Navajo-Churro sheep were brought into New Mexico's Rio Grande Valley by the Spanish explorers in the 16th Century. The Navajo-Churro sheep breed is North America's earliest domesticated farm animal.  They are descendants from the ancient Iberian breed, the Churra. Until 2007 they were listed as an endangered species.

Navajo-Churro sheep carry the polycerate gene which allows them to produce multiple horns, and both rams and ewes can be horned or polled. They are a small to medium size breed with ewes weighing form 85 to 120 pounds and rams ranging from 120 to 175 lbs.

Navajo-Churro wool comes in a wide range of natural colors and is classified as coarse. The sheep have a long staple of protective top coat and a soft undercoat that is well suited to extremes of climate.

Navajo-Churro meat is a traditional Native American meat. It’s flavor is incomparably superior to other lamb. The flavor is delicate and mild, not gamey. Because the fat of this breed is typically concentrated around the organs rather than being spread through the body, even the meat from animals reaching 14 to 16 months of age does not suffer from the musky mutton smell that afflicts other breeds. The meat has a low fat content and a light herbal fragrance and a complex, grassy flavor.  The meat is highly valued by both traditional cooks and celebrity chefs.

Flying A Ranch breeds organic Navajo-Churro sheep for their highly sought-after meat and award winning wool and fleece.

Smokey, aka Tony Llama, is our resident guard llama. He protects the sheep from coyotes and other predators. He is seen here at work tending to newborn twin Navajo-Churro lambs, and showing off his beautiful, soft wool before the dreaded shearing -  utterly  humiliating!