2025 Red List of Native Livestock Breeds: Sheep Breeds and Angora Rabbits at Greater Risk
The Red List of Endangered Livestock Breeds of the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) shows that 60 percent of native large and small livestock breeds are endangered. For large animals, i.e., cattle, pigs, horses, donkeys, sheep, and goats, this applies to 59 out of 83 native breeds, and for small animals such as poultry and rabbits, it applies to 64 out of 125 breeds. Four of the native sheep breeds have been classified in a higher risk category.
The overall difficult situation of sheep farming in Germany is also reflected in the population numbers of native sheep breeds. Animal diseases such as bluetongue and increasing wolf attacks pose particular challenges. Populations of the Brown Mountain Sheep (Braunes Bergschaf), the Merino Long Wool Sheep (Merinolangwollschaf), and the White Horned Heidschnucke (Weiße Gehörnte Heidschnucke) are declining sharply, which is why these breeds had to be leveled up into the conservation population. The Merino Land Sheep (Merinolandschaf), one of the most important commercial breeds in Germany, has now had to be classified as endangered for the first time due to declining numbers.
Of the 24 native sheep breeds, only the newly bred Nolana and Brown Hair Sheep (Braunes Haarschaf) are considered non-endangered.
Angora Rabbits "Extremely Endangered"
The population of wool-producing Angora rabbits continues to decline dramatically. Combined with a declining number of breeders of this very old breed, this is cause for concern. To safeguard the breed, efforts are currently underway to deposit rabbit semen into the German Gene Bank for Farm Animals for the first time.
Among the cattle breeds, the Murnau-Werdenfelser and Glanrind populations have improved by one category and are now in the observation population. There were no changes for pigs, horses, or goats.
Donkeys added to the list of native livestock breeds for the first time
With the German donkey (Deutscher Esel) and the Thuringian Forest donkey (Thüringer Waldesel), a completely new species has been added to the list of native livestock breeds this year. Both breeds are classified as non-endangered.
Greater diversity in native poultry breeds
While the list of native poultry breeds previously only included poultry breeds bred in Germany before 1949, it has been fundamentally revised and expanded: It now distinguishes between breeds that originated in Germany or the ones that were introduced to Germany and are now locally adapted, as well as the origin of the various color varieties. This is a major step forward for the differentiated recording of breed diversity. It now lists a total of 61 chicken and bantam chicken breeds, 14 duck breeds, eleven goose breeds, five turkey breeds, and four pigeon breeds. Previously, 55 poultry breeds were registered as native.
What can consumers do to preserve livestock breed diversity?
By purchasing so-called "diversity products," i.e., meat, wool, milk, and eggs from native or endangered breeds, everyone can contribute to preserving diversity in landscapes and stables, thereby setting an example of regionality and cultural heritage.
At the national level, in addition to the preservation of endangered breeds on farms , work is also being done on ex situ conservation, i.e. the cryopreservation of reproducible material in gene banks.
The brochure "Native Livestock Breeds in Germany and the Red List of Endangered Livestock Breeds 2025" is available from the Information and Coordination Center for Biological Diversity (IBV) at the Federal Agency for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BLE) at www.genres.de/fachportale/nutztiere/rote-liste-nutztierrassen. Printed copies can be pre-ordered by emailing ibv(at)ble(dot)de. Please note that the brochure is only available in German.