A fleece connected to living use

The Navajo-Churro Sheep Association describes a fleece with a protective outer coat and a softer undercoat. That structure helps explain why the wool deserves to be understood through its uses rather than judged against a single fine-wool ideal. The association connects the breed with professional fiber artists and with food production in Southwestern homes.

Its overview also identifies the possibility of four fully developed horns in some rams. Horn number is an interesting inherited characteristic, but it is not a complete description of an individual animal’s value or care needs. Suitable handling facilities must accommodate the animals actually present, including horn shape and size.

The association’s description emphasizes hardiness and mothering. Such breed descriptions guide learning; they do not establish that every sheep is immune to disease or can prosper without care. Conservation is strongest when people understand both the distinctive fleece and the living animals that produce it, supporting continued use without reducing the breed to an ornamental historical exhibit.