Samples of
Spotting Cattegory 1

ALL over spots, not
generally taking into
account ticking.


United Horned Hair Sheep Association, Inc.
PAINTED DESERT SHEEP BREED STANDARDS
PAGE 1
BY-LAWS

BREED STANDARDS and REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PAINTED DESERT SHEEP

These are the standards that all breeders should do their best to have as breeding goals. Some standards are required for
registration and a complete list of standards which are required for registration is posted following.

Traits discriminated against or traits which are suggested to be used minimally in breeding the sheep are a fault and are not a
disqualification and animals exhibiting faults in one area or another are still able to be registered. An animal displaying a trait
that is listed as a disqualification is NOT able to be registered or recorded. Sheep which do not exhibit the requirements for
registrations are considered to be disqualified and not eligible for registration.

GENERAL APPEARANCE:
The General Character and Appearance of the Sheep represented by the United Horned Hair Sheep Association, Inc., should
be one of a noble animal. The sheep should look like an athlete with a lean, sleek form. The sheep are not purely a meat
breed but are more for multiple markets
(click here for more information on markets) and may not exhibit the deep and heavy
muscling or attain the weight of sheep which are considered purely meat breeds.

HEAD:
Should be well balanced and proportional to the body and held high when the sheep is alerted. Ewes should have a more
feminine face and features than the rams.

The back of the head of mature rams may display a slight to extreme rounded hump behind the horn base. This is part of the
rams’ physical frame which helps cushion the brain during any sparring.


NOSE:
Young lambs typically have a straight profile.

As ewes age, some may display a slight roman nose (elevated area on the nose bridge seen when viewed from the side
profile) while many will maintain the straight profile.

As the rams age, a slight to moderate roman nose (elevated area on the nose bridge seen when viewed from the side profile)
may be displayed. One may note a bigger elevation on the nose bridge during times association with breeding cycles or during
an increase in sparring activity among rams.

The Nose and Muzzle can be any color, reflecting the many colors and patterns which occur in the Painted Desert Sheep
Breed.


COAT:
The Painted Desert Sheep is considered a hair or shedding sheep. These sheep actually have two coats: a hair type coat and
usually a more wooly undercoat. The undercoat may resemble a thicker hair to a more wool type look and texture. This
undercoat grows during cool weather and will naturally shed off when warmer weather arrives.

In colder climates, some sheep may exhibit a 3 inch or more full winter undercoat; however, the undercoat should completely
shed off without shearing when warm weather arrives with the exceptions of lambs and some yearlings.

The ability of the sheep to grow and shed the undercoat, may lead to only partial shedding for a time in various climates. A
complete shedding generally occurs by May, June or early July. The exact time for a complete and natural shedding depends
on the climate. Lambs and some yearlings may not shed totally till the next year.

Painted Desert sheep with possible close Mouflon breed influence, may have a slight shedding of coarse guard hairs in the
fall, dependent of the climate.

The complete and natural shedding ability is important in maintaining ease of care and a lack of such shedding may be
indicative of parent breeds in the background that are not desirable or of having wool parent breeds in the recent background.


COAT COLORS:
Painted Desert Sheep have multiple colors and patterns.  They can be bi-colored (two colors), tri-colored (three colors), quad-
colored (4 colors), and a few may even have six or more colors.  To be registered, the sheep should have at least 2 separately
distinguishable colors, one of which MUST be white and the white will need to show on registration photos from at least one
view.

The white color must be a distinguishable area from normal pattern of color.  For example the white saddle patches exhibited
by Mouflon sheep and some Painted Desert rams during the winter would not be counted since that is a normal pattern of
color.

SEE BELOW FOR OFFICIAL COLOR CHART and PATTERN INFORMATION!
COLOR
ABBREVIATION
SUMMARY AND
NOTES
FULL DESCRIPTION
SAMPLE
COAT SAMPLE
WHITE
WHT
Simple White
A basic pure white color with
no hint of other colors
BLACK
Abbreviated as
BLK
BLK
Simple Black
A basic pure black color with
no hint of other colors.
 
VARIATIONS OF YELLOW COATS
BUFF
BUF
Light Cream to Medium
Cream
Color variation is from a cream
colored off white to a medium
cream color with no hint of red.
CHAMPAGNE
CHM
Light Yellow to Medium
Gold.  Sheep with this color
of coat and which are more
solid may tend to have
lightening of the color on
the extremities
Color variation of a light
golden yellow to a medium
dark golden or orange color.
Some of the coats may have a
slight hint of red giving them
the golden color.
COPPER
CPR
Dark Gold
Sheep with this color of
coat and which are more
solid may tend to have
lightening of the color on
the extremities - possibly
even light enough to be
white
Color variation of a very dark
golden or orange color.  More
of a deep mostly yellow clor
with just a hint of Red or
Brown tint that makes it darker.
VARIATIONS OF GRAY COATS
TAUPE
TPE
Light Gray and Brownish
Gray which is too light for
Charcoal
Color variations of a light
colored gray or brownish/gray
from light to medium color.
Some sheep can have a ‘blue’
tint to the color. Other color
hairs can not be mixed in with
color.
CHARCOAL
CHL
Medium to Dark Gray
Varieties of a solid gray,
medium to dark, without
yellows or reds mixed in with
color. Most sheep will have a
‘blue’ tint to the color.
SABLE
SBL
Mixture of colors with
overall Gray to Brown
appearance

Can be overall light or dark
Sable
Varieties of colored hairs
similar to a ’wild’ rabbit. Hairs
can be Variations of light to
dark and can be two or more
colors of browns, grays, white
and black all mingled together
to make this look.
VARIATIONS OF BROWN COATS
SABLE
SBL
Mixture of colors with
overall Gray to Brown
appearance

