Have you Herd?

Ihope you are not yet tired of my musings..........once again, I'm writing about sheep, and "yes" this is another picture of my Jacob ewe, "MG" or "Grace." In the background of the other picture is my Navajo Churro ram (last years breeding season). I would like to share a "plan" I have as well as some history about the breeds I raise.

Let me begin by giving you a "run-down" on Jacob Sheep as they were the first breed I started raising. Jacob sheep are an old world breed dating back several thousand years. While their exact heritage is unknown, pie-bald or spotted sheep have been mentioned in historic accounts for several centuries. Named after Jacob in the Bible (Genesis 30), these sheep most recently appeared in England several hundred years ago, where they graced the Estates of the Nobility. By 1970 Jacob sheep were so rare in England that the Jacob Sheep Society was formed to help preserve them. Due largely to their efforts Jacob sheep numbers have increased dramatically in Great Britain. Jacob sheep had been imported in small numbers into the US and Canada since the early 1900's. In 1988 the Jacob Sheep Breeders Association was formed in the USA to ensure the conservation of Jacob Sheep through inspections, registration and education. The American Jacob is still considered a rare breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Several breeds of sheep can produce spotted lambs but Jacobs are the only breed which remain spotted throughout life. Jacob carry the polycerate gene which allows them to produce multiple horns, and both rams and ewe are horned. They are a small to medium size breed with ewes weighing from 80-120 lbs. and rams ranging from 129-180 pounds. Jacob fleece is a medium grade (24-33 microns, Bradford count 44-56s, demi-luster), with an open character, a soft springy handle and little or no kemp, or britchyness. Staple length is 3-7 inches and fleeces weigh from 3-6 pounds with little grease and a high yield. When the colors from one fleece are separated it can yield three colors-creamy white, brown/grey and brown/black.

They are very hardy and disease resistant
Their small size means they eat less food and have higher per acre stocking rates than commercial breeds.
The ewes tend to twin, have few lambing problems and are excellent mothers.
Their multicolor, medium grade wool is prized by Hand spinners.
They produce a lean, flavorful carcass with beautifully unique pelts.
Their magnificent horns and attractive spots are very showy and beautiful.
With their "goat like" personalities, they are smart, curious and tend to tame down fairly easily.
The lambs are soooo cute!

The "run-down" on Navajo Churro sheep. Navajo -Churro sheep are descended from the Churra, an ancient Iberian breed. The Churra(later corrupted to "Churro" by American frontiersmen) was brought to the North America by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century as a source of food and clothing for their armies. By the 17Th century Churros were popular with the Spanish settlers in the upper Rio Grande Valley. Flocks of Churros were also acquired by Native Americans through raids and trading, and soon became an important part of the Navajo economy and culture. A series of US Government sponsored flock reductions and "improvements" (by cross breeding) decimated the Navajo flocks until the old type Churro sheep nearly disappeared. In the 1970's several individuals began acquiring Churro phenotypes with the purpose of preserving the breed and revitalizing Navajo and Hispanic flocks. The Navajo-Churro Sheep Association was formed in 1986 to preserve and promote this original American Breed. The name "Navajo-Churro" was chosen to honor both their Navajo and their Spanish heritage. While more than 4,200 sheep have been registered (ours is one) since the N-CSA was formed, Navajo-Churro sheep are still considered a rare breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Navajo-Churro sheep carry the polycerate gene also. They are small to medium size with ewes weighing from 85-120 pounds and rams ranging from 120-175 pounds. Navajo-Churro wool comes in a wide range of natural colors, is classified as coarse and is composed of three distinct types of fiber: 1.)Inner coat (3-5 inches staple length): wool fibers ranging from 10-35 microns, comprising 30% of the fleece. 2.) Outer Coat (6-12 inch staple length): hair fibers measuring 35+ microns, comprising 10-20% of the fleece, 3.) Kemp: short opaque fibers of 65+ microns, not to exceed 5% of the fleece.) The fleece is open with no defined crimp and should be lustrous with a silky hand. It is high yielding with a low grease content.

The Navajo-Churro sheep has always been sacred to the Dine' and at the core of their culture and economy, is the only domesticated breed of sheep indigenous to the Americas. Though driven to near extinction since the 19Th century by government stock reductions that slaughtered hundreds of thousands, the Churro was always cherished and protected by the Dine' who hid remnant herds in remote areas such as Black Mesa and Monument Valley. Today it is a nationally and internationally recognized rare and endangered domestic breed-hardy, intelligent, and resistant to scrapie and other diseases and of rising economic value. It's fleece is one of the finest in the world-long, lustrous, and low in grease, with an amazing range of colors and a white of remarkable purity that takes dyes and great clarity and depth.

