting with raptors.

See also

Related Research Articles

Animal husbandry Management, selective breeding, and care of farm animals by humans

Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starting with the Neolithic revolution when animals were first domesticated, from around 13,000 BC onwards, antedating farming of the first crops. By the time of early civilisations such as ancient Egypt, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs were being raised on farms.

Feral Wild-living but normally domestic animal or plant

A feral animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated specimens.

Herding dog Type of dog used for herding

A herding dog, also known as a stock dog, shepherd dog, sheepdog or working dog, is a type of dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds that are developed for herding.

Breed standard Written description of what a breed should look like

In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic or productive performance. It may also describe faults or deficiencies that would disqualify an animal from registration or from reproduction. The hypothetical ideal example may be called a "breed type".

Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are "cultivated varieties" (cultivars) of an animal species achieved through the process of selective breeding.

Landrace Infraspecific name

A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation from other populations of the species. Landraces are generally distinguished from cultivars, and from breeds in the standardized sense, although the term landrace breed is sometimes used as distinguished from the term standardized breed when referring to cattle.

A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders while they are young. The terms studbook and register are also used to refer to lists of male animals "standing at stud", that is, those animals actively breeding, as opposed to every known specimen of that breed. Such registries usually issue certificates for each recorded animal, called a pedigree, pedigreed animal documentation, or most commonly, an animal's "papers". Registration papers may consist of a simple certificate or a listing of ancestors in the animal's background, sometimes with a chart showing the lineage.

In agriculture and in the hobby of animal fancy, a breeder is an individual animal used for selective breeding. A breeder is usually a purebred animal, bred with the intent of producing purebred, or even show-quality animals. However, in some cases, a breeding animal is crossbred with another breed or a mixed breed with the intent of combining aspects of two or more different breeds.

Livestock show Event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits

A livestock show is an event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits as specified by their respective breed standard. Species of livestock that may be shown include pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, llamas and alpacas. Poultry such as chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys and pigeons are also shown competitively. A livestock show may be part of an agricultural show.

Rare Breeds Survival Trust Conservation charity in the United Kingdom

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation charity whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the native farm animal genetic resources (FAnGR) of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1973 by Joe Henson to preserve native breeds; since then, no UK-native breed has become extinct.

Docking is the intentional removal of part of an animal's tail or, sometimes, ears. The term cropping is more commonly used in reference to the cropping of ears, while docking more commonly—but not exclusively—refers to the tail. The term tailing is also commonly used. The term arises because the living flesh of the tail, from which the animal's tail hairs grow, commonly is known as the dock.

Australian Lowline Breed of cattle

The Australian Lowline is a modern Australian breed of small, polled beef cattle. It was the result of a selective breeding experiment using black Aberdeen Angus cattle at the Agricultural Research Centre of the Department of Agriculture of New South Wales at Trangie. It is among the smallest breeds of cattle, but is not a dwarf breed.

The Livestock Conservancy US conservation organization for livestock breeds

The Livestock Conservancy, formerly known as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and prior to that, the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting rare breeds, also known as "heritage breeds" of livestock. Founded in 1977, through the efforts of livestock breed enthusiasts concerned about the disappearance of many of the US's heritage livestock breeds, the Conservancy was the pioneer livestock preservation organization in the United States, and remains a leading organization in that field. It has initiated programs that have saved multiple breeds from extinction, and works closely with similar organizations in other countries, including Rare Breeds Canada. With 3,000 members, a staff of nine and a 19-member board of directors, the organization has an operating budget of almost half a million dollars.

Shetland animal breeds Animal breeds of the Shetland Islands of Scotland

The Shetland Islands of Scotland have long had their own distinct animal breeds, due to the remoteness of the archipelago. Below is a list of Shetland's domesticated animals.

Rare breed

In modern agriculture, a rare breed is a breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of their small numbers, rare breeds may have a threatened conservation status, and they may be protected under regional laws. Many countries have organizations devoted to the protection and promotion of rare breeds, for which they each have their own definition. In botany and horticulture, the parallel to rare animal breeds are heirloom plants, which are rare cultivars.

Livestock Animals kept for production of meat, eggs, milk, wool, etc.

Livestock is commonly defined as domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce labor and commodities such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to those that are bred for consumption, while other times it refers only to farmed ruminants, such as cattle, sheep and goats. Horses are considered livestock in the United States. The USDA classifies pork, veal, beef, and lamb (mutton) as livestock and all livestock as red meat. Poultry and fish are not included in the category.

Animal fancy

Animal fancy is a hobby involving the appreciation, promotion, or breeding of pet or domestic animals.

Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen Rare breed conservation association

The Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen or GEH is a German national association for the conservation of historic and endangered domestic animal breeds.

The Rote Liste, full name Rote Liste der bedrohten Nutztierrassen im Bundesgebiet, is a red list of threatened breeds of domestic animal published annually by the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen, the German national association for the conservation of historic and endangered domestic animal breeds.

References

  1. "The Appaloosa Horse Club, 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-31. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  2. "Canadian Lowline Cattle Association by-laws" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  3. “Jimmy’s Farm” Archived October 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine 22-Apr-05
  4. American Buttercup Club, The Crown of the Fancy
  5. The Fantail Club Archived December 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Selkirk Rex Breed Archived March 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  7. English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan) Club Archived October 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  8. OEGB Int'l Society
  9. "Canadian Sheep Breeder's Association". Archived from the original on 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2009-02-19.