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A New American Breed: Meet the Montadale Sheep
One of the more recent breeds to emerge on the American wool scene, Montadale produces soft, springy, pure-white wool.
There are a few sheep breeds that have originated in the United States, and Montadale is one of my favorites. Most of the other breeds developed in the United States, especially during the twentieth century, came into being on the ranges of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Montadale, however, was developed in the Midwest. Montadale is also one of the youngest established sheep breeds.
The Montadale was born from one man’s dream. Mr. E. H. Mattingly had taken an interest in sheep his whole life, and he wanted to produce the ideal sheep. In 1932, he drove from his home in St. Louis, Missouri, to Kalispell, Montana, and he took back with him the first Columbia sheep to cross to the eastern side of the Mississippi River.
Columbia sheep were a new breed at the time, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1912 by crossing Lincoln and Rambouillet. Mattingly planned to cross this new Columbia with Cheviot (also known as Border Cheviot), a very old Scottish breed. Mattingly was going for the perfect sheep. He wanted a sheep that was fast-growing, would often give multiple lambs, grew good fleece in quality and weight, and produced a good frame for meat.
There are a few sheep breeds that have originated in the United States, and Montadale is one of my favorites. Most of the other breeds developed in the United States, especially during the twentieth century, came into being on the ranges of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Montadale, however, was developed in the Midwest. Montadale is also one of the youngest established sheep breeds.
The Montadale was born from one man’s dream. Mr. E. H. Mattingly had taken an interest in sheep his whole life, and he wanted to produce the ideal sheep. In 1932, he drove from his home in St. Louis, Missouri, to Kalispell, Montana, and he took back with him the first Columbia sheep to cross to the eastern side of the Mississippi River.
Columbia sheep were a new breed at the time, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1912 by crossing Lincoln and Rambouillet. Mattingly planned to cross this new Columbia with Cheviot (also known as Border Cheviot), a very old Scottish breed. Mattingly was going for the perfect sheep. He wanted a sheep that was fast-growing, would often give multiple lambs, grew good fleece in quality and weight, and produced a good frame for meat. [PAYWALL]
Mr. E. H. Mattingly was going for the perfect sheep when he bred Columbia and Cheviot to create a new breed, the Montadale. Photo by Kendra Fleck, Montadale Sheep Breeders Association
Montadale sheep are large. Rams weigh 200 to 275 pounds, while ewes weigh 160 to 200 pounds. Thanks to the more petite Cheviot sheep in its background, the Montadale is slightly smaller than its Columbia cousin, which boasts rams that can weigh up to 350 pounds.
Most sheep of this breed are white, but black sheep appear occasionally. White Montadales have clean, wool-free faces and little or no wool on their legs. Black Montadales are rarely pure black and often have white spots on their bodies and faces. The hooves and noses are black, no matter what color everything else is.
The Wool
White Montadale wool scours to a bright white, which is extremely desirable to dyers who are looking for clear, crisp color. Like the sheep, the fleeces are large.
Montadale wool is lovely to touch. It averages 25 to 32 microns. On the finer end of this spectrum, most people will find it next-to-skin soft, so it makes lovely scarves, hats, and maybe even a sweater that will be worn on its own. On the stronger end, this wool is great for outerwear such as cardigans and coats.
A woolen-spun Montadale yarn makes a soft, squooshy fabric, soft enough to wear next to the skin. Photo by George Boe
Montadale’s crimp is amazing—bouncy and springy. The knitted fabric is squooshy—is that a word? It definitely describes the hand of this yarn and swatch. This is a fabric I would like to wear in the winter; it feels warm and cozy. This is not a drapey fiber, so the fabrics have body.
Beth Smith is so obsessed with fiber that she has fleece in every room of her house, including her bathroom. In classes that she leads all over the world, she teaches the whys and how-tos of preparing and spinning as many breeds as a spinner can. Almost everything she knows is in her two books, The Spinner’s Book of Fleece and How to Spin.
Resources
Montadale Sheep Breeders Association Directory
Canadian Sheep Breeders’ Association/La Société Canadienne des Éleveurs de Moutons
A version of this article previously appeared in Spin Off Winter 2018.