They are independent, intelligent sheep with a fascinating history and a very special heritage.
They're very hardy and disease resistant.
Their smaller size means they eat less food and have higher stocking rates per acre than commercial breeds.
Being desert sheep, they can survive and thrive on less than perfect forage.
The ewes tend to twin, have few lambing problems and are excellent, protective mothers.
They have the quintessential weaving wool-strong, beautiful and available in a wide variety of natural colors.
Lamb fleeces are rich in color and make terrific socks and sweaters.
They produce a lean, flavorful carcass and beautiful pelts.
They're considered a dairy breed (haven't tried that yet).


Our efficacious plan is to breed the Navajo-Churro ram with a registered Jacob ewe. Our "Grace" had too many congenital anomalies when born thus she is not of good quality breeding stock, breeders always strive for better flock traits. However, this past breeding season we did manage to have ewes with the polycerate gene (all three ewes born have horns) and a Jacob spotted ewe by breeding a Jacob X with the Navajo-Churro ram. This particular ewe we will keep although she will only be able to breed with a ram lamb from next years lambing. Never, ever can you breed a father to a daughter although you can breed a ewe from one lambing season to a ram lamb (from a different mother) the following lambing season.

I've had many people scoff at my plan. I personally don't listen to others regarding my sheep flock as everyone has an opinion that raises sheep. We do what works for us, simply! Both the breeds we raise are superb in fleece, well sought out by fiber artists and spinners throughout the world. Both breeds produce superb meat, low in cholesterol, high in vitamins, zinc, and protein. In England, Jacob meat is prized by chefs for the superb flavor (stronger somewhat than Churro), in Arizona the Chef at La Posado in Winslow, Arizona buys strictly Churro meat from growers up on the reservation. How can we go wrong with breeding these genes? We sell both fiber and meat for locker.

One of our good friends, Claudia comes from a cattle family out of Williams, Arizona. Her family has ranched their whole life in that area, from parents to grandparents and so forth....... She married a Basque in her early years (a BIG NO, NO coming from a cattle family) and they began to raise sheep..........Hampshires..............3,000 head as a matter of fact. She and her husband didn't eat many of the Hampshires as they always preferred the Churro off the reservation. Churro meat is very lean and mild, more mild than most sheep meat. She buys a lamb from us every year (she'd like two but we need some for our freezer!). We are the only place she will buy her lamb..................in that sense, we feel good about what we are doing despite criticism from others. What I can say about our "little spread" is we get the most bang for our buck, I utilize our wool for my spinning, crocheting/knitting projects, Rick uses our lesser quality fiber for insulation, we utilize our meat for our food. We also save horns for button making. And I will tell you, the tongue, heart and liver from our sheep is superb...............YES, we do eat that as well. This year I will tan my own yearling fleece, requiring them back from the locker. Who knows, maybe I can donate them to the hospitals for preemie baby's to rest/grow on in the incubators...........

Kat's Lamb Shanks in Mirepoix

Lightly season 4 lamb shanks with salt, pepper and flour. Cover bottom of a deep, heavy, ovenproof pan with a combination of about 75% canola oil and 25% olive oil, and heat on high until almost smoking.

To seal in the juices (braising), saute' the meat for about 5 minutes, or until all sides of the shanks are golden brown. Watch closely and turn frequently because shanks burn easily(don't ask how I know this!). Use long-handled tongs to remove shanks from pan.

Add mirepoix, a mixture of 1 1/2 cups diced onions, 2 cups diced celery and 2 large carrots, diced. Saute on high about 5 minutes, just long enough to release the flavors.

Stir in 1 ounce fresh rosemary, 1 ounce fresh thyme, a whole lot of freshly ground black pepper and 3-4 bay leaves into the mixture.

Next, add 2 Tablespoons tomato paste and cook on high for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently until tomato paste is blended with mirepoix and herbs. Place shanks back in the pan. Add about 2 cups veal or beef stock, 1 cup good, dry red wine, cover shanks with liquid completely. Cover pan tightly with lid or heavy foil and bake at 425-degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone.

This can also be made with a lamb roast. We prefer the shanks(a terrific cut of lamb).

Bon Appetit!