Resources for Navajo Churro in Animals/Sheep/Breeds/

Navajo-Churro Sheep Association

Some rams have four fully developed horns, a trait shared by few other breeds of the world.
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No other sheep population in the history of the world has survived such selective pressure with such dignity and spirit.
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Click here to download a PDF of the N-CSA Informative Brochure.
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The Navajo-Churro is highly resistant to disease, and although it responds to individual attention, it needs no pampering to survive and prosper.
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Fortunately for breeders, a well established network of registered stock is available, scattered throughout the US and Canada.
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To find a breeder in your area, go to the Breeder List.
www.navajo-churrosheep.com

Navajo-Churro Sheep

� 2009 bide a wee farm Last modified: December 30, 2011
www.bideaweefarm.com/ChurroInfo.htm

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy: Navajo-Churro Sheep

Churro stock was further diluted by continuing efforts to "improve" Native American flocks through introduction of other breeds.
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In 1977, Dr. Lyle McNeal and other conservationists began an effort to protect the breed from extinction.
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The Navajo- Churro is still rare, but its survival now seems assured.
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American Livestock Breeds Conservancy: Navajo-Churro Sheep "...when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another Heaven and another Earth must pass before such a one can be again." -William Beebe HOME About ALBC Breed Information Calendar ALBC Store Membership Support ALBC News Breed Association Contacts Contact ALBC Educational Resources Classifieds Shopping Cart • SEARCH ALBC Navajo-Churro Sheep America’s first domestic sheep were small, rugged Churro sheep from Spain, brought by Francisco Coronado in 1540 and Don Juan de Onate in 1598.
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McNeal, an animal scientist at Utah State University, founded the Navajo Sheep Project to conserve the Navajo- Churro, especially among the traditional herders and weavers of the Southwest.
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Both ewes and rams may be polled or have two or four horns.
albc-usa.org/cpl/navajochurro.html

Navajo-Churro Sheep Association

However, some churros remained in the remote Hispanic villages, among the isolated Navajos and on the West Coast.
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Spanish ranches prospered in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona with flocks numbering in the thousands.
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Some stock was purchased for $1-1.50 but the reduction progressed so slowly that roughly 30% of each households sheep, goats and horses were slaughtered by government agents and thrown into arroyos or burned.
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Many sheep were trailed back to Mexico to feed mining towns and they supplied the growing population of the Southwest.
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The Apaches ate the sheep they took but the Navajos nurtured their acquisitions and expanded their flocks.
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The history of the churra importation and distribution is fascinating and complex.
www.navajo-churrosheep.com/sheep.html

The History and Near Extinction of the Churro

Navajo Churro sheep have some outstanding traits that need to be preserved.
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No other accounts were given on these sheep and it was assumed they all perished with the zealous Escalera.
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They are long legged, upstanding, narrow bodied and fine boned.
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Welcome to The Navaho Sheep Project~ The History & Near Extinction of the Churro What is a Churro???
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By 1930's the Indian Bureau and another government bureau, The Soil Conservation Service, instituted a program for soil and range conservation on the Navajo Reservation.This was put into effect with federal money and with no participation by the Navajos in the planning.
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1868 a treaty was signed, and a reservation was established within a portion of Navajo Country (Dine'tah).
www.navajosheepproject.com/churrohistory.html

Sheep Breeders - Navajo Churro Sheep

Army slaughtered most of the Navajo flocks in reprisal for their ongoing attacks.
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Cunnington Farms, 4545 Spanish Valley Drive, Moab, Utah 84532 435.259.5386 ©Cunnington Farms, All Rights Reserved Worldwide Website design and development by Mackie Visions
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Descended from the Churra, an ancient breed from Iberia, the Navajo-Churro were introduced to North America by the Spanish in the 16th century to provide food and clothing for their invading armies and settlers.
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In addition, a Colorado State University project grazed a flock of Navajo-Churro on an area overgrown with oak brush and the sheep have grazed the brush enough to allow the grasses to grow again.
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In 1977, Dr. Lyle McNeal of the Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Science at Utah State University in Logan, Utah and his wife, started the Navajo Sheep Project in an effort to protect and conserve the Navajo-Churro.
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Sheep Breeders - Navajo Churro Sheep Home Sheep for Sale Lambs for Sale Sheep Breeds Guanacos Navajo Rugs About FAQ Contact Menu Navajo Churro California Red Tunis Cotswold Corriedale Romney Shetland Icelandic Cheviot Painted Desert Romeldale / CVM Border Leicester Search Navajo Churro Sheep I began raising Navajo Churro sheep for several reasons, some of them practical, and some from my heart.
cunningtonfarms.com/pages/sheep-breeds/navajo-churro.php

The Navajo-Churro Sheep - Cowboys & Indians - October 2011

Almost a third of every household’s sheep, goats, and horses were slaughtered by government agents and thrown into arroyos or burned.
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With its lavish, strong, low-lanolin wool in many earth colors; strong maternal instinct; multiple births; high lamb survival rate; ability to live on next to nothing; and resistance to parasites and foot rot, the churra had become the tribe’s dominant breed.In the 1860s, the Navajo — and everything associated with their livelihoods — were in the cross hairs of westward expansion and would soon cross fateful paths with Kit Carson.
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The government promised payments for livestock losses; however, [people] have never been fully compensated to this day.
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In 1986, McNeal founded the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association in Los Ojos, New Mexico, and the official name then given to the sheep — the first breed of domestic sheep brought to North America — was “Navajo-Churro,” respecting both the Navajo and Hispanic cultures of the Southwest that have been so instrumental in raising, breeding, and weaving wool from the multicultural breed.
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Sheep symbolize the Good Life, living in harmony and balance on the land.” How the breed that was the woof and warp of this metaphoric weaving came to near-extinction is one of the little-told stories of the American West.The Churro sheep so synonymous with Navajo and Hispanic textiles came to the New World with Spanish explorers.
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(Many non-Indians now raise these sheep, too.) The association, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in June, serves breeders in the United States and Canada and handles registration and pedigree information.The Navajo Sheep Project currently maintains multiple “mentor” seedstock breeding flocks in Utah, and has placed several thousand head of breeding stock over the years with Navajo families beginning in 1982, replenishing flocks and reestablishing the “Sheep is life” cultural connection.For more information about the Navajo Sheep Project, visit www.navajosheepproject.com.
www.cowboysindians.com/.../October-2011/The-Navajo-Churro-Sheep

Navajo Churro Collection

SOLD return to top Navajo Weavings for Sale Navajo Churro Collection Hot Off The Loom Looming Attractions Award Winning Weavings Historic Navajo Weavings Fresh New Finds Historic Blankets Antique Saddle Blankets Contemporary Navajo Rugs Navajo Rugs Under $500 Blasts From My Past Navajo Art Information Click here for more Info on NAVAJO RUGS & Steve.
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For more information on weavings pictured or to inquire about your specific needs contact us directly at steve@navajorug.com or call 520-455-5020.
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Main Pages Museum Exhibitions Press Room Testimonials About Steve Book Ordering Navajo Rug FAQ Navajo Rug Links Contact Us Contact: steve@navajorug.com PO Box 815 Sonoita AZ 85637 520-455-5020 "The Fine Art of Navajo Weaving" by Steve Getzwiller Over 100,000 Copies Sold In the last 200 years Navajo Weaving has come a long way: from the shoulder, to the floor, to a place of distinction on the gallery wall.
navajorug.com/html/navajo-churro-collection.htm

2011 NC Lambs - Navajo-Churro Sheep Breeding Stock Wool Sheepskins

E-mail bidewee@aol.com with questions or comments about this web site.
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Copyright � 2009 bide a wee farm Last modified: December 30, 2011
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#B4850-06 Piera #272 $225 SOLD Black w/TGH EWE Sire: PDF Harry Dam: baw Audrey Rosana #276 $225 SOLD Black w/TGH EWE Sire: PDF Harry Dam: baw Winona Maril� #284 $250 SOLD Blk & White Spotted EWE Sire: PDF Harry Dam: baw Beebe Keiko #293 $250 SOLD Black & Tan EWE Sire: PDF Harry Dam: baw Brunhilde Frida #317 $250 SOLD Black & Tan EWE Sire: PDF Harry Dam: baw Coco Reyes #272 $250 SOLD 4 Horn RAM Black & Tan Sire: PDF Harry Dam: baw Audrey NAVAJO-CHURRO SIRE: SLR Bejay 2 Horns - Black w/TGH N-CSA Reg.
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#5623-09 Casia #286 $225 SOLD Black w/TGH EWE Sire: SLR Bejay Dam: baw Melosa Hanna #320 $225 SOLD White EWE Sire: SLR Bejay Dam: baw Ursula Rub� #321 $225 SOLD Black EWE Sire: SLR Bejay Dam: baw Ursula Description of terms: TGH (Two Grey Hills) - White cap, white tip on tail, white sock(s) - can have any or all of these markings.
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•Discounts are available for 4H, FFA and JSBA and N-CSA junior members, and for purchases of 3 or more sheep (does not include wethers or crossbred sheep).
www.bideaweefarm.com/2011NCLambs.htm

Background and History of Navajo-Churro Sheep

Genetically resistant to many sheep diseases, Churros can withstand austere conditions and have excellently flavored meat.
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It can be shorn, hand cleaned, then spun into tightly twisted yarn that readily absorbs indigo and native vegetal dyes, from which the Navajo artists create weavings famous for their exceptional luster, fine texture, and durability.
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Sheep is Life develops programs and provides services to traditional and indigenous cultures to: 1) increase recognition of the importance of sheep to cultures and lifeways; 2) improve the quality of all sheep and wool resources; 3) improve marketing of wool and lamb products; 4) educate the public and regulatory agencies about the importance of sheep to the lifeways of native and traditional peoples; and, 5) promote economic development that is culturally relevant among some of the poorest communities in the United States.
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Weavings made with commercial yarns are not as durable and the texture and quality are not the same as those created with Navajo-Churro wool.
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Yarn spun from this type of wool is extremely strong and durable, making it excellent for the Navajo rugs and Spanish jerga.
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The wool comes in natural colors, including apricot, grey, black, brown, beige, and white, which are highly-prized by hand-spinners.
www.recursos.org/sheepislife/history.html

Navajo Churro Sheep - Austin Business Computers, Inc. Home Page

(I would like to insert here that some reports say that Kit Carson did this "reluctantly.") But it was done, and then came the Long Walk to Bosque Redondo in 1863-64, but before being forced to leave some of the Navajo hid their sheep.
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Though Churro is Spanish for coarse, the fleece is long, fine, and low in oil.
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To preserve this uniqueness the Navajo did not allow crossing of their sheep with the merino of Mexico.
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The Navajo say that the goddess White Bead gave them sheep for the prosperity of the Dine'.
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In 1598 Juan de Onate brought 5,000 more sheep, with many black among them.
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At the peak there were about two million sheep in New Mexico, but this was not to be allowed.
www.ausbcomp.com/redman/churro_sheep.htm

Ark of Taste : Navajo-Churro Sheep : Slow Food USA

The sheep is hardy, living lightly on the land and requiring less water and forage than other sheep.
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The sheep is long legged with a narrow body and fine bones.
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The coat is prized by weavers for its variant array of natural colors.
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United States government livestock agents re-supplied the Navajo with other breeds such as Cotswold, Rambouillet, Suffolk, Lincoln and others, which supplied plenty of meat, but shorter staple, greasy fleece that was hard to clean and difficult to hand-weave.
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In addition to quality meat production, these sheep provide abundant milk and have a highly desirable dual fiber fleece.
slowfoodusa.org/.../programs/ark_product_detail/navajo_churro_sheep

