In modern agriculture, a rare breed is a breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of their small numbers, rare breeds may have a threatened conservation status, and they may be protected under regional laws. Many countries have organizations devoted to the protection and promotion of rare breeds, for which they each have their own definition. In botany and horticulture, the parallel to rare animal breeds are heirloom plants, which are rare cultivars.
The American Cream Draft is listed as critically endangered by the American Livestock Conservancy
A rare breed Manx Loaghtan sheep at Cregneash, Isle of Man. There are fewer than 1,500 registered breeding Manx Loaghtan females in the United Kingdom.
The Tamworth is a pig breed that is rare in both its native country and abroad.
An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, heritage fruit, or heirloom vegetable is an old cultivar of a plant used for food that is grown and maintained by gardeners and farmers, particularly in isolated communities of the Western world. These were commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but are not used in modern large-scale agriculture.
Only a few of the many varieties of potato are commercially grown; others are heirlooms.
A selection of heirloom tomatoes
