Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand Incorporated

Our heritage livestock needs your help!

Since 1988, the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand works tirelessly to save unique breeds of heritage livestock from becoming extinct. These animals don’t need antibiotics, drenches, factory produced high energy feed and regular injections to be healthy and productive. They can thrive on land that is not suitable for growing crops. There is no government support for these animals.

Our members are often called to a farm where the last animals of their kind need to be rescued as their owner is no longer able to look after them. Rather than sending them to be killed, our members make sure they are rehomed to caring small farmers who will ensure that the breed lives on.

We only rehome breeds that are critically endangered, usually with fewer than 100 (and sometimes less than 30) individuals surviving in New Zealand or even the world.

In some cases the society works toward securing a sanctuary for New Zealand Heritage breeds like the Arapawa Island Sheep who’s line can be traced back for over 200 years.

Our members use their own trucks and trailers, pay for their own petrol, and they care for the animals at their own cost. However, sometimes some financial help would ensure that for instance a stock transporter can be engaged or that some extra feed can be provided by the society to drought stricken farmers who keep these heritage breeds to ensure these irreplaceable animals don’t have to be sent away to be killed.

We are also working on preserving the genetics of heritage livestock by cryopreserving semen and embryos of the rarest of the rare - usually when there is only one single flock or herd in the world and the number of individuals is lower than 50. One dog attack or one virus can wipe out a whole population over night!

By donating to the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand who is a registered charity (Charity Registration Number CC30930) you help preserve invaluable genetics for future generations. All donations are tax deductible.

To read about the work we do please have a look at the following examples:

http://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/enderby.html

http://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/aucklandpigs.html

http://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/suffolk.html

100% of funds raised will be directly used to ensure the survival of rare breeds of heritage livestock.

The photos show (clockwise, starting top left: Highland Cow, Flemish Giant rabbit, Waipu goat, Buff turkey, Wessex Saddleback pig, Karakul sheep, Auckland Island pig and Faverolles rooster.