Black Welsh Mountain sheep facts for kids
The Black Welsh Mountain sheep (Welsh: Defaid Mynydd Duon) is a special kind of Welsh Mountain sheep. It is known for its completely black wool. These sheep are raised for farming mainly in the hills of Wales. You can also find them in other places around the world.
Sometimes, black lambs are born in flocks of other colored Welsh Mountain sheep. But now, the Black Welsh Mountain sheep is often kept as its own unique group. There are about 10,000 of these sheep worldwide.
A group called the Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Breeders' Society was started in 1920. This happened at a big farming event called the Smithfield Show.
In 1973, these sheep came to the United States. A man named Mr. Tom Wyman brought 3 male sheep (rams) and 13 female sheep (ewes) to New York. The soft wool, called fleece, from the Black Welsh Mountain sheep became very popular. People who spin yarn by hand and weavers loved it.
Only two of the rams survived the special health checks (quarantine). So, all the Black Welsh Mountain sheep in the US came from these two male sheep. Later, in the late 1990s, some frozen sheep semen was brought in. This helped to add more variety to the genes of the US sheep. Nine female sheep were the first ones to start the US population.
What Makes Them Special?
The Black Welsh Mountain sheep are all black. But in other ways, they are like other Welsh Mountain sheep. They are small and very strong. They do not have wool on their faces or legs.
Male Black Welsh Mountain sheep have horns. But the female sheep usually do not have horns. These sheep are known for giving birth easily. They also produce good milk and have many lambs.
