Are All Breeds Worth Preserving?

I had planned to do another breed article this week, but several recent events raised some serious questions in my mind.  None were major happenings, just a word here or there, an article in a magazine, a discussion on a news group.  The combination, though, had the effect of making me want to delve more deeply.  It made me want to know more and to learn what others in the heritage breeds arena think.

Let’s start with draft horses.  A participant in a news group reported that discussions with numerous breeders indicated that most don’t allow their mares to give birth on the farm because they’ve lost too many foals.  They haul them to the veterinary clinic when it’s close to delivery time.  Their reason?  The mare wears out too soon, generally before the foal is born, which means the foal needs to be pulled.  They say the afterbirth won’t pass without significant amounts of oxytocin being administered either. 

How prevalent is this?  According to some, very.  Still further discussion on the subject revealed other breeders with the opposite experience, Percherons and Suffolk Drafts who gave birth in the pasture without a hint of trouble or any human assistance.  Still, the discussion raised the question in my mind – are the rare and minor livestock breeds in danger of succumbing to the whims of fashion like so many dog breeds have become?

Last year, wanting an all-around top farm dog for our small operation, we added an American Working Farmcollie to our place.  Bred primarily for temperament and working abilities, she’s a cross between a Scotch Collie with throwback herding instincts and an English Shepherd that’s an excellent herder, guardian, and hunter.  She’s less than a year old and already shows promise of becoming the best farm dog I’ve ever worked with.  Because of her parentage, and my interest in the ongoing efforts of the farmcollie association, I noted with alarm that the UKC had decided to allow English Shepherd conformation classes at sanctioned shows. 

My alarm comes from having watched, over the last 25 years, the demise of working ability in a number of breeds registered through the American Kennel Club.  Once a segment of breeders begins placing physical appearance above the breed’s original working purpose, the decline begins.  Some breeders won’t play that game, but enough will to affect the