Heritage Breeds
Original, heritage breeds of livestock are on the decrease even though they are hardier, healthier, more intelligent and more docile.
Many old breeds which we have taken for granted are now on the rare breeds lists around the world such as the Rhode Island Red Hen and the Gurnsey cow, especially in westernized countries where the trend in agriculture now is to raise breeds which are genetically modified to gain weight quickly in small quarters. Battery poultry farms and crowded piggeries are not only cruel, but the nutritional value from animals raised in these facilities is much lower than livestock and poultry raised in more humane and natural conditions without growth hormones and medications(which we in turn ingest).
Draft horses are becoming rare due to their lack of use but there are times when a good team of horses can prove less harming to a sensitive environment than a huge intrusive excavator.

Check out the Rare Breeds Canada

Indian Runner Ducks
These fast moving, energetic, fine featured, vocal and upright ducks originated in India. Visitors find their splendid posture amusing, and they lay wonderful large eggs every morning* in their nests on Glamorgan Farm.
There wonderful posture has nicknamed them “The Penguin Duck”.
Rare Breeds Canada has recently added The Indian Runner to their rare breed list. *Did you know? Duck eggs contain 25 percent more food value than chicken eggs.

The Gloucester Old Spot Pig: “The Orchard Pig”
This lovely large docile pig is extinct in Canada (but still plentiful in Britain and critical in the United States).The Old Spots are an old English pig with large flopping ears which droop over their eyes, probably bred historically to slow them down. Folklore says that their black spots came from falling apples in the autumn orchards.

The Naked Neck Hen
Some people think that the Naked Neck with its red, bare neck is ugly but we think she is beautiful! The Naked Neck originated in Eastern Europe and is thought to be a cross between a turkey and a hen.They come in many colours and lay large rich brown eggs.

The Russian Woolly Bashkir Curly Horse
The hardy Bashkir horse comes from the mountain steppes of the Bashkir region in barren Siberia. This intelligent stocky horse has wool, resembling angora, rather than hair, and a thick curly mane and tail. He also has a double layer of fat and a lower blood pressure than other breeds. Many of them resemble small draft horses. There are only fifteen Russian Bashkirs listed in Canada although there is a American version which is more common. *Did you know? Valnah means curly in Russian.

Norwegian Fijord Pony
Another hardy miniature draft horse, the Norwegian Fijord, although not rare, is a unique breed which many people do not know about. The Fjord pony was originally the Viking horse.
The Fjord is the original dun colour with the dark dorsal stripe, and extremely docile, calm and kind.
They are equally at home pulling a cart as being ridden – their versatility through history has given them many uses including
work on urban infrastructure in England as they were small enough to pull material under the low London bridges.
Both the Bashkir Curly and the Fijord are very “easy keepers” requiring very little food due to their geographic backgrounds from where they originated. They can survive (and are much healthier) on local hay, meadow “scrub” and a mineral salt block although we can’t resist giving Valnah and Sevard apples and carrots as treats!
Both Valnah and Sevard competed at the Saanich Fair (2008) this year and were very popular with the fair spectators due to their friendly and gregarious nature.

British Berkshire Pig
Glamorgan Farm recently acquired the rare British Berkshire pig.
Our friendly Buster’s main characteristic is his colour, black with six white points, face,
tail and four feet.

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There are many people on Vancouver Island who support the preservation of the rare livestock breeds.

The Canadian Horse, the Tamworth and British Black Pigs, the Highland Cow, the Irish Draft Horse and the Bronze Breasted Turkey are a few of the rare breeds being bred on Vancouver Island. There are also a variety of sheep and goat breeds which are also on the decline.

Check out the web site Rare Breed Canada for an updated list of these threatened breeds.

Please support the breeders in their endeavours to perpetuate these rare and historic gene pools.