Native breeds of beef cattle in Britain have been superseded by imported breeds since the 1960s, but a changing market in the 1990s has begun to restore traditional values. The distinctive qualities of native breeds are becoming more relevant, and the White Park is a prime example of their importance. This paper makes a critical evaluation of several studies of White Park cattle that have been carried out, namely productivity in non-intensive systems of management, assessment of type and function by linear measurements, quality of product (meat), and value in crossing programmes. It concludes that breeds such as the White Park derive significant added value as a result of their native adaptability and the high quality of their beef, and that they benefit from a market driven by consumers rather than supermarkets. The use of different linear measurements is proposed, and the effective use of White Park bulls in crossing programmes is demonstrated.

The paper analyses the importance of breed conservation in South Africa by means of added value through a number of species. This principle was applied to some of Southern Africa populations: Nguni cattle, indigenous pigs, indigenous sheep landraces including fat-tails (Pedi, Damara, Zulu, Afrikaner) and fat-rumped breeds (Persian) as well as the improved Boer goat. The latter is an example of what can be achieved by selecting an indigenous breed for a specific purpose.

For each breed, possible alternative uses are explained by analysing their characters. For the Nguni cattle (very well adapted to local conditions) a premium is paid for hides with minimal tick damage as these are used for car upholstery, an important added value. Beef quality and easy calving are also relevant factors that are important when crossing the Nguni with European breeds.

Indigenous sheep landraces are often used to develop hardy composites and this helps their conservation, while the Boer goat is in demand in many countries for meat-production and has been exported world-wide; this is probably the only selected meat-goat in the world.

Indigenous pig breeds are capable of generating a good income and are satisfactory alternatives to modern breeds.

Les performances zootechniques de la race N'Dama ont été déterminées de 1994 à 1997 à partir du noyau reconstitué en 1993 dans le cadre de l'amélioration génétique des races locales à la Ferme Elevage de l'Okpara au Bénin. Les poids moyens à la naissance, à 6, 12 et 24 mois sont respectivement 17.4, 55.6, 95.9 et 158 kg. La vitesse de croissance de la naissance à 12 mois est de 215 g/j. Excepté le poids à la naissance, le poids et les mensurations corporelles sont largement en dessous de ceux obtenus chez la race dans son berceau. L'intervalle de vêlage a été de 413±54 jours, l'âge moyen au premier vêlage a été situé à 48 mois ± 33 jours, et le taux moyen de fécondité à 84.3%. Les naissances s'observent d'octobre à janvier avec une mortalité variant selon les années de 0 à 8.1% chez les jeunes. Aucun cas de mortalité n'a été enregistré chez les adultes. En somme, il est remarqué que l'expression phénotypique des caractères de productions de la N'Dama est limitée dans le ranch de l'Okpara.

At the beginning of the 1980's, Sambucana sheep, which have inhabited a valley in the northern Italian region of Cuneo since the Eighteenth century, were on the verge of extinction. In an effort to safeguard the breed, the ‘Comunità Montana’ and local institutes set up a consortium which includes approximately eighty breeders and has entrusted the recovery of the breed's genetic heritage, threatened by repeated cross-breeding with Biellese sheep, to a ram centre. The sales of Sambucana lamb, which is a highly prized meat guaranteed by a specific brand, have increased at the shops in the province served by the consortium, and moreover the economy of mountain communities has benefited from the protection program. A pack of wolves endangering the summer grazing of the sheep at high altitudes could in the future have a negative effect on the purity of the breed and the characteristics of the meat.

The Polish Wrzosówka is an old breed of sheep native to Poland. The Wrzosówka sheep restoration programme was begun in Poland in the 1970s. A total of 160 ewes and 27 rams, characterised by great variation, formed the foundation stock. Currently, a total of 1 400 sheep are bred in 8 flocks. The Polish Wrzosówka is an aseasonal breed (3 lambings per year are possible) and is characterised by very high prolificacy of 175–180%. It is a furcoat sheep and its high-quality pelts are mainly used for velour production. The breed has very well developed maternal ability and is well adjusted to harsh environments conditions

The improvement programme in Jamunapari goats was started with the active participation of farmers in two adopted villages and efforts have been made to characterise the performance of Jamunapari goats in their home tract in relation to production, reproduction performance and field conditions relating to socio-economic status of farmers. The phenotypic measurements are also described in the breed in its habitat. Jamunapari is a tall, white and large size milch goat breed of India and their numbers have been reducing over the years for various reasons. The description in relation to housing, feeding, management, growth parameters, milk yield, parasitic load, blood polymorphism and constraints in field conditions has been made in detail. Body weights at birth, three, six and nine months were 2.75 kg, 12.3 kg, 16 kg and 22 kg, respectively. Milk yield at 90 and 150 days was 102 and 145 litres, respectively. The peak breeding season of this goat in field conditions is in May-June and twining percentage is about 52 percent. The overall mortality in village conditions is about 3.7 percent and is mostly due to diarrhea and pneumonia. The mortality was 3.7 percent, 1.9 percent, 9.8 percent and 2.0 percent in 0–3, 3–6, and 6–12 months, and adult goats, respectively over the years. The native goat in its home tract is endangered for several reasons and utmost care is needed from all angles to save this germplasm.

The Majorcan Black Pig is the only autochthonous pig breed from the island of Majorca (Spain). It is characterised by a medium size body (160 kg), slate-grey skin colour, and concave profile of the nose, large pendulous ears and tassels on the bottom neck. It is well adapted to the low-level breeding and feeding conditions of the traditional extensive management on the island. It is the base of some traditional high quality products such as the “sobrasada”, sort of red highly seasoned sausage that can be spread over bread, for which there is a good demand in the Spanish market. The Majorcan Black Pig breed played an important social and economic role until the 1960s, which then declined with the introduction of the intensive production systems and foreign breeds. The Majorcan Black Pig Association was founded in the early 1980s by a group of private farmers to recover and conserve the breed. Recently, this association has been officially recognised and the official Majorcan Black Pig Herd Book set up. At present, there are more than 600 animals registered.

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities (SPPA) completed censuses of domesticated turkeys in 1997. The ALBC census targeted hatcheries and reported census figures for hens, while counting both hens and toms. Toms were about 10% of hen numbers. The ALBC census revealed that only eight seasonal hatcheries out of a total of 25 maintain breeding flocks, including 7 038 Bronze, 4 600 Large Whites, 664 Bourbon Reds, 381 Royal Palms, 62 Black, 60 Slate, 4 White Holland, and 3 Narragansett hens. The SPPA research included hatcheries and also private breeders, included both males and females, and also included anything the breeder deemed a variety. The census figures for the various varieties were: Bourbon Red 931, Royal Palm 717, Bronze 365, Black 211, White Midget 151, Slate 143, Narragansett 87, Buff 62, White Holland 38, Auburn 27, Lilac 24, Silver Auburn 19, Chocolate 12, Royal Nebraskan 8, Wisconsin 6, Spotted Nebraskan 3, 2 each of Dark Brown, Nebraska Royal, Nutmeg, and red, and 1 each of Chestnut, Fawn, and Lavendar. The results of these two approaches generated similar population rankings for these varieties. Both have concluded that the nonindustrial strains of turkeys have perilously low populations.