Canadian Heritage Breeds
"Conservation through Education"
CHB/K-Days Dairy Goat Show July 23-24th at Edmonton Northlands
What is a Heritage Breed?
Giving a concrete definition of the term 'heritage' can be a difficult task.
Perhaps the broadest and simplest definition of heritage livestock is: a breed that was developed and used on farms, ranches and homesteads before the advent of modern industrial agriculture.
These breeds were developed over time through selection for traits that made them well suited to local environments. For this reason they tend to have better disease resistance, are well-adapted to thrive in pasture-based and non-commercial settings, and have a long reproductive lifespan. The history of our traditional livestock breeds can range from mere decades to several centuries, but common among them all is their priceless and irreplaceable genetic diversity.
Giving a concrete definition of the term 'heritage' can be a difficult task.
Perhaps the broadest and simplest definition of heritage livestock is: a breed that was developed and used on farms, ranches and homesteads before the advent of modern industrial agriculture.
These breeds were developed over time through selection for traits that made them well suited to local environments. For this reason they tend to have better disease resistance, are well-adapted to thrive in pasture-based and non-commercial settings, and have a long reproductive lifespan. The history of our traditional livestock breeds can range from mere decades to several centuries, but common among them all is their priceless and irreplaceable genetic diversity.
Member Video Series! As a way to engage our members and keep everyone feeling connected, CHB invited members to share short video clips of what is happening in and around their homes and farms. The videos are featured on the CHB Youtube Channel.