St. Edwin is proud to have seven
Navajo-Churro Sheep. The breed was
originally brought by the Spaniards to the
New World in the sixteenth century.
Since then they have gone extinct in
Spain but survive in New Mexico and
other parts of the southwest. Navajo-
Churro Sheep are hardy, disease
resistant, and easy to care for. They are
ruddy with blended white, black, and
dark brown features. Navajo-Churros
have a double-fleece coat offering them
warmth in the cold winter months. Their
wool is prized. We ourselves have one
beautiful horned ram and six darling
ewes. They typically give birth around
December.
Above is our ram, the carnero or macho
borrego of our flock. The children
submitted names for him and chose
“Copper.” We think he really enjoys his
offspring playing on his back.
Pictured above are some of our original
ewe-sheep, the female hembras borregas
of our flock. The children named the
Churros “Bella,” “Cotton Candy,”
“Lola,” and “Angel.” The white ewe in
the forefront is the only non-Churro. We
call her “Daisy” and appreciate the
stocky offspring she delivers every year.
The sheep are shy and keep to
themselves, but learn the customs of the
ranch and follow the directions of their
caretakers.
Fr. Peter rewarding the goats with sweet
grain after a successful photo-op.
South Valley inhabitants are no
strangers to ranching. The parish property
itself was once a ranch. The various
animals we keep on our property provide
character, fun, and community bonding to
our parish. Right now we have sheep and
goats; parishioners would like a few
chickens. Above are our new shed-stables.
In April of 2018 we sheered our sheep for
the first time. They seem to like it, running
around afterwards like children with new
sneakers. We brought their fleece to New
Mexico’s Mora Valley Wool Mill, the largest
wool processing plant west of the Mississipi.
Above are bags of “roving,” the scoured,
carded, and combed wool. By now it has
been spun and is available in our parish
store.
Our Animals
In August of 2019 St. Edwin acquired two
more Navajo Churro ewes. Our little flock
of sheep is now increased to eight. On the
first day of religious education the children
again voted for names and chose “Fluffy”
for the one on the left and “Shadow” for
the other on the right. We hope they are
enjoying their new home.
The young ones help us understand how
some of God’s creatures can be both
adorable and mischievous.
Above, the first of our nanny-goats,
“Canela” with her two kids. Below,
a close up.
“Buttercup”
We keep the nanny-goats around for fun.
They are pets of the parish.
To our animals, leaves are like
potato-chips.