The American Blue Morrit was born more from selection than from synthetic breeding. Biologically, internally, The ABM is a Navajo Churro. He can go days with out water. Eats very little for his weight. Travels like a gypsy. Is extremely hardy and has incredibly tasty meat. On paper he is 50%-25% average Navajo Churro, although no Churro blood has been added in quite some time. It would be detrimental to do so at this point.
The ABM is not flighty, he is quite friendly and if given the chance prefers the company of humans. Although he will fight predators he easily excepts guardian dogs. They are fierce mothers.
Selection has been for temperament, wide body with Churro type meat and hardiness. The fleece is a nice long fine wool, with staple that can be sheered at 4-6″ twice a year. Grease is low making most forms of processing unnecessary.
In general the American Blue Morrit is a medium sized, thick, blocky sheep with ewes weighing from 125-150lbs Rams weighing 220-250 lbs.
They have good feet that rarely need trimmed if on proper soil. ( not standing in wet lots) The ABM seems to have a resistance to hoof rot. No case has been reported. The ABM is neither horned nor polled. Both are excepted with neither one or the other encouraged. Flocks in general should be mixed.
Faces are not covered with hair, but a fine layer of wool appearing to give faces a velvet appearance.
Like the Churro the ABM will become wool covered in winter shedding wool on belly and legs in the heat of summer. Sometimes this wool becomes matted with the hair and should be roo’ed off at shearing.
Ears are a small diamond shape held parallel to the ground. Some lambs are born with droopy ears, few retain this. It is not a DQ if the low hanging ears persist. The Churra from Spain that entered North America over 600yrs ago had these low hanging ears. Although we do not breed for these ears, when they appear it is a reminder of the purity of the original stock, and colorful history of their predecessors. Rams with low hanging ears are not to be used.
Wool must have crimp. Some families tend to have such fine crimp it appears almost straight. Other families have a medium crimp much like that of Romney sheep. All should have high luster. To much grease is not desired. Anything over 30% is to much. There should be an ever so slight hint of a double coat. This serves to keep the fleece pristine with out coating. By sheering time the small double coat is normally worn away by weather. The spinner rarely knows it was there.
Over all, the ABM is easy to work with. Generally healthy and resistant to many illnesses and parasites. If the ABM does become ill they have an extremely high rate of recovery. Illness is rare. Birthing issues are rare, bottle lambs are extremely rare. The breed as a hole is highly recommended for first time sheep owners. Not only is the ABM a easy breed to manage, enjoy human company but the membership also has a valued mentorship. Someone is always available to answer questions, teach you to sheer, market, work with your own wool etc. We want the breed to succeed, we want you to succeed.