Team Number: 2
Team Number: 2
Team Name: Ba-a-a-a-a-d to the Bone
Area of Science: Economics
Project Title: Mary had a little lamb
Originally brought over by the Spaniards from Iberian stock in the sixteenth century; Churro sheep were a part of both the Spanish colonists' herds and the Southwest Native Americans' herds by the end of the 17th century. Navajos in particular became adept at using the animals for both food and fiber for weaving. The Churro fleece was known for it's long, silky staple (length), ability to hold the natural color and absorb dyes.The meat is lean. The animals themselves are resistant to disease and tolerate the extreme climates of the Southwest. Due to higher human populations and increased demands for wool products in the 19th century the Churros were mixed with other breeds. Today a renewed interest in Churros is occuring as Navajos try to bring the Churros back to the Reservation. They are doing this by promoting the wool as a specialty wool for individual weavers and stressing the compatibility of the breed to the area. Our project is concerned with the time involved to replace our breeding herd stock with only Churros and the economic costs of doing so.
Thank you Union Valley Sheep for the picture!
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