Black Welsh Mountain

The breed society formed in 1922. Thomas Wyman of Easton, Maryland brought the first ones to North America in 1972, and a US registry opened in 1990 and adopted the British standard outright.

The American gene pool got a second infusion in the late 1990s, when frozen semen was imported from Britain for genetic diversity.

Ewes weigh about 100 pounds and rams 132 to 143. Rams carry horns that curl back around the ears, and ewes are polled. The skin is gray.

The fleece is wholly black, three to four pounds a year at 28 to 36 microns with a two to four inch staple. There is no wool on the face or legs.

They do not flock tightly, which changes how you handle them. Breeders describe them as intelligent and willing.

Temperament varies flock to flock, by the Conservancy's account, so judge the flock in front of you rather than the breed description.

Wool and meat. The black fleece needs no dyeing and has a steady following among handspinners, weavers and small mills.

Black Welsh Mountain lamb has its own market standing in Britain, and the mild-flavored mutton is a tradition there.

They forage well and mother well, and will raise lambs on pasture that would not support much else.

A small, hardy hill sheep suits marginal ground and low-input systems; that is where the breed's economics work.

The Livestock Conservancy lists the breed as Threatened in the US, and the worldwide population is only around 10,000, so the American flock matters to the whole.

It is a conservation case with an easy entry: novice to intermediate keepers can run them, and small acreage can hold them.

One rule to know before you buy: the standard requires the long tail and forbids docking. The tail covers and protects the udder, and a docked sheep falls outside the standard.

The US registry runs on the British standard, so what disqualifies a sheep in Wales disqualifies it here. Ask for papers and look at the tail before you bid.

Recent sale prices on HoofnHorn, where there are any, are further down this page.