National statistics

12a Animal genetic resources

Updated 3 April 2024

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/england-biodiversity-indicators/12a-animal-genetic-resources

Data last updated: November 2023

Latest data available: 2022

Introduction

Genetic diversity is an important component of biological diversity. Rare and native breeds of farm animals are part of our cultural heritage, are often associated with traditional land management required to conserve important habitats, and may have genetic traits of value to future agriculture.

The genetic diversity in UK breeds can be assessed by the effective population size (Ne), which accounts for the total number of animals in a population and the relative numbers of sires and dams (male and female parents). A low effective population size signifies a greater likelihood of inbreeding and risk of loss of genetic diversity.

This indicator shows the change in the average effective population sizes for breeds of goats, pigs, horses, sheep and cattle classified by the UK Farm Animal Genetic Resources Committee as Native Breeds at Risk (NBAR)

Type of indicator

State/Benefit indicator

Assessment of change in effective population size of Native Breeds at Risk in the UK

Goat breeds

  • Long term (2004-2022): Little or no change
  • Short term (2017-2022): Deteriorating
  • Latest year (2021-2022): Decreased

Pig breeds

  • Long term (2000-2022): Deteriorating
  • Short term (2017-2022): Deteriorating
  • Latest year (2021-2022): Decreased

Horse breeds

  • Long term (2000-2022): Deteriorating
  • Short term (2017-2022): Deteriorating
  • Latest year (2021-2022): Decreased

Sheep breeds

  • Long term (2000-2022): Improving
  • Short term (2017-2022): Deteriorating
  • Latest year (2021-2022): Decreased

Cattle breeds

  • Long term (2000-2022): Improving
  • Short term (2017-2022): Deteriorating
  • Latest year (2021-2022): Decreased

Note on indicator assessment

Long and short-term assessments are based on a 3% rule of thumb. Where possible, the base years for these assessments use a three-year average. See Assessing indicators.

12a. Animal genetic resources – effective population size of Native Breeds at Risk

Trend description for Figure 12.1

The average effective population size of the native breeds at risk included in this UK indicator:

  • for pigs decreased from 177 in 2000 to 157 in 2017 and to 110 in 2022
  • for horses decreased from 179 in 2000 to 90 in 2017 and to 76 in 2022
  • for sheep increased from 245 in 2000 to 383 in 2017 and decreased to 351 in 2022
  • for cattle increased from 121 in 2000 to 318 in 2017 and then decreased to 301 in 2022
  • for goats the dataset starts in 2004 when it was 63, increasing to 101 in 2017 and decreasing to 61 in 2022; prior to 2004, effective population size could only be calculated for one breed

The average effective population sizes calculated between 2000 and 2022 for the native breeds at risk of goats, pigs, horses, sheep and cattle were each above 50, the figure set by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation as a threshold for concern. However, in 2022, of the Native Breeds at Risk, two breeds of goat (Old English Goats, Saanen), four breeds of horse (British Percheron / Percheron, Cleveland Bay Horse, Eriskay Pony, and Suffolk Punch), one breed of sheep (Herdwick), two breeds of cattle (Northern Dairy Shorthorn, Vaynol), and one breed of pig (Landrace) had a Ne less than or equal to 50.

There has been no reported UK extinction of any breeds of goats, pigs, horses, sheep or cattle since 1973.

Figure 12.1: Average effective population size (Ne) of Native Breeds at Risk, 2000 to 2022.

Download the data for Figure 12.1 in ods format

Source: British Pig Association; Defra; Grassroots Systems Ltd.; Rare Breeds Survival Trust; and participating breed societies.

Notes about Figure 12.1:

