For the planning of conservation measures for native livestock breeds, information on their endangerment status must be available. This is determined in accordance with the specifications of the National Programme for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Animal Genetic Resources in Germany on the basis of the population data published in TGRDEU. According to the National Animal Breeding Act, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food determines the endangerment status of native livestock breeds in cooperation with the Advisory Board on Animal Genetic Resources. This classification is carried out every two years. A distinction is made between large animals regulated by zootechnical legislation and poultry and rabbits. The BLE publishes the results of the endangerment classification in TGRDEU and in the form of a free brochure. The brochure can be requested from the IBV.

The livestock breeds classified as endangered in the Red List by the Advisory Council on Animal Genetic Resources may receive payments. In addition, the zoo-technical and the animal health
legislation as well as the European TSE Regulation provide for derogations for endangered livestock breeds. The Red List published by the BLE provides the basis for respective decisions.

The BLE brochure is also relevant for organic farming. EU legislation on organic farming (Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 889/2008) requires the preferential use of native livestock breeds.
The BLE brochure contains a complete list of all native livestock breeds. It thus provides important support to organic farms, organic inspection bodies and the relevant authorities in their work.

According to the national animal breeding law (§2 TierZG), a native livestock breed is:

a) a breed for which a herdbook was first established on the basis of livestock available in Germany and which has been kept in Germany since then or, if the establishment dates back further, since 1949, or

b) a breed for which a herdbook was not first established in Germany, but for which now only in Germany herdbook and breeding program are installed, or

c) a breed for which a herdbook was not first established in Germany, but for which on the basis of livestock available in Germany a herdbook is kept at least since 1949 and a separate breeding program is conducted.

Furthermore, the National Advisory Committee on Animal Genetic Resources recommended that certain populations between which there is a substantial exchange of breeding animals be grouped together into a breed group. This recommendation was also implemented in the risk assessment.

The classification of native livestock breeds of large animals is mainly based on the calculated effective population size (Ne). This is calculated from the herdbook figures published in TGRDEU using the following formula:

          4 x number of male animals x number of female animals
Ne = -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (number of male animals x number of female animals)

However, in derogation of this a farm animal breed may also be classified in another risk category under special circumstances. In 2013, on the recommendation of the National Advisory Committee on Animal Genetic Resources, the classification into risk categories was revised. This concerns mainly all the deviations from the mathematically estimated endangerment of a farm animal breed. In the interests of improved transparency, reasons have been defined which may justify a deviation. There are four risk categories:

Not endangered (NG):

• Effective population size: over 1,000
• Possible deviations: If Ne is in favour of a higher risk category, the classification in NG can be provided for, if the new or synthetic breed is not consolidated for breeding purposes and can be reactivated at any time from existing initial breeds, the breed is not kept in an own stud book and the transfer to an own breeding bay is not intended, the creation of a cryoreserve is currently not necessary or the breed is so widespread worldwide that no risk is foreseeable.
• Measures: successful use in agriculture, no conservation measures required, monitoring

Observation population (BEO):

• Effective population size: between 200 and 1,000
• • Possible deviations: If Ne is in favour of a higher risk category, BEO classification may be provided for if the population is stable and an effective breeding programme is used to maintain genetic variance. If Ne is in favour of the risk category NG, a classification in BEO can be provided if only regional distribution of the breed, a problematic breeder structure or the dynamics of the population decline indicate a risk potential.
• Measures: Cryo-conservation of semen required, Monitoring

Conservation population (ERH):

• Effective population size: less than 200
• Possible deviations: If Ne is in favour of a lower risk category, the classification in ERH can be provided for if only local distribution of the breed, a very problematic breeder structure or the dynamics of the population decline indicate a significant risk potential.
• Measures: Cryo-conservation of semen and conservation breeding programs required, Monitoring

Phenotypic conservation population (PERH):

• Breeds of national cultural importance in which the animal population cannot be genealogically clearly traced back to the original breed, the breed was already strongly mixed with other breeds when it was re-established, or had only gone back to very few animals, or the breed had only very small populations over several generations.
• From a zoo-technical point of view, these breeds can only be understood as rudiments. Monitoring is carried out.

In its working group on small animals, the Advisory Board on Animal Genetic Resources creates the ‘List of native and locally adapted productive poultry breeds in Germany’ and the ‘List of old native rabbit breeds in Germany’. 

Native and locally adapted productive poultry breeds in Germany include currently or formerly agriculturally used breeds and populations of poultry, which either originated before 1949 on the territory of the present Federal Republic of Germany (category A) or which have been locally adapted in this area since at least 1949 and whose German populations make an essential contribution to the preservation of the breed (category B). For the breeds, the colours bred before 1949 are listed, which, if known, are listed separately with different origin or development and divided according to primary and secondary colours. Primary colours are those that existed at the time of the first recognition or description of the breed and have been continuously bred ever since. Secondary colours arose under the influence of other breeds. In addition, dwarfed forms of primary colours of the large breeds are listed, provided that they were created before 1949 and it can be deduced from the development history that the respective large breed was at least 50% involved in the formation of the dwarfed form.

Native breeds of rabbits are defined as those which originated in the territory of the present Federal Republic of Germany before 1949 or were demonstrably bred in this area before that date and which have or had an agricultural benefit. Only the original colours that were bred in Germany before 1949 are listed.

The classification into endangerment categories is based on the endangerment index (GK), which takes into account both the population size and the distribution of the breeds and populations to the breeders. The primary colours are decisive for the assignment to endangerment categories.

In justified cases, on the proposal of the Small Animals Working Group, breeds that do not fully meet the requirements may also be included on the list.

                          N_m x N_w                      GK = endangerment index
GK = 2 x N_Z + ------------                 N_Z = Number of breeders
                          N_m + N_w                      N_m = male animals     
                                                                N_w = female animals


The endangerment criteria are as follows:

Poultry:

Rabbits: