Know Your Rare Breeds by Jack Byard new book advance information

Know Your Rare Breeds, Jack Byard. Paperback, 104 x 155 mm (landscape), 96 pages inc. 44 photographs. ISBN 978-1-908397-19-5. Now in stock at Old Pond at £4.99.

Further information and advance orders: [email protected].

Jack Byard’s research into the endangered breeds of sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, horses and poultry in Britain has revealed many interesting facts about them. The Gloucester cow, for example, now reduced to just 750 breeding females, has records going back to the thirteenth century. In 1796 it was a Gloucester cow called Blossom who provided the first serum for a smallpox vaccine.

Broadly following the watchlist produced by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, Jack has chosen forty-four examples of threatened breeds. Each has a full-page photograph faced on the opposite page by an account of the breed’s history, current status and an idea of its food or amenity value.

The book is ideal for novice enthusiasts of any age. Jack passionately hopes that readers will appreciate the value of these animals and birds and be inspired to support efforts for their preservation.

The breeds included are:
Sheep
Balwen Welsh Mountain • Boreray • Castlemilk Moorit • Hill Radnor • Leicester Longwool • North Ronaldsay • Portland • Teeswater • Whitefaced Woodland.
Goats
Bagot • Golden Guernsey.
Cattle
Aberdeen Angus • Chillingham Wild Cattle • Gloucester • Hereford • Irish Moiled • Lincoln Red • Northern Dairy Shorthorn • Shetland •  Vaynol • Whitebred Shorthorn.
Pigs 
Berkshire • British Lop • British Saddleback • Gloucestershire Old Spots • Large Black • Middle White • Tamworth • Welsh.
Horses and Ponies
Cleveland Bay • Clydesdale • Dales Pony • Eriskay Pony • Exmoor Pony • Hackney • Shire • Suffolk Punch • Welsh Mountain Pony.
Chickens and Turkeys
Brown Sussex • Brussbar • Buff • Modern Langshan • Norfolk Black • Whitefaced Black Spanish.

Author Jack Byard was born in Bradford where he has lived and worked all his life. A Rolls-Royce craftsman by trade and a jewellery craftsman in later years, Jack spent the latter part of his working life imparting this knowledge as a school workshop technician.

Jack has always had a deep affection for his rural heritage and so wrote his first book, Know Your Sheep, with a view to sharing with others the countryside that he loves. Know Your Rare Breeds is his tenth title. A complete list can be seen on the Know Your … section of the Old Pond website.