Navajo Churro Sheep

America’s first domestic sheep were small, rugged Navajo Churro sheep from Spain brought to what is now Mexico. Southwestern Churros went down the Chihuahua and the Santa Fe trails and eventually all the way to California. Churro sheep found their way into the hands of Native Americans who used the sheep for meat but especially came to value the wool, a wonderful new material that was quickly adopted for production of textiles. Sheep soon became the basis for subsistence and trade in Hispanic and Native American economies.

In the 1860s, the Navajo-Churro sheep population was nearly destroyed as part of the United States government’s efforts to subjugate the Navajo people. Churro stock was further diluted by continuing efforts to "improve" Native American flocks through introduction of other breeds. The government’s attempts to control rangeland erosion led to further slaughter of -Native American flocks. By the mid-1930s, very few "purebred" Navajo-Churros remained, and they were scattered across the Southwest.

Today, many conservation efforts have been made to ensure the survival of this hardy breed.

Want to help support our conservation efforts? Grab a Navajo Churro product below to help us continue to make a future for this adorable breed.

Navajo Churro Sheep for Sale

Interested in adding Churro’s to your farm? Drop us your email below and we will notify you when breeding lambs are for sale.