Siblings Maxwell and Imogen Eagle keep around 40 Traditional Herefords - a rare breed containing the bloodlines of the original population of Hereford cattle.

A 2026 census published last month recorded a 6pc decline in registered breeding females for the "at risk" animals.

Several rare female lines have fallen to single digits, including the Pearl line, of which only four now remain - and three of them belong to students Maxwell, 19, and Imogen, 17.

Maxwell and Imogen Eagle, aged 19 and 17, with their herd of rare Traditional Hereford cattle at Ashill (Image: Chris Hill)

Their Wissey Herefords herd is based at the Eagle family's farm in North Pickenham, near Swaffham, but many of the animals kept at a friends farm in nearby Ashill.

The herd was established about seven years ago - partly influenced by the 1966 Western movie The Rare Breed, starring James Stewart.

"There's a film that dad always used to put on when we were little," said Imogen. "It was called The Rare Breed and it had the Traditional Herefords in, so we kind of knew the breed from when we were little.

"It's........

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