(Photo is of Cisco, our foundation Navajo Churro sire)
Navajo-Churro Sheep
We have a herd of purebred Katahdins and are one of two breeders in Idaho
that preserve the Navajo-Churro Sheep. Navajo-Churros are beautiful and
stay semi-wild, which is a good challenge when working your dog. Natuarally
protective, Navajor Churros will defend their young and are good in areas
known to have predators.
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.
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.
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 (1936 - 1966) 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?
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 uncomparably superior, with a surprisingly low fat content.
Information courtesy of the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association
(Photo is of Cisco, our foundation Navajo Churro sire)