Domesticated Casualties of War and Technology

The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds. Dohner, J. V. 2001 . Yale University Press , New Haven, CT . 514 pp. $75.00. ISBN 0-300-08880-9 . Because of the demands to rapidly expand agricultural production to meet the food and fiber needs of World War II victims, the United States expedited food and fiber production. The reinstitution of the military draft resulted in many youngsters from farms entering military service, while other family members were drawn into employment in the “war plants” on the West and East Coasts. For the first time women were employed en masse in military manufacturing plants. People remaining on the farms were encouraged to grow more food and fiber to help feed our troops and defeat the enemy. Even families that lived in towns and cities were encouraged to become involved in food production by growing Victory Gardens. Food was rationed and even meatless days were instituted. The Nuclear Age emerged after the atomic blasts in Japan and ushered in the push to produce more food and fiber through technology. This post-World War II era brought about an accelerated agricultural movement, pushing the outer edge of the envelope for crop yields and rapid reproduction and growth rates in animal production. By the 1960s the field of animal husbandry became animal science and in the last decade has evolved into animal biotechnology. The elimination of animal husbandry as a distinct profession was a precursor to the extinction of hundreds of domestic animal breeds, not only in the United States but also in the developed nations that were U.S. allies in World War II. Animal science employed an increased use of chemicals, growth stimulants, and the feeding of antibiotics, anthelmintics, and other medications believed to enhance the ability to meet increased demands for animal products for food and fiber needs. As animal production became more industrialized, however, it brought about significant reductions in animal diversity and the variety of livestock and poultry breeds in the United States. One by one, historic breeds of livestock with unique traits and adaptive characteristics were determined obsolete in favor of more efficient, fast-growing, genetically conforming breeds and genotypes for meat, milk, and egg production. In 1974, in response to the loss of historic breeds, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust ( RBST ) was established in Great Britain. With help from the RBST, the movement crossed the Atlantic to become the American Minor Breeds Conservancy ( AMBC ) in 1977, whose name was later changed to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC). These groups, alarmed by the rapid decline of hundreds of breeds of livestock and poultry, stepped forward to halt the trend of diminishing numbers of domestic breeds and genotypes. Yet until the appearance of the Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds in 2002, there was no single source available for anyone interested in this type of information. Dohner's well researched and comprehensive publication was sorely needed and is one of the best on the market. The organization of the text flows systematically by species and genotype. Livestock and poultry considered historic and endangered in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain are covered in outstanding historic and biological detail. One valuable asset of this publication is a population status report on each breed within the countries in which it is found. Another item of interest is the listing of organizations of domestic animal conservationists and living historical farms and museums. Animal-breeding terminology and species references are presented in everyday language, and their meanings are thoroughly discussed. These sidebars, with both contemporary and historic plates, enhance the usefulness of this book to researchers, teachers, students, and breeders of rare farm animals. Dohner provides adequate information about on which organizations can dispense additional assistance. The book does not offer any sample strategic plans for a novice or professional to become involved in the rare-breed conservation movement, but that is not the format of an encyclopedia, and the detailed information offered outweighs the omission of strategic breeding plans. The author also makes a strong case for the nonindustrial values of the endangered and rare breeds of farm animals. She directs the reader to consider the cultural and spiritual values animals have provided in the past and could provide to the twenty- first century. Her abbreviated but sufficient articulation of domestication is more than adequate. The crucial purpose for such a publication is to enunciate why the various breeds, varieties, and landraces were deliberately developed by human intervention. Dohner stresses the intrinsic genetic values and the merits for the future of animal agriculture. She provides excellent explanations of contemporary animal industries and their emphasis on production traits that result in negative survival skills outside modern intensive animal production systems. She makes a good case for the return to extensive animal production systems that would also add support to the utilization of rare and endangered breeds. The animal-species format of the book, including natural history, domestication, husbandry, and breed profiles makes reading such an “encyclopedia” stimulating and pleasurable. The species' formats flow nicely and enhance the overall logic of such a detailed publication. Regardless of the word “encyclopedia” in the title, this book has broad appeal, particularly to anyone with an interest in the history of domestic animals or the conservation of today's rare and endangered domestic animal and poultry breeds. Dohner's book is a highly valuable resource. It is most comprehensively researched and will without a doubt remain a benchmark for domestic animal conservationists for many years.

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