What determines if a breed is on the livestock conservancy list? I notice some "rare" breeds aren't.

[RuffIedFeathers]

So I've gone over the list of chickens on The Livestock Conservancy. I've also noticed that a lot of "rare" breeds aren't listed there. Are they not considered a true breed then? One example I have in mind is Shetland Hens. According to Greenfire Farms, they are one of the "rarest" breeds on the planet, however they are not on the Livestock Conservancy list. What would this imply? Thank you!

 

[nuthatched]

Hatcheries tend to exaggerate to sell their products, there are a few hatcheries that call easter eggers rare.

 

[Canadian Wind]

They also only consider 'registered' breeders. So backyard breeders are not counted. Cayuga are on the list, and they are everywhere around here.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Are Shetland hems a breed or a land race?

 

[nuthatched]

They also only consider 'registered' breeders. So backyard breeders are not counted. Cayuga are on the list, and they are everywhere around here.

This.
There could only be three registered beeeders of a certain breed in a whole country but thousands of casual backyard breeders. Just a casual glance at the list of breeds and there's lots of breeds we hear of everyday here.
Chickens aren't like expensive race horses, you don't have to register every one.

 

[RuffIedFeathers]

Are Shetland hems a breed or a land race?

After reading again, they are considered a landrace. I'm slightly confused on the difference. So a landrace is a "breed" that doesn't have specific standards?

 

[RuffIedFeathers]

This.
There could only be three registered beeeders of a certain breed in a whole country but thousands of casual backyard breeders. Just a casual glance at the list of breeds and there's lots of breeds we hear of everyday here.
Chickens aren't like expensive race horses, you don't have to register every one.

Can you explain this to me a little more? So using the example of Cayugas, they are considered a "watched" breed, because there are only X amount of registered breeding flocks, even though there may be many backyard breeders?...so they aren't as "rare" as The Livestock Conservatory sheet leads one to believe? Is that correct?

 

[nuthatched]

Correct, they can only use the numbers that registered breeders give them. Unless they start looking in people's yards, they really don't know how many there are.

 

[PerturbedPanther]

The Livestock Conservancy focuses on heritage breeds. "Heritage" refers to the animals that were used and created during the time that the United States were being colonized. Heritage breeds are animals from the first days of colonization, up until the early 1900's when smallholder farming began to be replaced by mass production and machinery. There are three main types of heritage; animals that were created from native species of North America, animals that were created/imported before the 1900's, and animals that were created/imported after the 1900's. Even though an animal might be rare, the Livestock Conservancy won't concern themselves with it unless it is an american heritage breed.

Here is a link to their website, where it explains their mission.
https://livestockconservancy.org/about-us/mission-core-values/

 

[JacinLarkwell]

After reading again, they are considered a landrace. I'm slightly confused on the difference. So a landrace is a "breed" that doesn't have specific standards?

Yes. They have traits that often make them recognizable, but don't breed true enough that people consider them a breed