Ewes and lambs in Segovia
| |
| Conservation status | DAD-IS (2023): not at risk[1] |
|---|---|
| Other names |
|
| Country of origin |
|
| Traits | |
| Weight |
Female:
65 kg[1] |
| Height |
Female:
70 cm[1] |
| Wool colour | white |
| Face colour | black-and-white |
|
| |
The Churra is an Iberian type, breed or group of breeds of sheep.[2]: 920 [3]: 280 [4]: 107 The word churra simply means 'coarse-woolled'. The Churra originates in the Duero Valley in the autonomous community ofCastile and León in north-western Spain.[2]: 920 In the provinceofZamora the milk is used to make Zamorano cheese.[5]: 132
There are numerous regional variants of the Churra in Spain. Two of these are recognised as separate breeds: the Churra LebrijanaofAndalusia, also known as the Atlantica or Marismeña, named for Lebrija on the Guadalquivir and found in the coastal provincesofCadiz and Huelva in south-western Spain;[2]: 741 [3]: 283 [6] and the Churra Tensina, named for the Valle de Tena in the province of Huesca in the central Pyrenees.[2]: 931 [3]: 287 [7] Others include the small Sayaguesa, associated with the comarcaofSayago in the south of the province of Zamora and reared mostly for meat;[2]: 906 the Churra del Bierzo or Blanca del Bierzo, an endangered polled type from the comarcaofEl Bierzo in the province of León; and the Churra Castellana or Churra Campera of Castile.[2]: 920
The Churra is a traditional triple-purpose breed, reared for milk, for meat and for its wool, which is of coarse quality suitable for carpet-making.[2]: 920 Sheep of this type were taken by the conquistadores to the New World, where they gave rise to American breeds such as the Chiapas and the Navajo-Churro.[2]: 920 Cross-breeding with the Merino has given rise to the Spanish: entrefino or medium-fine group of breeds in Spain, and to the Churra Algarvia breed in Portugal.[2]: 920 Other Portuguese Churra breeds include the Churra Badana, the Churra Galega Bragançana Branca, the Churra Galega Bragançana Preta, the Churra Galega Mirandesa, the Churra Mondegueira, the Churra da Terra Quente, the Churra do Campo and the Churra do Minho.[8]
|
| |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
These are the sheep breeds usually considered in Spain to be wholly or partly of Spanish origin. Inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively Spanish. | |||||
| |||||
|
 | This sheep-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
