An historic breed

They didn't even have a name when Donald Chavez y Gilbert started working with the New Mexico Dahl sheep. earching for others interested in preserving these hair sheep, and is afraid that if no one does, they'll go extinct. In an attempt to raise interest in hair sheep, which are native to New Mexico, Chavez put a few on display in the New Mexico FFA Red Barn at the New Mexico State Fair in September. "There are less than 100 of them," Chavez said. "My big worry is that when I'm either too old or pass on, with just this one foundation herd, they'll disappear, they'll be sold off or given away and put in pins with other sheep and their identity will melt away." Chavez stumbled upon what is known as the New Mexico Dahl Sheep while writing an historical book about the region's cowboys. Owning Terra Patre Farm in Belen, Chavez bought livestock from local auctions, which is when he noticed a trend in these sheep. "I was noticing that there were more and more sheep that were distinctive," Chavez said. These sheep had horns as ewes and rams, similar to the Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep. He searched literature online and in libraries to pinpoint what these rare sheep were, but found there was a scarce amount of information available. Through Spanish journals and archives, Chavez learned hair sheep were brought to New Mexico by the original Spanish settlers...more