View source for Churra

{{Short description|Spanish breed of sheep}}
{{For|the villages with Churra name|Churra, Iran|Churra, Spain}}
{{Infobox sheep breed
| name          = Churra
| image         = Churra ewes and lambs in Segovia.jpg
| image_size    = 
| image_alt     = 
| image_caption = Ewes and lambs in [[Segovia]]
| status        = [[DAD-IS]] (2023): not at risk{{r|dad}}
| altname       = {{ubl|Churra Lebrijana|Churra Tensina|Oveja Churra}}
| country       = {{ubl|Portugal|Spain}}
| distribution  = 
| standard      =
| use           = 
| maleweight    = 75 kg{{r|dad}}
| femaleweight  = 65 kg{{r|dad}}
| maleheight    = 80 cm{{r|dad}}
| femaleheight  = 70 cm{{r|dad}}
| skincolour    = 
| type          = 
| woolcolour    = white
| facecolour    = black-and-white
| horns         = 
| note          = 
}}

[[File:Churra sheep.jpg|On the Dehesa de Espinosilla, [[Palencia]], Spain|thumb]]
The '''Churra''' is an [[Iberia]]n type, [[list of sheep breeds|breed]] or group of breeds of [[sheep]].{{r|cabi|p=920|guia|p2=280|barb|p3=107}} The word {{lang|es|churra}} simply means 'coarse-woolled'. The Churra originates in the [[Duero Valley]] in the [[Autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous community ]] of [[Castile and León]] in north-western Spain.{{r|cabi|p=920}} In the [[provinces of Spain|province]] of [[Zamora (province)|Zamora]] the milk is used to make [[Zamorano cheese]].{{r|mendel|p=132}}

== Churra breeds and types ==

There are numerous regional variants of the Churra in Spain. Two of these are recognised as separate breeds: the [[Churra Lebrijana]] of [[Andalusia]], also known as the Atlantica or Marismeña, named for [[Lebrija]] on the [[Guadalquivir]] and found in the coastal [[provinces of Spain|provinces]] of [[Cadiz (province)|Cadiz]] and [[Huelva (province)|Huelva]] in south-western Spain;{{r|cabi|p=741|guia|p2=283|dad2}} and the [[Churra Tensina]], named for the [[Valle de Tena]] in the province of [[Huesca (province)|Huesca]] in the central Pyrenees.{{r|cabi|p=931|guia|p2=287|dad3}} Others include the small Sayaguesa, associated with the ''[[comarca]]'' of [[Sayago]] in the south of the province of Zamora and reared mostly for meat;{{r|cabi|p=906}} the Churra del Bierzo or Blanca del Bierzo, an endangered [[polled (livestock)|polled]] type from the ''comarca'' of [[El Bierzo]] in the province of [[León (province)|León]]; and the Churra Castellana or Churra Campera of Castile.{{r|cabi|p=920}}

== Use ==

The Churra is a traditional triple-purpose breed, reared for [[sheep's milk|milk]], for [[mutton|meat]] and for its wool, which is of coarse quality suitable for carpet-making.{{r|cabi|p=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 (sheep)|Chiapas]] and the [[Navajo-Churro]].{{r|cabi|p=920}} [[Cross-breeding]] with the [[Merino]] has given rise to the {{langx|es|entrefino}} or medium-fine group of breeds in Spain, and to the [[Churra Algarvia]] breed in Portugal.{{r|cabi|p=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]].{{r|dad4}}  

== References ==
{{commonscat}}
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name=barb>Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200623201209/http://www.fao.org/3/a1250e/annexes/List%20of%20breeds%20documented%20in%20the%20Global%20Databank%20for%20Animal%20Genetic%20Resources/List_breeds.pdf List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources], annex to [https://web.archive.org/web/20170110125634/http://www.fao.org/3/a-a1250e.pdf ''The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture'']. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. {{isbn|9789251057629}}. Archived 23 June 2020.</ref>

<ref name=cabi>Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). [https://books.google.com/books?id=2UEJDAAAQBAJ ''Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding''] (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. {{isbn|9781780647944}}.</ref>

<ref name=dad>[https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ext-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=ESP&specie=Sheep&breed=Churra&lang=en Breed data sheet: Churra / Spain (Sheep)]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2023.</ref>

<ref name=dad2>[https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ext-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=ESP&specie=Sheep&breed=Churra%20Lebrijana&lang=en Breed data sheet: Churra Lebrijana / Spain (Sheep)]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2023.</ref>

<ref name=dad3>[https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ext-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=ESP&specie=Sheep&breed=Churra%20Tensina&lang=en Breed data sheet: Churra Tensina / Spain (Sheep)]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2023.</ref>

<ref name=dad4>[https://www.fao.org/dad-is/browse-by-country-and-species/en/ Breed data sheet: Portugal, Sheep]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2023.</ref>

<ref name=guia>Miguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (editors) (2009). ''Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas'' (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. {{isbn|9788449109461}}.</ref>

<ref name=mendel>Janet Mendel (2002). [https://archive.org/details/mykitcheninspain00mend/page/132/mode/1up ''My Kitchen in Spain: 225 Authentic Regional Recipes'']. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc. {{isbn|0060195266}}</ref>

}}

{{Sheep breeds of Spain}}{{Sheep-stub}}
[[Category:Sheep breeds originating in Spain]]
[[Category:Sheep breeds]]