The Targhee Sheep
The History of the Targhee:
The Targhee is one of America's youngest breeds of sheep, having been developed in the 1920's. Like Corriedales and Columbias, Targhees are a cross-bred species, trying to maximize high quality wool with increased musculature. To meet this demand the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station, Dubois, Idaho, began selective breeding in the fall of 1926. They took a group of cross-bred ewes of Rambouillet, Lincoln and Corriedale blood lines and bred them to their best Rambouillet rams. Through many years, variations within and between generations declined. The new breed was named "Targhee" after the U.S. National Forest where the animals grazed during the summer. The forest was named for a chief of the Bannock Indians who had lived in the area in the 1860's.
This same type of cross-breeding was also being developed by individual breeders in the area. One of the first was Henry J. Yoppe of Eureka, Montana, who in 1934 bought a Targhee ram from Dubois. By 1938, Mr. Yoppe was selling Targhee rams at a sale in Miles City, Montana - a sale which is now known as the Montana Ram Sale and is the premier Targhee ram sale in the nation.
In the late 1940's other Western ranches began breeding Targhees in the same way, by sorting their range ewes (Columbias, Rambouillets, or cross-breeds) for "Targhee Type" and then breeding with Targhee rams from the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station and Henry Yoppe.
In 1951, Curtis Hughes of Stanford, Montana, invited those interested in forming a Targhee association to meet in Dubois. This meeting was held May 16, 1951, with 17 people present, chaired by Henry Hibbard. An organizational committee was appointed and it was decided that a meeting would be held following the Dubois sale, in September, and at that time the association would be formed. An inspection policy was implemented and the first inspection of Targhees for registration took place February 21, 1952, when 34 Targhees from Montana State University became the first registered Targhees.
For a number of years Targhees were predominantly a breed of Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Each year the National Sale and membership meeting was held in Billings, Montana. In 1966, a National Show was begun and the membership voted to close the books, mandating that registered Targhees have to be the offspring of registered parents. By 1974, there were enough Targhees in the Midwest that the membership meeting was held in Wisconsin and since that time it has moved around the country.
Click to go to the
U.S. Targhee Sheep. Association Website
Average Body Weight:
Ram: 200-300 lbs
Ewe: 125 - 200+ lbs
Fleece Quality:
25 - 21 microns
64-58 Spinning Ct
Fleece Weight:
10 - 14 lbs (ewe)
Staple Length:
3 - 5 inches
Lambs/Ewe Percent:
150 - 200%
Reserve Supreme Champion Wool Breed Ram & Champion Targhee Ram - 2010 Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival
Photo by Jill Alf
Our Flock:
The Targhee has been bred on our farms for over 30 years. In that time, we have come to appreciate the many wonderful traits of this breed: easy lambing, excellent mothering instincts, outstanding fleeces, fast growth, easy-going temperament (young children can handle them easily with training), and excellent producers. They are also a beautiful breed to observe. Over the past few years we have averaged 200% lambing with occasional triplets. We have started scrapies gene testing and will be target breeding for RR/QR production.
We are very proud of the wool our Targhees produce, and we do sell their fleeces. So if you are interested, please send us an email and we can send a sample to you.
Results speak louder than words, so below are a few examples of our recent efforts.
National Champion Ram - 2012 USTSA National Show
National Champion Ewe -2011 USTSA National Junior Show
National Champion NSIP Ram - 2011 USTSA National Show
National Champion NSIP Ewe - 2011 USTSA National Show
Grand Champion Targhee Ram - 2011 Wisconsin State Fair
National Champion Ram - 2010 USTSA National Junior Show
Grand Champion Targhee Ewe - 2010 Wisconsin State Fair
National Champion NSIP Ewe - 2010 USTSA National Show
Reserve Champion Targhee Ram - 2010 Wisconsin State Fair
Champion Bred & Owned AOB-Wool Ram and Champion Winter Ram Lamb - 2010 Wisconsin State Fair
National Reserve Champion Ram - 2009 USTSA National Jr Show
Grand Champion AOB-Wool Ram - 2009 Wisconsin Jr State Fair
Junior Champion Ram - 2009 Wisconsin State Fair
Reserve Champion Ram - 2009 Wisconsin State Fair
National Reserve Champion Ram - 2008 USTSA Junior Show
Grand Champion Targhee Ram - 2008 Wisconsin State Fair
Champion AOB-Wool Ewe - 2008 Wisconsin Junior State Fair
Champion AOB-Wool Ram - 2008 Wisconsin Junior State Fair
Supreme Champion Wool Breed Ewe - 2006 Wisconsin
Sheep & Wool Festival (photo by Barb Bishop)
A&J Nevens Livestock
**Breeders of Fine Targhee and Southdown Sheep**
AandJNevensLivestock@frontier.com
Grand Champion Targhee Ewe - 2006 Wisconsin State Fair
Supreme Champion Wool Breed Ram - 2005 Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Fesltival
Reserve Supreme Champion Wool Breed Ewe - 2012 Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival
The Wisconsin Junior Targhee Sheep Association congratulates its 2014 Starter Flock Winner
Michael Krause of Stoddard, Wisconsin
Champion Targhee Ram - 2014 Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival
Champion Targhee Ewe -2014 Wisconsin Junior State Fair
Reserve Champion Targhee Ewe & Ram -
2014 WisconsinJunior State Fair
Reserve Supreme Champion Wool Breed Ewe - 2015 Wisconsin State Fair
Reserve Supreme Champion Wool Breed Ram - 2016 Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival
Many Thanks To Our 2018 Buyers:
Deb Robson, Fort Collins, CO
Ewetopia Fiber Shop, Viroqua, WI
Rebecca & Brian Colwell, Lavalle, WI
Hinchley Farms, Cambrige, WI
Emma Vannest, Gladwin, MI
Supreme Champion Wool Breed Ewe - 2018 Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival
Best Six Head - 2018 Wisconsin State Fair
Champion (Yearling) & Reserve Champion (Feb Lamb) Targhee Ewe - 2018 Wisconsin State Fair
The USTSA and the Wisconsin Junior Targhee Sheep Association will agin be offering Starter Flocks to deserving youth in 2019!!
The USTSA Starter Flock will be awarded at the 2019 USTSA National Show & Sale, Lodi, Wisconsin, in July, and the application can be downloaded by clicking the highlighted link.
The WJTSA Starter Flock Program is open to youth who are residents of Wisconsin, and the application can be downloaded by clicking the highlighted link.
Both form are also available at the USTSA Website.
