Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Native Americans acquired fl ocks of sheep from the Spanish ranches
and villages (through either raids or trading) in the early seventeenth cen-
tury. Within 100 years, herding and weaving were the main enterprise of the
Navajos. Their sheep became so important that the Navajo name for sheep is
bee'iin' á át'é,
which means “that by which we live.”
During the late 1800s, the U.S. Army decimated fl ocks of Navajo sheep
in an effort to subjugate the Navajos, and then in the 1900s, U.S. agencies
slaughtered large numbers of the fl ock in an effort to control “overgrazing
and erosion.” Only a few small fl ocks remained. But today conservationists
and Navajo Native Americans are once again breeding the Navajo-Churros for
their important characteristics, such as hardiness, longevity, and high lamb
survivability on range.
The fl eece is double coated — the inner coat has fi ne wool and the outer
coat is long, coarse, and lustrous. It is the fl eece of these sheep that gives the
classic Rio Grande and Navajo weavings their strong, lustrous traits, and these
fl eeces are once again inspiring fi ber artists and weavers.
North Country Cheviot
The North Country Cheviot is a general-purpose breed that originated in
northern Scotland and is well adapted to northern climates and hilly, rough
terrain. They were fi rst imported to North America in 1944. North Country
Cheviots are larger than their kin, the Border Cheviots, and probably show
more of the traits of the breed's early ancestors in Scotland.
The animals are polled and have open faces and bare legs. They produce a
medium-wool fl eece with good staple length. In Scotland their wool, which is
free from hair, or kempy fi bers, is used to make the famous Scottish tweeds.
Ewes are good milkers, easy lambers, and fairly prolifi c.
Oxford
Oxfords are an English breed named after the county of Oxford. These sheep
were bred primarily from Cotswold and Hampshire foundations, which makes
them large and heavy. Breeders were successful in combining the hardiness,
muscle, and wool quality of the Hampshire with the great size, rapid growth,
and wool characteristics of the Cotswold. Oxfords were fi rst recognized as a
true breed in 1862 and were imported into the United States as early as 1864.
Oxfords have a good fl eece weight and medium wool of reasonable length.
Their faces and legs are usually light brown, but anything from light gray to
dark brown is acceptable. A white spot on the end of the nose is common.
