NAVAJO-CHURRO
SHEEP
Navajo-Churro sheep date back to the mid 1500's. Spanish settlers
brought these sheep with them from Spain. The breed descended from
the Churra, an ancient Iberian breed. Secondary to the Merino, the
Churra (later corrupted to "Churro") was prized in Spain
for its remarkable hardiness, adaptability and fecundity. They crossed
the ocean by ship and arrived on the coast of Mexico in 1540.
This particular breed of sheep was chosen by the King of Spain
to be sent with the settlers because the Churros, with their long
staple of protective top coat and soft undercoat, were hardy enough
to survive the harsh weather of the New World. They needed little
feed and could go for long periods without much water. With a
lower fat content, the flavor of their meat is also excellent.
The animals provided the settlers with meat to eat and wool to
weave into cloth. They were also quickly adopted by the Navajo
and Pueblo Indian tribes.
In 1850's, flocks were reduced as thousands of Churro were trailed
west to supply the California Gold Rush. In 1863, the U.S. Army,
under the command of Kit Carson, slaughtered many of the Churro
flocks on the Navajo reservation in retribution for alleged Navajo
raiding.
Soon, Churro sheep were replaced or crossbred with fine wool
breeds, which have shorter, softer wool and more lanolin. The
wool mills preferred the uniform fabrics produced by these animals.
As newer breeds of sheep replaced the Churro, their numbers rapidly
declined and they nearly became extinct.
After the severe blizzards and government imposed stock reduction
of the early 1930's further reduced flocks, purer breeds of the
Churro could only be found in remote parts of the Navajo reservation
and in isolated villages of Northern New Mexico. Today, the Navajo-Churro
is listed on the endangered animals register
GANADOS DEL VALLE
Working with Lyle McNeal, professor of animal sciences at Utah
State University and director of the Navajo Churro sheep project,
Ganados del Valle, initiated a breeding program with growers in
our valley. Ganados successfully increased the numbers of Churro
sheep in this area, and created a source of wool for Tierra Wools'
yarns.
Though this endangered breed is being revived across the country
by members of the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association and others,
there are few sources available for the purchase of this wonderful
wool and yarn. Navajo-Churro wool is unique in that it has two
distinct set of fibers-an outer guard coat and a fine inner layer.
The wool has a luster which makes the yarn stand out amongst other
skeins, or in handcrafted products such as weavings.
Churro wool has less lanolin content and therefore is very popular
with hand spinners, along with weavers. We carefully grade our
fleeces to choose the best characteristics for the type of yarn
to be produced. The finest pelts and colors are reserved for hand-spinning.
The finer softer grades are used for our blanket yarns, while
a blend of the long thicker fibers make excellent rug yarns
|
