Targhee

The station's breeding-up work reached back to the start of the 1900s before the Targhee program formalized it. The U.S. Targhee Sheep Association closed the flock book in 1966, and the breed has bred pure since.

It remains a westerner: the population concentrates in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.

Rams run 200 to 300 pounds and ewes 125 to 200.

The fleece is the calling card: 10 to 14 pounds a year of 21 to 25 micron wool with a three to five inch staple, yielding 50 to 55 percent.

The U.S. Targhee Sheep Association describes the ewes as good mothers and milkers. Mature ewes raise a high percentage of twins under range conditions, and the association rates them on pounds of lamb weaned per ewe bred.

The breed is polled and, under its standard, open-faced and free from wool blindness, so there are no horns to plan your gates around.

The fleece is the reason many producers keep them. It is finer than a Columbia's and heavier than most fine-wool breeds', which is a combination handspinners and mills both value.

The lamb side holds up its end; the breed was tested on producing a market lamb off range, and it still does.

Ewes are long-lived, flock well, and hold up on the range conditions the breed was tested in.

They were selected under range conditions and need nothing gentler.

The trade is that the breed is concentrated where it was made, so outside the western states both breeding stock and buyers take finding.

The U.S. Targhee Sheep Association keeps the registry, and the flock book has been closed since 1966, so every registered Targhee traces to registered parents. Ask for fleece data, micron and weight, alongside the papers.

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