Navajo-Churro

Navajo-Churro
A white sheep with long wool locks and long, curved horns.
A Navajo-Churro ram
Conservation statusDAD-IS: at risk[1]
Other namesAmerican Four-Horned Sheep, Navajo Four-Horned Sheep
Country of originUnited States
Usewool, milk, pelts, meat
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    55–85 kg (121–187 lb)[2]
  • Female:
    40–60 kg (88–132 lb)[2]

The Navajo-Churro, or Churro for short,[3] (also American or Navajo Four-Horned) is a breed of domestic sheep originating with the Spanish Churra sheep obtained by the Diné around the 16th century during the Spanish Conquest.[4] Its wool consists of a protective topcoat and soft undercoat. Some rams have four fully developed horns, a trait shared with few other breeds in the world.[5] The breed is highly resistant to disease.[4] Ewes often birth twins, and they have good mothering instincts.[5] This breed is raised primarily for wool, although some also eat their meat.[6]

The common Diné word for the breed, Dibé dits’ozí, means "long fleeced sheep." T’áá Dibé is also occasionally used, meaning "first sheep."[5] The churro is important to Diné subsistence and culture.[7][8]

  1. ^ Breed data sheet: Churra / Spain (Sheep). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2023.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference st was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Navajo-Churro". Breeds of Livestock. Oklahoma State University Dept. of Animal Science. Archived from the original on 2009-01-23. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
  4. ^ a b "Navajo-Churro Sheep". Breeds of Livestock. Oklahoma State University Department of Food and Animal Sciences. 22 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference conservancy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Navajo-Churro/United States of America". Breed Data Sheet. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gass was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Begay, Raphael (2023). "Sheep Is Life". El Palacio.