Navajo-Churro Sheep - Maple Tree Farms

For more information on the history and preservation of the Churro sheep please visit the website of the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association.
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At Maple Tree Farms we have been selecting for a fleece with a softer hand while retaining the distinctive qualities of this unique breed.
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It should be remembered that before it was used for rugs for the tourist trade, the wool of the Churro was woven into robes and blankets.
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A medium sized breed noted for is rugged hardiness and good health, the Navajo- Churro is famed for it's unique double coated fleece.
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Ideal for creating durable rugs capable of lasting decades, the Churro fleece can also be used for many types of weaving and knitting projects.
mapletreefarms.eccentricacres.com/navajochurro.php

Navajo-Churro Sheep | Terrapin Gardens Farm

Note: Breed history adapted from an article by Connie Taylor, which was first presented at the 2004 World Congress on Colored Sheep in Christchurch, NZ.
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(Our flock, which ranges on grasses, clover, and scrub, grow their coats at a rate of nearly one inch of wool per month.) Fleece color in the breed is highly variable and ranges from black through brown, grey, red, tan, cream and white.
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They all have beautiful wool and are hard workers when it comes to keeping our pasture managed.
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Sheep can be butchered at any age, but lamb from 6-12 months is most popular.
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There was much bloodshed and in 1865 approximately 9,000 Navajos were forced on the Long Walk of 300 miles to an interment camp at Bosque Redondo, New Mexico.
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We are glad to call her our neighbor and friend.
www.terrapin-gardens.net/our-farm/sheep

Mountain Niche Farm Navajo-Churro Sheep

� 2002-2005 Doug Meyer & Kim Kerley Last modified: June 10, 2009 p%
www.mtn-nichefarm.com/Products/Sheep/navajo.htm

Sheep Breeders Directory: Breeds/Navajo-Churro

Our breeding stock is registered with Navajo Churro Sheep Association and we have a variety of colors.
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We specialize in maintaining the variety of colors, horns and wool of the old-type sheep raised by the Navajo Indians.
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Mickey Clayton - PO Box 3, Scio, OR 97374 Phone: (503) 575-8489 (Added:21-Feb-2012 Hits:7) Dynamites Trophey Sheep - We have 20 beautifull acres in Pennsylvania and raise purebred Mouflon.
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Please see our Navajo-Churro page on our web site (http://www.mtn-nichefarm.com/Products/Sheep/navajo.htm).
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We have a beautiful flock of Navajo-Churros in diverse colors and from diverse stock from across the country.
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We also raise guard llamas, pygora goats, milking goats and bees.
www.nebraskasheep.com/directory/Breeds/Navajo-Churro

Our Ranch - Navajo-Churro Sheep | Agarita Creek Farms ...

There are the multiple horns -- on ewes and rams.
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They have endured a forced reduction at the behest of the U.S. government in the face of the droughts of the 1930's.
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Heritage Livestock Heritage Livestock Jacob Sheep Navajo-Churro Sheep Dexter Cattle Image Gallery Dexter Cattle Jacob Sheep Navajo-Churro Sheep © 2011 Agarita Creek Farms LP Site Map -->
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One no longer has to look to Europe for fine sheep's milk cheeses; they are available right here from an animal that an animal who has been here since the first European explorers; an animal prized by our Native Americans who have made them such a large part of their culture that they have proclaimed, in an annual festival, that "Sheep is Life." Sheep is life indeed, and anyone who prizes antiquity, history, adaptability, and authenticity in an animal cannot help but appreciate the nobleness of the Navajo-Churro Sheep.
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Beyond this, there is, of course, adaptability to harsh climates -- hot and cold, dry and dryer.
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With the assistance of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, the Navajo Sheep Project, and ultimately, the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association, numbers have recovered.
www.agaritacreek.com/Ranch/navajo-story.aspx

Nizhoni Ranch Gallery Navajo Rugs & Weavings Jewelry Amerind Art ...

