WE
started breeding Navajo-Churro Sheep 2 years ago and our flock is
growing. We are really happy with the breed and can highly recommend
this hardy breed.
Descendants of the Iberian Churra
An Endangered Breed
As early as 1789,
the Spanish
controlled the
export of ewes from
the provinces of New
Mexico to maintain
breeding stock. But
in the 1850's
thousands of Churro
were trailed west to
supply the
California Gold
Rush. Most of the
remaining Churro of
the Hispanic ranches
were crossed with
fine wool rams to
supply the demand of
garment wool caused
by the increased
population and the
Civil War.
Concurrently, in
1863, the U.S. Army
decimated the Navajo
flocks in
retribution for
continued Indian
depredations. In the
1900's further
"improvements" and
stock reductions
were imposed by U.S.
agencies upon the
Navajo flocks. True
survivors were to be
found only in
isolated villages in
Northern New Mexico
and in remote
canyons of the
Navajo Indian
Reservation.
Photo courtesy of
Tanya Charter
Restorations of the
Breed
In the 1970's
several individuals
began acquiring
Churro phenotypes
with the purpose of
preserving the breed
and revitalizing
Navajo and Hispanic
flocks. Criteria for
the breed had been
established from
data collected for
three decades by the
Southwestern Range
and Sheep Breeding
Laboratory at Fort
Wingate, New Mexico.
Several flocks have
developed, and the
Navajo Sheep Project
has introduced
cooperative breeding
programs in some
Navajo and Hispanic
flocks.
What are Navajo-Churro Sheep Like?
Photo courtesy of Tanya Charter
These sheep with their long staple of protective top coat and soft undercoat are well suited to extremes of climate. Some rams have four fully developed horns, a trait shared by few other breeds of the world. The Navajo-Churro is highly resistant to disease, and although it responds to individual attention, it needs no pampering to survive and prosper.
The ewes lamb easily and are fiercely protective. Twins and triplets are not uncommon. The flavor of the meat is incomparably superior, with a surprisingly low fat content.
Origin
Navajo-Churro
sheep
are
descended
from
the
Churra,
an
ancient
Iberian
breed.
Although
secondary
to
the
Merino,
the
Churra
(later
corrupted
to
"Churro"
by
American
frontiersmen)
was
prized
by
the
Spanish
for
its
remarkable
hardiness,
adaptability
and
fecundity.
The
Churra
was
the
very
first
breed
of
domesticated
sheep
in
the
New
World.
Its
importation
to
New
Spain
by
the
Spanish
dates
back
to
the
16th
century
where
it
was
used
to
feed
and
clothe
the
armies
of
the
conquistadors
and
Spanish
settlers.
History
By
the
17th
century
the
Churro
had
become
the
mainstay
of
Spanish
ranches
and
villages
along
the
upper
Rio
Grande
Valley.
Native
Indians
acquired
flocks
of
Churro
for
food
and
fiber
through
raids
and
trading.
Within
a
century,
herding
and
weaving
had
become
a
major
economic
asset
for
the
Navajo.
It
was
from
Churro
wool
that
the
early
Rio
Grande,
Pueblo,
and
Navajo
textiles
were
woven
-- a
fleece
admired
by
collectors
for
its
luster,
silky
hand,
variety
of
natural
colors
and
durability.
Heinz
and Ursina Naef - Owners
Jesus Cisneros - Farm Manager hnaef@gourmetfoodsinc.com
2425 Wellsona Road - Paso Robles, CA 93446
Ph: 805-467-3411 | Fax: 805-467-3179
