Throughout the world, one breed of farm animal becomes extinct every month. This book outlines the history of the breeds of heritage livestock that were brought into, or developed in, New Zealand before 1950. Modern factory-farming methods rely on only a few breeds of livestock, and differentiated breeds are disappearing at an alarming rate; and it's up to dedicated conservators to save them. The call to conserve rare breeds, and therefore biodiversity, is now all the more important. Rare breeds: preserve living remnants of our distant past; biodiversity - if disease or genetic malady should strike common domestic breeds, then hardy, heritage breeds could take up the slack; Some livestock and poultry breeds are best-suited to specific environments and needs. Rare breeds are of interest to owners of boutique farms and lifestyle blocks, and those who value New Zealand's agricultural history and the importance of biodiversity. Breeds with evocative names such as the Two-tooth English Leicester, Romney Marsh sheep, Scottish Blackface sheep, Suffolk Punch horses to the more well known Andalusian chooks, Arapawa goats, Kunekune pigs, Merino sheep and Clydesdale horses are all described.