However, the circle was not complete, as the wool wasn't getting into the hands of Navajo weavers.
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The superior quality of these weavings is very evident in the blankets that have survived through time.
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Having originated in the mountainous regions of southern Spain, they were well adapted to the arid and poor forage conditions of this new environment.
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The reintroduction of Churro wool brought those lustrous qualities back to the finished weavings, completing the circle and reconnecting some of the weavers with their past.
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Some weaver's preference for their "old wool" persisted, and many managed to rebuild their Churro flocks.
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Sheep = Fiber = Art The Navajo Churro Collection weavings are available for purchase or can be custom ordered.
navajorug.com/html/history-churro-collection.htm

US Presidia : Navajo-Churro Sheep : Slow Food USA

Background information on the Navajo-Churro is taken from The Return of Navajo-Churro Sheep to Loom & Table by Gary Paul Nabhan.
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To purchase a copy, contact Slow Food USA at 718-260-8000.
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US Presidia : Navajo-Churro Sheep : Slow Food USA Contact Us Donate Supporting Good, Clean, and Fair Food Domestic Programs International Programs Programs > US Presidia > Navajo-Churro Sheep Domestic Programs Terra Madre at Home Campaigns Regional Biodiversity Children and Food US Ark of Taste Slow Food on Campus US Presidia International Programs A Thousand Gardens in Africa Terra Madre From the SFUSA Blog The Manioc Root: Brazilian Culture and Cuisine Posted on Tue, March 27, 2012 Not Shying Away from the Big Questions Posted on Fri, March 23, 2012 Saving the North Fork Valley Posted on Wed, March 21, 2012 The Quest an the Authentic St.
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Who can live if their life is taken away? Indeed, as horrific as it seems, nearly all Navajo- Churro sheep were taken away from the Diné twice within the last century and a half.
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The first sheep holocaust was triggered by events in 1846 when US General Stephen Watts Kearny declared the Diné to be enemies of the United States.
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It produces two distinct kinds of fiber, pelts, low- fat meat, milk, horns, and skulls.
www.slowfoodusa.org/.../presidia_product_detail/navajo_churro_sheep1

Spin Dance Acres Navajo-Churro Sheep & More

Wensleydale and Navajo Churro Sheep - Welcome to Firehouse Kennels

Unregistered red mesa ewe (registration denied for amount of curl in fleece over neck area).
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Fleeces are currently comparable to a lamb Churro with a fine hair coat and high luster.
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Wensleydale and Navajo Churro Sheep Choosing breeds of sheep is a difficult decision.
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So what do you get when you cross a very large breed with a high luster, curly fleece with a small primitive breed that carries a straight double coat?
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The fleece is very high luster, double coated, with a crimpy wool fiber.
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Registering Wensleydales The Wensleydale breed was virtually lost at one time.
www.firehousekennels.com/apachehillwool/Sheep.html

Navajo Churro - Wind Dancer Ranch - Heritage Livestock, Spanish ...

The Line Up 2010 Lambs For Sale - Pictures Soon Adults For Sale Breeding Rams Breeding Ewes Rotational Grazing We have been using rotational grazing to feed our sheep and are working to get all the timing right between the various hay, grain, and nut crops and the sheep's needs for breeding, lambing, and growing. Learn more about rotational grazing For Sale Adult Rams Not a Navajo-Churro but...watch our bottle lamb Bambi having fun!
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I was attracted to the Navajo-Churro breed because of my love for Spanish sheep's milk cheese. I have come to respect this hearty breed of sheep for their other wonderful attributes such as amazing and colorful wool, easy lambing, and good mothering instincts. Navajo-Churro are wary scrappers able to survive on their own in rough country. They will come up to you for grain, but remain wary as they eat it. This actually is a comfort with the males as they can have huge horns that I find quite intimidating. Thankfully they don't show aggressiveness towards humans.
www.winddancerranch.us/wdr-navajochurro.htm