The MDR reports on 2 November 2026 about a 13-year-old schoolgirl from the Lusatia, who is involved in a local project to help Saxony chicken care. The initiative focuses on practical conservation breeding and aims to pass on knowledge about keeping, caring for and rearing this regionally distinctive chicken breed.
The Saxony chicken is classified as endangered in Germany and is listed in the Red List of native livestock breeds. Specialist organisations such as the Society for the Conservation of Old and Endangered Livestock Breeds emphasise that conserving old breeds contributes to agrobiodiversity and preserves knowledge of traditional land use. The MDR report gives no new population figures or changes to the breed’s conservation status; these are generally only available in the annual summaries published by the relevant authorities.
The initiative builds on regional activities that have been under way for several years. Since 2020, the administration of the Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape Biosphere Reserve has supported a conservation breeding programme that advises keepers and helps them connect with breeding associations. Such programmes are considered essential because long-term success depends on several factors: a sufficient number of active breeding operations, genetic diversity in the populations and a willingness to keep the animals responsibly outside traditional breeding farms.
For young people, taking part offers direct learning opportunities: gaining knowledge of animal care, hatching and feeding, keeping records, and exchanging ideas with associations and institutions. Legal requirements must also be observed, including those for housing and outdoor runs, disease prevention and animal identification. Local advice services aim to help keepers meet these standards.
The Saxony chicken is considered a hardy, traditional dual-purpose breed with regional roots. Experts point out that conserving breeds like this preserves not only the diversity of old breeds but also useful traits that are important for small-scale farming and resilient livestock keeping.
The MDR report thus highlights a current aspect of a longer-running development: in Saxony breeders, authorities and associations have been working for years to stabilise the breed. The young keeper’s contribution is a practical example of this work. Without up-to-date surveys, it is not possible to make a reliable assessment of the impact of individual projects on the population as a whole; however, they raise awareness and promote the sharing of knowledge, both of which are central to sustainable conservation breeding.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).