  • the number of breeds included in the indicator varies year by year as a result of data availability for both sires and dams (data for both are needed to calculate effective population size). The maximum number of breeds included in each measure is shown in brackets after the species name in the legend. The annual data collection for the 2022 data accounts for 85% of the total breeds and these are for five goat breeds, 11 pig breeds, 13 horse breeds, 36 sheep breeds, and 20 cattle breeds. Further details of how many breeds are included in each year can be found in the technical background document and the datasheet
  • based on data published in the UK Farm Animal Genetic Resources Breed Inventory published on 11 May 2023 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-farm-animal-genetic-resources-fangr-breed-inventory-results
  • over the course of time, data for some breeds has been revised. In 2021, four breeds of NBAR cattle (Aberdeen Angus (Original Population); British Friesian (Original); Dairy Shorthorn (Original Population); and Hereford Traditional / Original) were merged with their associated larger non-NBAR populations, this was to ensure there was no duplication of data for these breeds. In addition, one sheep breed (Badger Face Welsh (Torddu and Torwen)) was split into two separate breeds, resulting in a recalculation of the entire data series. One breed of NBAR Goat, Cheviot (Feral), has been removed from the inventory while data are under assessment. Therefore, this indicator is not directly comparable with previous publications
  • the dotted black line shows effective population size (Ne) equal to 50; the level set by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation as a threshold for concern
  • in previous versions of this indicator, the last three years of data were considered provisional, as finalisation of the data was carried out using the results of a 3-yearly survey of breed societies. This survey is no longer carried out, with all data now being collected annually and considered final when published, and this is reflected in the 2023 version of the indicator

Further information

The indicator shows the change in the average effective population sizes (Ne) for breeds of goats, pigs, horses, sheep and cattle classified by the UK Farm Animal Genetic Resources Committee as Native Breeds at Risk (NBAR). The UK Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) Committee breed inventory was first published in 2014 with information for pigs, goats and horses, and was expanded in 2015 to include sheep and cattle.

In the inventory published in 2023 (data for 2022), all five native breeds of goats, all 11 native breeds of pigs, 13 of 19 native horse breeds, 48 of 61 native sheep breeds, and 23 of 30 native cattle breeds were classified as NBAR (for definitions of native breeds, and native breeds at risk, see Appendix 1 of the UK Country Report on Farm Animal Genetic Resources 2012).

For pigs, data to calculate effective population size is available for all years for all breeds included in the indicator (from 2000 to 2022 for 11 breeds). However, for goats, horses, sheep and cattle, the number of breeds contributing to the indicator increases over time as more data becomes available (for details see the technical document).

As all pedigree animals need to be registered with their respective society to receive their pedigree certificate, the breed society records are comprehensive. Data in the inventory is sourced from individual breed society records and is drawn from two sources. To maximise efficiency in data collection, central database suppliers who maintain the breed society databases supply the data to the Defra Farm Animal Genetic Resources team. This is the main source of data used in the indicator and breed societies have given their permission for these companies to supply the data to Defra every year for this exercise.

Effective population size is a calculation which takes account of the total number of animals in a population and the relative number of sires and dams (male and female parents). A low effective population size signifies a greater likelihood of inbreeding and risk of loss of genetic diversity. A larger effective population size implies a lower risk of inbreeding and higher genetic diversity.

The assessment of change for the indicator was made by applying a 5% rule of thumb. 5% was chosen to recognise the human element in the choice of which sires breed with which dams (which is not random for non-feral breeds), and because this level has already been chosen by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust to identify changes from the previous year’s Watchlist publication. The arithmetic mean of the first three years of the data series for each species was compared with the most recent value (2022), to determine the assessment for the long-term trend. An arithmetic mean of the year five years prior in the time-series and the year either side of this (2016, 2017, 2018) was calculated to compare with the most recent value (2022) to assess the short-term trend. It should be noted that single year variations in the measures are not hugely meaningful, due to the human element in which sires breed with which dams.

Trend description for Figure 12.2

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recommends a minimum effective population size (Ne) of at least 50 individuals to reduce the rate of inbreeding to less than 1% and ensure the long-term survival of a breed. Figure 12.1 shows that, on average, all five species have Ne greater than 50. However, examination of the data for the individual breeds reveals (Figure 12.2) that there are a small number of breeds with Ne less than or equal to 50 in many years. The breeds which are represented in Figure 12.2 may change from year to year; see the downloadable datasheet for details. In 2022, of the Native Breeds at Risk, two breeds of goat (Old English Goats, Saanen), four breeds of horse (British Percheron / Percheron, Cleveland Bay Horse, Eriskay Pony, and Suffolk Punch), one breed of sheep (Herdwick), two breeds of cattle (Northern Dairy Shorthorn, Vaynol), and one breed of pig (Landrace) had a Ne less than or equal to 50.

In 2021, the FAnGR Committee took the decision to merge four breeds of NBAR cattle (Aberdeen Angus (Original Population); British Friesian (Original); Dairy Shorthorn (Original Population); and Hereford Traditional / Original) with their associated larger non-NBAR populations. This was to ensure there was no duplication of data for these breeds. It was determined that the merging of these breeds was only for the purpose of the national inventory, should be applied to the entire indicator data series, and does not represent removal of these breeds from the BAR or NBAR lists. Furthermore, in the 2021 Breed Inventory, the NBAR sheep breed, Badger Face Welsh (Torddu and Torwen), has been split into two separate breeds (Badger Face Welsh (Torddu) and Badger Face Welsh (Torwen)). The original combined version has been removed, and the two split breeds added to the indicator. One NBAR goat breed, Cheviot (Feral), has been omitted from the inventory while data for the breed are under assessment. As a consequence of these changes to cattle and sheep, the entire data series has been recalculated and the 2023 version of the indicator is not directly comparable with previously published versions. Please refer to the technical background document for further details. These are also documented in the Breed Inventory Results (Excel datasheet) published on 11 May 2023: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-farm-animal-genetic-resources-fangr-breed-inventory-results.

Goats

The average Ne of the five goat breeds in the indicator is above 50 and has changed little in the short term. Four of the five breeds increased. Bagot increased in Ne from 48 in 2000 to 114 in 2022. Golden Guernsey increased in Ne from 197 in 2004 to 400 in 2022. Saanen has increased slightly in Ne from 44 in 2004 to 47 in 2022; the highest point in the data range (2004 to 2022) was in 2017 when the Ne was 71. Toggenburg has increased from 59 in 2004 to 80 in 2022. Old English Goats were added to the dataset for the first time in 2020, and have decreased slightly from eight recorded in 2020 to 5 in 2022.

Horses

Ten of the 13 horse breeds in the indicator have had declines in Ne, showing a long-term decrease, and this is matched by an overall short-term decline in the average Ne. The Eriskay pony has had an effective population size of less than 50 each year since 2000 with the Ne for 2016 and 2018 being four. Since 2001 when it joined the indicator, the Suffolk Punch has had an Ne of less than 50 every year but one (2009, when the value was 53). The Ne for New Forest Pony has declined from 716 in 2000 to 308 in 2022. Since 2012 the Cleveland Bay Horse has had an Ne of 50 or less, with the lowest effective population size being 31 in 2020 and 2021. The Ne for the Clydesdale Horse increased from 119 in 2002 to 153 in 2022. The Ne for British Percheron/Percheron, for which there are only ten years’ worth of data, has decreased to 6 in 2022.

Pigs

Only one NBAR pig breed has an Ne of less than 50 in 2022 (Landrace). There was a dip in pig numbers in 2001 as a result of foot and mouth disease, and a peak in 2007 as a result of breeding for export. Three pig breeds have increased in Ne since 2000 (the biggest increase was for Oxford Sandy and Black) and eight breeds have decreased – the largest decrease (-94%) was for Landrace from 652 in 2000 to 38 in 2022.

Sheep

As with pigs, there was a dip in numbers in 2001 as a result of foot and mouth disease. The time-series for these breeds varies in length; of the 29 breeds with at least 10 years of data, 20 breeds have had an increase in Ne (for example, Boreray, Castlemilk Moorit, Hampshire Down, Kerry Hill, Leicester Longwool, Manx Loaghtan and Shropshire) and eight a decrease (Black Welsh Mountain, Cotswold, Devon and Cornwall Longwool, Whitefaced Woodland and Wiltshire Horn), with one breed remaining stable (Wensleydale). There has been a strong increase in the Ne for Boreray, from a low of 15 in 2001 to 175 in 2022.

Cattle

As with sheep, the time-series for the breeds contributing to the indicator varies in length. Of the 16 breeds with at least 10 years of data, 12 have increased (for example, Belted Galloway, Lincoln Red including Lincoln Red (Original), and Luing) and one breed has decreased (Gloucester), while three have remained stable (British White, Devon (Red Ruby Devon) and Galloway). The effective population size of Vaynol has gradually increased from 4 in 2008 to 12 in 2022. The effective population size of Chillingham for which there are only three years of data (2012 to 2014) is four for each of those years.

Figure 12.2: Number of NBAR breeds with Ne less than or equal to 50 within the overall trends, 2000 to 2022.

Download the data for Figure 12.2 in ods format

Source: British Pig Association; Defra; Grassroots Systems Ltd.; Rare Breeds Survival Trust; and participating breed societies.

