Targhee
The Targhee is an American dual-purpose sheep breed developed in the twentieth century by the United States Sheep Experiment Station in Idaho. It was built mainly from Rambouillet, Lincoln, and Corriedale blood to give western range producers a sheep with useful finewool inheritance, better body size, and practical lamb production. Targhees are typically white-faced, polled, and open-faced enough to graze without the wool blindness associated with very covered finewool sheep.
Commercial flocks use Targhees on high desert, mountain, and mixed pasture systems where ewes must travel, shear a valuable fleece, and raise market lambs. Selection usually balances fleece weight, fiber diameter, staple strength, weaning weight, and ewe longevity rather than pushing a single trait. They benefit from the same range-sheep management as Rambouillet-derived flocks: planned shearing, predator control where needed, mineral programs suited to local soils, and close attention to feet and body condition before breeding.
Colors: Badgerface, Black, Blackbelly, Brown, Gray, Gulmoget, Katmoget, Moorit, Piebald, Red, Silver, Spotted, Tan, White, White with Black Points, White with Brown Points
