Breed clubs are associations

Voluntary association

A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...

 or club

Club

A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...

s with activities centered around a single, specific breed

Breed

A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...

 of a particular species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members of the association. Breed associations or clubs may vary in their goals, activities and nomenclature from country to country, even for the same breed. Most domesticated animals, whether they are agricultural animals such as cattle, llamas, poultry, sheep and pigs, or companion animals such as pigeons, horses, cats and dogs, have breed clubs associated with the breed.

Purpose

In general, breed clubs and associations create a written definition of the breed (called a breed standard) for the breed with which the organization is associated. Breed clubs also maintain important records, and provide members with information. Many breed associations also have a social component, organising various activities such as shows. In addition, they may regulate breeding or raise funds for research related to the breed.

Examples

• In horse
  Horse
  The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
  
  s, the Appaloosa Horse Club, established in 1938, maintains a registry for Appaloosa horses, and has the goal of "preserving the horses’ heritage and history" and defining the horse
  Horse
  The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
  
   breed through bloodline requirements.

• The Canadian Lowline Cattle Association defines its objectives as including "maintain the purity and improve the breed" of cattle
  Cattle
  Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
  
   as well as collecting maintaining breed information and publishing a Herd Book.

• The Essex Pig Society is building up the numbers of the Essex Pig
  Essex Pig
  -Characteristics:The Essex, in its traditional form, was a smallish pig with 'pricked' ears and a black ground colour, with a broad band of white 'sheeting' across the shoulders.-History:...
  
  , formerly thought to be an extinct breed of the domestic pig
  Domestic pig
  The domestic pig is a domesticated animal that traces its ancestry to the wild boar, and is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species in its own right. It is likely the wild boar was domesticated as early as 13,000 BC in the Tigris River basin...
  
  .

• The American Buttercup Club defines its goal as connecting fanciers of the chicken
  Chicken
  The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
  
   breed so that they are "able to share stock and valuable information about the breed."

• The Fantail Club UK, established in 1889, promotes the knowledge and enjoyment of the exhibition Fantail Pigeon in the United Kingdom.

• In cats, the Selkirk Rex Breed Club maintains a history of the breed and provides care and grooming tips to owners of the breed.

• Members of the dog
  Dog
  The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
  
   breed club for the English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan) are expected to "conduct themselves in a responsible and sportsman-like manner at all times."

Forming a breed club

With the advent of the internet, anyone can create a "breed club" by putting up a web page to advertise their animals. Buyers must research any claims of unaffiliated breed clubs.

Organizations covering groups of breeds

Breeds of animals of a particular species may have an organization that covers a large number of breeds of the species, even though each individual breed may have its own breed club. Often the multiple-breed over-association will maintain the breed records in a central location. An example of this would be the Canadian Sheep Breeder's Association, incorporated under the Canadian Livestock Pedigree Act in 1915, which includes fifty different breeds of sheep.

Other types of animal associations

Associations that include all breeds (as well as crossbred and mixed breed animals) of a particular species also exist. Usually such associations are organized for particular sports, such as hunting with raptors

Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....

.

See also

• Breed club (dog)
  Breed club (dog)
  A dog breed club is an association or club of fanciers of a single, specific breed of dog.Breed clubs define the breed with which the club is associated in a document called a breed standard, although there may be multiple breed clubs for the same breed, each defining the breed in a somewhat...
  
  
• Studbook
• Landrace
  Landrace
  A landrace is a local variety of a domesticated animal or plant species which has developed largely by natural processes, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. It differs from a formal breed which has been bred deliberately to conform to a particular standard...
  
  
• Purebred
  Purebred
  Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
  
  
• Selective breeding
  Selective breeding
  Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
  
  
• Crossbreeding

External links

• Heritage Hog Breeders Club
• Breeds of Livestock resource, Department of Animal Science at Oklahoma State University "it is at least in part the perception of the breeders and the livestock industry which decides when a group of individuals constitutes a "breed"."
• Many Farm Animal Breeds Risk Extinction, U.N. Experts Say, New York Times, December 7, 1995