Nordic farm animal breedsFarm animals have been a part of Nordic agriculture since the Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, about 5000 years ago. Different species have then further developed into the breeds of today through selection of breeding animals as well as natural selection. Thus, farm animals contribute to our common heritage and are the prerequisite for all future development of agriculture. Humans have been selecting animals for breeding through all times. Already by the end of the 18th century splitting species into breeds had begun. Throughout the 19th century there was an increased focus on choosing animals with certain features of exterior, as appearance was believed to reflect animal's adaption to certain geographical locations. This principal for breeding led to a split into sub-populations, with animals with characteristic appearances typical for each breed's place of origin. Nordic farm animal breeds had to adapt to demanding physical environments with long winters and harsh weather conditions, where the ability to find feed and to stay warm proved to be important traits. The modern breeding work, based on defined breeding goals and collection of a variety of production data, has dominated the agricultural sector since the Second World War. Read more about some of the Nordic breeds, from different species:
For more information about breeds and organisations working with conservation of native breeds in the Nordic countries see: Iceland: http://agrogen.lbhi.is/pages/1309 Finland: https://portal.mtt.fi/portal/page/portal/www/Tietopaketit/Elaingeenivarat Sweden: Denmark: http://1.naturerhverv.fvm.dk/husdyrarter.aspx?ID=10107 Norge: http://www.skogoglandskap.no/temaer/husdyrraser Responsible: Anne Præbel
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