Navajo-Churro sheep are coarse, long wooled sheep for use as wool, meat and dairy animals. They come in all colors from white through every shade of the natural tones. An unimproved breed, they are frequently long legged with narrow bodies and show little inclination to put on fat. The sheep should have sound legs and straight top line which tends to slope to the dock in more primitive individuals. They can be horned or polled with a little wool on the poll and none on the cheeks, around or below the eyes or on the nose. The belly should have little or no wool. There should be no wool on the front or back legs. The fleece is high yielding with low grease content. Some sheep may have wattles and some have short ears.
For the detailed Breed Standard including descriptions of desirable and undesirable traits please read the Guide to the Selection of Navajo-Churro Sheep.
Size
Mature ewes weigh approximately 85 – 120 pounds.
Mature rams weigh approximately 120 – 175 pounds.
Color
Specific color patterns with accepted international genetic names will be used where possible to describe sheep for the registry. White sheep, often with spotted faces and legs, are most common. Colors are described as light tan, brown, black and grey. Patterns such as badgerface, black and tan, piebald and spotted are encountered. These multicolored individuals can come in two,three or four distinct colors. White on the poll and white tipped tails on solid colored animals are common. Birth color is recorded if known and mature color is noted in addition.
Fleece
The wool is classified as coarse and is composed of 3 distinct types of fiber. The fleece is open and has no defined crimp. The inner coat measures 3-5″ and the outer coat 6-12″.
Inner Coat
Wool fibers range from 10-35 microns, comprising 80% of the fleece.
Outer Coat: Hair fibers measuring 35+ microns, comprising 10-20% of the fleece.
Kemp: Short opaque fibers of 65+ microns not to exceed 5% of the fleece.
Horns
Navajo-Churro sheep may be horned or polled in either sex. Multiple horns are not uncommon and should be balanced. Horns should not grow excessively forward or into the face causing obvious interference with the sheep’s well being. In two horned rams they should be well spread with adequate spacing away from the cheeks and jaw.
Tail
The Navajo-Churro is a long tailed breed without a fat tail or fat rump.
Legs
Woolless front and back
Belly
Little or no wool
Ears
Medium sized, not broad, not large or droopy. Small ears can occur.
Eyes
Eyes should be clear and bright with no evidence of corneal ulceration due to split eyelid.