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Black Welsh Mountain Sheep

Baa Baa Black Sheep…..As many of you know East Hill Farm takes pride in our work with The Livestock Conservancy to help and maintain threatened breeds of livestock. Some of these breeds include Kerry cows, San Clemente goats, Tamworth pigs and Santa Cruz sheep. We still have some of these breeds and some we do not since the breed is doing better and East Hill Farm has chosen to move on to work with others. The newest rare breed we are working with is the Black Welsh Mountain Sheep.

Black Welsh Mountain sheep are currently listed as threatened by the Livestock Conservancy. Black Welsh were developed by selectively breeding only the rare black sheep that occurred within the original Welsh Mountain breed, which was white. They originate in the Welsh Mountains of Wales. They were first recognized in 1922 as their own breed and were originally brought to North America in 1972 by Thomas Wyman of Easton, Maryland. The U.S. breed registry was established in 1990. The British population fell below 5,000 in 2012, increasing the value of North American population for global conservation.

This breed is known for their hardiness and excellent foraging capabilities. They produce an excellent black wool and a premium meat. They are small to medium sized sheep, typically weighing around 130 pounds. Males have a beautiful curly set of horns. This is breed is an excellent choice for a small sustainable farm. These sheep should thrive in our mild environment of New England, as they are used to the damp mountains of Wales.

These sheep were happy to get out of the trailer and into the field! Look for the herd of Black Welsh Mountain Sheep during your next visit to East Hill Farm.

6 Comments

  1. Jeannette Westover on February 4, 2021 at 6:46 pm

    Interested in black wool …..do you sell their raw wool… or what is tge price on a couple ewes … thank you for your time.

    • Jennifer on February 5, 2021 at 1:22 pm

      Hello Jeannette- Thank you for your interest in our Black Mountain Welsh Sheep. We do not have any ewes for sale at this time, nor any wool. If you would like to call and leave us your contact information, we can let you know when we have black wool.

  2. Natasha Rouse on November 19, 2021 at 7:05 am

    How often do you have breeding stock available. I’m not even close to purchasing. I have a hill property and am looking for animals which would do well on a hill. I have fallen in love with the look of these animals and the their traits that I have read about.

    • Jennifer on November 20, 2021 at 3:25 pm

      Thank you for your interest in Black Welsh Mountain Sheep. We have since re-homed our flock and we are no longer raising them. Good luck starting your flock.

  3. Jake Adams on September 18, 2022 at 11:03 am

    My name is Jake Adams. My wife and I raise black Welsh mountain sheep in northwest Iowa. If you know anyone looking for meat, wool, or to buy breeding stock, perhaps you could refer them to us. We are on Facebook and Instagram. Jake and Liz Adams Family Farm Bode, IA. Thank you.

    • Jennifer on September 18, 2022 at 11:35 am

      Hello Jake- Thank you for contacting us and we will pass on your information to anyone asking.
      Cheers! Jennifer

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