Navajo-Churro
A Navajo-Churro ram | |
| Conservation status | DAD-IS: at risk |
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| Other names | American Four-Horned Sheep, Navajo Four-Horned Sheep |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Use | wool, milk, pelts, meat |
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The Navajo-Churro, or Churro for short, (also American or Navajo Four-Horned) is a breed of domestic sheep originating with the Spanish Churra sheep obtained by the Diné around the 16th century during the Spanish Conquest. Its wool consists of a protective topcoat and soft undercoat. Some rams have four fully developed horns, a trait shared with few other breeds in the world. The breed is highly resistant to disease. Ewes often bear twins, and they have good mothering instincts. This breed is raised primarily for wool, although some also eat their meat.
The common Diné word for the breed, Dibé dits’ozí, means "long fleeced sheep." T’áá Dibé is also occasionally used, meaning "first sheep." The churro is important to Diné subsistence and culture.