Guidelines for Rare Breed Categorisation 2024 (updated Sept. 2025)

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| Definition of a Breed | Livestock Guidelines | Poultry Guidelines | Guidelines for Importation of New Breeds | Providing Updates |

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Definition of a Breed

The breed is a true genetic breed when mated together. In other words it breeds true to type.

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Livestock (Cattle, Donkeys, Goats, Horses, Pigs and Sheep) Guidelines

Why does Rare Breeds Trust of Australia only count registered animals?

Registered livestock animals are those with documented pedigrees. Assuming that registries are operated with integrity (an assumption we make), we take registered animals to be purebred. Generally, animals that are intended as breeding stock are registered and will contribute their genes to the next generation. Historically, unregistered animals had jobs other than breeding. This makes continuity of pedigree registration from generation to generation very important. While this approach results in an under-count to varying degrees, it does consistently count those animals most likely to contribute to the next purebred generation

• 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
• 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 RBTA may occasionally include breeds in its Watchlists it considers to be of genetic conservation and heritage importance.

Section A: Genetic Basis

1. Has the breed existed continuously for 40 years?
2. Has there been an accepted Stud/Herd/Flock book for at least 6 generations, or in the case of poultry and waterfowl, is the breed recognised in the Current Australian Poultry Standard? 
3. Have other breeds contributed less than 20 percent of the genetic makeup of the breed in the last six generations?

If the answer to 1 is affirmative, and if one of the other answers are affirmative, proceed to Section B.

If the breed does not qualify under this section, it is not accepted unless it possesses a distinct characteristic not found elsewhere.

Section B: Numerical Basis

1. A breed will be included in the lists if there are fewer than the following number of breeding females in the breed: Cattle 750; Horses 600; Sheep 1500; Goats 500; Pigs 500.
2. Breeds with four or fewer distinct male lines will be included on the priority list. A watching brief will be kept on breeds with six or fewer distinct male lines, (A male line is one which has no ancestors in common with another in the last four generations, i.e. up to and including great grandparents.)
3. Livestock breed priorities will be set according to the table below.

 

 

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Poultry Guidelines

In contrast to Livestock, pure breed poultry has no animal registration requirements. All data submitted via the RBTA's Poultry Census is voluntarily submitted by individual breeders and is taken on face value as matching the requirements for a submitted breed. The breeding nature of poultry also means that numbers can move up much more rapidly than other livestock, followed by low to high culling approaches . Conversely, flocks can be dispersed rapidly. Accordingly the use of submitted numbers alone to identify categories of risk has presented a significant challenge over many years.

With 2024, the Poultry Census now analyses submitted numbers, added to by data from selected shows, across four measures. These are:

1. Effective Population Size* Index figure derived from the ratio of breeding males and females as identified in the Census.
2. Breeding flock numbers as identified in the current Census.
3. Correlations with Australian rare poultry association lists.
4. Comparison with the Effective Population Size Index figure and breeding flocks derived from the previous Census.

In the simplest terms, Effective Population Size (EPS) is an indicator of the prospect for genetic survival of a breed into the future. EPS calculates the relative numbers of male and female parents within a population (called "breeding male/female ratio" above) and yields an index figure. A low EPS index figure signifies a greater risk of loss.

Colour variants that do not have their own completely separate standard are considered as part of the same interbreeding population unless there is evidence of genetically distinct origins.

The 2024 Poultry Census analysis method uses three rating categories - Critical, Of Concern and Watch - as summarised in the following graphic:

 

 

This is a new analysis approach for poultry compared to previous Census analyses. It represents a move away from  "cut off numbers" categorisation based on submitted total numbers, to a "conservation" type approach using correlations across multiple data sets and the calculation of breeding flock male/female ratios.  

Nevertheless, the rare poultry listings nevertheless should still be considered indicative as opposed to absolute.

It is important to note that the Poultry Census is (1) voluntary and (2) unable to be based on breed registration records due to the lack of pure breed registration requirements. Therefore there may be differences between "on the ground" numbers to numbers reported through the Census. If you have not participated in the 2024 Poultry Census, you can submit numbers using the link in the Providing Updates section following.

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Importation of New Breeds Into Australia after 1 September 2025

Livestock and poultry breeds, new to Australia and imported after 1 September 2025, are categorised as “Monitor” and are recorded with the date of entry into Australia. See Note 1 for categorisation of breeds in Australia prior to 1 September 2025.

For livestock, the Monitor category includes both live animals, and genetic material that will result in live animals, that is, embryos. It does not include genetic material (for example, semen straws, or fertile eggs in the case of poultry) that may only hypothetically result in pure bred live animals. See Note 2 for more detail.

All species currently monitored by the Trust (cattle, horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry) are included in this policy. Commercial value is not considered in categorisation decisions.

Livestock

a. In the case of livestock, the breeds must be recognised breeds in their home country, and be pure bred, not crosses.
b. The Trust will work with and encourage the importers to establish a breed registry.

Poultry

a. In the case of poultry, the breed must be a breed recognised in the home country’s Poultry Standards.
b. Exhibition Stud Poultry Australia Inc is recognised as the body for establishment of Australian breed standards.

Note 1
Livestock and poultry with pure bred animals known to be in Australia prior to 1 September 2025 will:

• Continue to be counted for the purposes of identifying their rare categorisation; and
• Be assigned to the relevant rare category (including lost) set out in the Guidelines for Rare Breed Categorisation as published on the Trust website.

Note 2
Importation of semen straws of new Livestock breeds into Australia will be recorded for the Future Farms program of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia, for future reference where livestock is upgraded to pure breed status.
 

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Providing Updates

If you have further information on a breed on a Watchlist, or amend its position on a list, please complete the online Watchlist update form..  Newly provided data, once analysed, will be collated for the next scheduled update of the species lists.