Читать книгу Know Your Hobby Animals a Breed Encyclopedia - Jack Byard - Страница 5

Sheep, goats, pigs, cows, and chickens have provided us with food and drink, clothing, and shelter for thousands of years. Today many breeds are extremely rare and not commercially viable, and this is where the smallholder—the hobby farmer—plays a crucial role. After a full day at the office, workshop, or local store, they will put in several hours looking after their charges. Some keep a donkey or mule in the field with the sheep, natural guardians against attack from four-legged predators, such as foxes, coyotes, and bobcats (and against being stolen by the two-legged variety on occasion).

In most countries of the world, there are areas that are inaccessible to agricultural machinery. What keeps the moors and hills surrounding my home so neat and trim, making it accessible to lovers of the open countryside? It is the hill sheep that roam this unfenced and harsh land. Certain breeds of draft horse are increasingly used for forestry work in areas out of bounds to machinery, being more efficient and less damaging to the landscape.

Organizations such as The Livestock Conservancy in the United States and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in the UK work tirelessly to protect these rare breeds, but more needs to be done. We must never forget the value of these animals—they have supported us for generations, after all—and protect farmers and ranchers, both large and small, from those who profess to know better.

—Jack Byard, Bradford, England, 2020