Cobthorn Trust
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| Founded | 1986 |
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| Founder | Andrew J. Sheppy FLS FSB |
| Focus | Rare breeds and conservation |
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Area served
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International |
| Website | http://www.cobthorn.org/ |
The Cobthorn Trust works on the conservation of commensal and food species, their related farm and wild species and their environments. Formed in 1986, the trust has been involved in the conservation of several rare breeds, initiation of the National Poultry Collection, genetic research on Dexter cattle, and the development of conservation grazing.
The Cobthorn Trust was formed in 1986, originally to support and promote the conservation activities at Cobthorn Farm in Congresbury, North Somerset. Cobthorn Farm has been involved in rare breed farming since 1959 and is now the base for the trust’s conservation activities. It has been farmed by the present (2013) Director’s family since at least the 1820s.
Major conservation breeding of the Cobthorn Trust has involved many breeds of domestic cattle, pigs, sheep and particularly poultry, plus related wild species such as pheasants. From 1969, there has been close involvement with the Rare Poultry Society and subsequently the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST). While the RBST is solely involved with native British breeds, the Cobthorn Trust holds stocks of internationally endangered rarities and related wild species.
The National Poultry Collection (NPC) began with breeding stocks established at Cobthorn Farm and the trust; it is now maintained on numerous farms in co-operation with the trust. All the birds in the collection have an individually recorded pedigree. The collection includes all the main domesticated poultry species of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys. All the traditional British breeds have been bred in the collection, and numerous other rare or endangered poultry from around the world. Several of the breeding stocks held in the National Poultry Collection are the only ones known to remain for those breeds.
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