Once, Britain's livestock was far more diverse and colourful than it is today. Most regions had local varieties of cattle, swine and sheep suited to local conditions and needs. Before the growth of factories and industrial towns, many families had a few animals on a smallholding or grazed them on common land; many more fattened up pigs on household scraps (or in an orchard) or kept chickens. Dual-purpose livestock was common e.g. cattle that provided both milk and meat; sheep that produced both wool and meat (mutton). These days, livestock tends to be standardised and specialised and are very often not native to Britain e.g. Holstein dairy cattle, Charolais beef cattle. Some breeds fell from favour because of changing tastes or because they were seen as old-fashioned.
Some breeds have been lost forever. Luckily some others are being preserved in small numbers, not just because they are attractive, but also because they better suit particular styles of farming or locations and to preserve genetic diversity. Having livestock that is more-or-less all the same is genetically a bad thing - valuable traits are lost (such as the ability to lamb at different times of the year) and should illness strike it could wipe out entire breeds. Some breeds now have genetic defects (usually related to fast growth and excessive muscle growth) that cause problems in breeding and birthing.
The colour photos were taken at various farm museums and agricultural shows.
PIGS
Long-bodied white pigs are most commonly farmed, but an increase in free range outdoor-reared pork has helped some of Britain's older breeds make comebacks. The modern Oxford Sandy-and-Black resembles an extinct breed, but was recreated using pigs that resembled the original. The Large White Ulster, Cumberland, Dorset Gold Tip, Yorkshire Blue-and-White and Lincolnshire Curly Coat are now all extinct - victims of farming changes and dietary fashions. Minority breeds farmed for their pork include the Tamworth (with its characteristic coarse red fur), British Saddleback (formerly 2 breeds: Essex Saddleback and Wessex Saddleback) and the Gloucester Old Spots. So-called "Iron Age Pigs" are a cross between domestic and wild pigs.
Gloucester Old Spots (Orchard Pigs)
Oxford Sandy and Black (bred to resemble the extinct original Oxford Sandy-and-Black though it is debatable whether it is genetically related to the original breed)
Pietrain Piglets (Pietrain is a grouping of pigs, originally from Belgium, with attractive black and white markings).
Tamworth
Saddleback pig with black feet.
The Essex Saddleback. The Essex Saddleback (Essex Pig) disappeared when the Wessex Pig and Essex Pig were combined to form a single British Saddleback breed with a better meat yield.
The Essex Pig has a broader saddle than the Wessex Pig or British Saddleback. They also have 4 white feet (the Wessex and British only have white front legs) and may have a white tail.
Kune Kune Pig (not a historic British breed, but an interesting new addition often kept as pets)
Further reading and more pictures (most available from online bookstores):
Two Hundred Years of British Farm Livestock by Stephen JG Hall & Juliet Clutton-Brock (as well as describing the history of breeds, this is crammed full of paintings showing how livestock breeds have changed)
The Chance to Survive by Lawrence Alderson (discusses rare and vanished breeds in several countries and the reasons why genetic diversity is important, has lots of photos)
Saving the Breeds: History of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust by Lawrence Alderson, Valerie Porter & Sue Franklin (relates to the preservation of rare breeds in Britain)
A Rare Breeds Album of American Livestock by Carolyn J Christman, D Phillip Sponenberg & Donald E Bixby (relates to the preservation of rare breeds in the USA)
Minority Breeds (an American booklet with black-and-white photos and accompanying descriptions; it appears to be out of print)
