What we do Watchlist Watchlist overview Watchlist overview Each year we produce our watchlist, this categorises the breeds based on the numbers of registered breeding females in the United Kingdom. Download the latest Watchlist About the Watchlist The RBST Watchlist is a document showing the rarity of the UK's native breeds of mammal. Every year, RBST collects data from over 130 breed societies, including the number of males and females registered. This data is used, along with a multiplier, to estimate the number of registered breeding females in the UK for each breed. This is used to place each breed either in one of the 5 categories on the Watchlist, or in the 'Other Native Breeds' category, for those that are not rare but still fulfill our criteria for a native breed. Category Cattle Goats Equine Pigs Sheep 1. Critical Less than 150 Less than 100 Less than 300 Less than 100 Less than 300 2. Endangered 150-250 100-200 300-500 100-200 300-500 3. Vulnerable 250-450 200-300 500-900 200-300 500-900 4. At Risk 450-750 300-500 900-1500 300-500 900-1500 5. Minority 750-1500 500-1000 1500-3000 500-1000 1500-3000 6. Other native breeds Greater than 1500 Greater than 1000 Greater than 3000 Greater than 1000 Greater than 3000 Notes Placement of a breed within Watchlist categories may not be wholly defined by registered breeding female population size (the numeric thresholds serve as a guideline). Population genetic factors (such as inbreeding and genetic erosion) and current trends in breed density and distribution (geographical concentration in a small area) can mean a breed will be highly vulnerable to disease outbreaks, and so are also included in making assessments of endangerment. If insufficient information exists to fulfill all current guidelines, the RBST may occasionally otherwise recognise breeds it considers to be of genetic conservation importance. In addition to the registered flocks of Boreray and Soay sheep, feral populations exist in the western isles of Scotland. The following breeds of Irish Origin can be found in the UK and historically have been a part of British agriculture: Kerry and Dexter cattle, Galway sheep and the Irish Draught horse and Connemara pony Native Breed Criteria Any breed wishing to be accepted onto the Watchlist should submit a minimum of 25 years (preceding application) of continuous verifiable pedigree data in the form of annual registrations. If electronic records exist, these should be supplied in full. Any supplementary information will be discussed with the Breed Society before use. In addition, all breed analyses will be released only to the Breed Society in the first instance - all subsequent releases must come with Breed Society approval. To download the full criteria, click here.