Notes about Figure 12.2:

  • based on data in the UK Farm Animal Genetic Resources Breed Inventory published on 11 May 2023

Relevance

Genetic diversity is an important component of biodiversity. The UK genetic diversity indicator focuses on the diversity of Native Breeds at Risk of a number of farm animal species (cattle, sheep, goats, horses and pigs). Genetic diversity in livestock breeds is important for a number of reasons. Aside from their cultural importance, local adaptation and links to breed-specific products, native or rare livestock breeds provide a resource from which to develop new breeds or improve existing breeds.

UK farm animal genetic resource is a key asset in economic, environmental, social and cultural terms. Native breeds of farm animals are often associated with traditional land management required to conserve important habitats. The indicator is also relevant to the commitments on conservation of native breeds in the UK National Action Plan on Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR).

The indicator is also relevant to outcome 3 in Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services and a number of international targets (see Annex A and B of the aforementioned publication).

The UK and England Biodiversity Indicators are currently being assessed alongside the Environment Improvement Plan Targets,and the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Targets, when this work has been completed the references to Biodiversity 2020 and the Aichi Global Biodiversity Framework Targets will be updated.

Background

The UK is home to some of the richest and most diverse farm animal genetic resources in the world, with approximately 700 breeds including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and ponies and poultry; the UK contains more than 9% of the total of global livestock breeds. There are some 200 native breeds according to the definition adopted by the UK Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) Committee, the majority of which are considered to be “at risk”. A list of known breeds in the UK is given in Appendix 2 of the 2012 UK Country Report on Farm Animal Genetic Resources and in the Annex of the 2010 Poultry in the UK report. Defra and its FAnGR Committee monitor the status of UK breeds to determine if they are native, exotic, at risk or not; and ensure that eligible species/breeds:

  • Are offered potential protection in an outbreak of an exotic disease (as far as possible within the constraints of controlling the disease).
  • Have potential access to a grazing supplement under agri-environment schemes.

Many of the UK’s habitats that are now valued for their biodiversity were created by, or for, farm animals. These habitats include various types of upland and lowland grasslands and heathlands, hay meadows and pasture-woodlands. Other habitats, such as sand dunes, salt marshes and even woodlands may also benefit from light grazing. If these habitats are not grazed they may lose their special conservation value as they become invaded and eventually dominated by scrub and trees through the process of ecological succession.

Although it is not possible to measure the genetic variation in all traits of interest, the average rate of loss in genetic variation can be estimated, since this rate can be described by calculating the ‘effective population size’.

The UK Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) Breed Inventory is an electronic monitoring system. It was first published by Defra in July 2014 and updated annually since then. The monitoring system contains data on the status and trends in the domestic pig, goat, horse, sheep and cattle farm animal genetic resources with continuous data from 2000 to 2022 for up to around 100 NBAR breeds which are present in the UK. More recently, the electronic monitoring system for FAnGR is collecting more information and more regularly, which is leading to greater completeness of data .

Defra and the Farm Animal Genetic Resources Committee will continue to monitor populations of UK livestock breeds regularly; the list of Breeds considered to be at Risk is kept under annual review using the monitoring data collected, with Breeds at risk potentially eligible for protection in an outbreak of an exotic disease (within the constraints of controlling the disease).

Supplementary information from the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) works to conserve and protect the United Kingdom’s rare native breeds of farm animals from extinction as a resource for future generations and for the benefit of agriculture. Between 1900 and 1973, the United Kingdom lost 26 of its native breeds. This was caused by changing farming methods and a much more intensive approach to food production. Since the formation of the Trust in 1973 no other native livestock breed has become extinct in the UK.

The RBST publishes an annual watchlist, which highlights changes in breed population trends. The 2021-22 Watchlist has been compiled using a new methodology, based on effective population size (previously the number of registered females was used) and taking into account the degree of inbreeding. Thus this approach is now more comparable to that used in this indicator. The Watchlist now categorises ‘Priority’ and ‘At Risk’ breeds for sheep, cattle, equine, pigs, goats and poultry, as well as listing ‘UK Native Breeds’ and ‘Irish Breeds in the UK’.

Within the Priority and At Risk categories, the 2021-22 Watchlist includes 28 breeds of sheep, 14 cattle, 11 pigs, four goats and 12 horse breeds.

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