Ancient Welsh cattle breed at risk of dying out

Ancient Cattle of Wales are known for their colour variations

Rare Welsh cattle whose heritage date back more than 1,000 years are at risk of dying out, a survival trust says.

The Ancient Cattle of Wales breed has been added to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust's (RBST) priority category in its latest watchlist, meaning it is in the most urgent need of action to ensure its survival.

The RBST said the hardy farm animals have valuable traits, such as being an economical beef breed which produces well-flavoured meat and does well on the less-favoured grassland in the uplands.

The breed is also "excellent" for conservation grazing, which can help nature.

The breed it is now in a "grave situation" with a concerning decline in the number of new calves being registered and several established herds being disbanded as their owners retire, the organisation said.

The breed has an ancient pedigree, with evidence of the presence of coloured cattle in Wales dating back to the time of Welsh king Hywel Dda in the 10th Century, the RBST said.

The medium-sized cattle, with large ears and soft, thick hair, have six colour variations including white with black or red points, belted, red, blue, smoky or mouse coloured and "line back" - any colour with a white line along its back, tail and underside.

Particular colours tended to be more popular in certain areas, but numbers declined until the Ancient Cattle of Wales were only kept and bred in a few remote hill farms in Wales.

The RBST said listing the Ancient Cattle of Wales on its watchlist would bring new support for conserving and promoting the breed.

A group of farmers identified the remaining coloured cattle in the Welsh uplands in the 1970s, and since it was formed in 1981, the Ancient Cattle of Wales Society (Gwartheg Hynafol Cymru) has detailed the breed, created a herd book for pedigree cattle and worked on increasing its population.

The trust's chief executive Christopher Price said: "The breed is excellent for conservation grazing that supports the environment and biodiversity, and it is a good economical beef breed in hill and upland situations.

"However there has been a really concerning decline in new birth registrations over the last few years, as well as several well-established herds being disbanded following retirement of their owners.

"The breed is in a grave situation right now," he said. "Ultimately, we want to see the breed thriving again: these hardy cattle can make a key contribution in the UK's future farming, where food production goes hand in hand with the environment."