Can be overall light or dark
Sable
Varieties of colored hairs
similar to a ’wild’ rabbit. Hairs
can be Variations of light to
dark and can be two or more
colors of browns, grays, white
and black all mingled together
to make this look.
FAWN
FWN
Light Brown to Medium
Brown.  If there is a Red
tint, Cinnamon would be
considered.
A light brown to medium
brown or yellow/brown without
a hint of red color.
CHOCOLATE
CHO
Medium to very Dark
Brown.  If very Dark Brown
with a Red tint, the color
Mahogany would be
considered.
A medium brown to very dark
brown color without a hint of
red. Can be a milky brown to
very dark brown, not to be
confused with a sunburned
black that has a chocolate look
to it.
CINNAMON
CIN
Light to Medium Brown with
Red tint.  Without Red tint
the color Fawn would be
considered.
A light to medium brown with a
hint of red.
 
MAHOGANY
MHG
Deep Dark Brown with red
tint.  Without Red tint the
color Chocolate would be
considered.
A variety of deep dark brown
with a hint of red.
 
RED
RED
Medium to Dark Red
Medium to dark red color.  
Slight hints of brown allowed
as long as basic color is a
deep rich red.
 
PAGE 1 Contains:
General Appearance; Head; Nose; Coat including Colors, Patterns and items affecting color


PAGE 2 Contains:
Ears; Eyes; Incisor Teeth; Neck; Shoulders and Withers; Chest; Back; Ribs and Abdomen; Bottom Line; Legs; Rump; Thigh;
Twist; Udder; Scrotum; Tail; Hoof; Horns including Distance from Face, Horn Shape, Horn Length, and Horn Color; Size; Weight;
Background and Heritage; Traits Required for Registration; Traits Discriminated Against; Disqualifications
SPOTTING CATEGORIES OF THE
PAINTED DESERT SHEEP
Tracked in the pedigrees and printed on Registration and Recorded Certificates.  Assigned by the Registrar.
In picture examples, please keep in mind you are only seeing one side.  Both sides are taken into consideration.
COAT COLORS
Assigned by the registrar, tracked in the pedigrees and printed on Registration Certificates
Almost all over spots
and generally not
taking into account
ticking. Ex: sides and
back are very spotted
but legs and/or belly
are not.
Spots in at least 2
areas plus spot(s)
on side (at least
one side)
Color in at least 2
areas like white tip of
tail and white cap or
two or more spots in
one area
Spot in one area like
white tip of tail or
white cap
No white or
all white
THIS website is copyright May 2009 by United Horned Hair Sheep Association, Inc.  
Active Members of UHHSA are permitted to use information on their website to help in
ethical and honest promotion and education about the breeds represented.  However,
a link to this website should be provided.

Pictures are copyrighted by owners of the sheep pictured and permission will need to
be sought to use the pictures.
ITEMS AFFECTING COAT COLORS AND APPEARANCE OF PATTERNS

Ticking is caused by the Ticking Gene and can affect any white areas of all listed patterns above over time.  White areas
appear to develop small to extremely small spots or freckles of a contrasting color as the sheep ages.  The ticking can be
expressed minimally with only a few spots far apart or extremely where many small spots over time eventually fill in the white
area like the Loud Patterned sheep pictured below.   Lambs can start to develop ticking even at birth or the ticking may wait to
appear until after the sheep has reached ages such as eight years old.  However, usually ticking will begin to show up by the
time the sheep reaches age two or three. Some sheep can have such an extreme amount of ticking in the white areas that
they actually loose their spotting pattern with age. Ticking can also affect only certain areas of the body like the face, the ears,
or the legs.  This color change affect can be seen in all patterns from Flashy to Minimal and can affect any area of the
sheep's body.

There is a genetic component of ticking.

SEE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT


FROSTING AND ROANING: Abbreviated as (FR) and tracked in the pedigrees

Frosting is when a colored sheep has white hairs intermingling within the color giving it a Frosted affect.
This pattern has more of a smooth affect than the distinct Freckled Ticking shown above.  This can be seen
in all patterns from Flashy Loud to Minimal and occasionally in Solids.

SEE PICTURE BELOW RIGHT

Roaning: Some sheep that are born white or with areas of white can actually develop a roaning pattern of dark hairs
intermingling with the white areas over time and can be very colorful once they reach adulthood. This pattern has
more of a smooth affect than the distinct Freckled Ticking shown above. This color change affect can be seen in
all Patterns from Flashy to Solids. The individual white colored hairs in the Roaned area are not considered to be an area
of white necessary for registration purposes.


SEE PICTURE BELOW RIGHT


TEMPORARY SEASONAL COLOR CHANGES: not tracked in the pedigrees
On Mouflon Rams and some Painted Desert Rams, light gray to white saddle patches are visible during the winter time.  

Wintertime can affect the intensity of color and the winter undercoat may actually seem to lighten or deepen the overall color
of the sheep.

During the Summer, Sunbleaching of colors may occur.  This is especially noted in the color black.  Black may take on a
bronze or copper tint to it, but after growing a winter coat and reshedding, the black will be visible again.

These are temporary/seasonal color changes and will NOT need to be changed on the Certificates of Registry/Recording

PERMANENT COLOR CHANGES:
Some sheep seem to change colors in their first year.  What starts of as red, may end up as fawn when the sheep reaches
maturity.  Some Sable sheep appear to be fawn as youngsters. In this situation, unless there has been a drastic change of
color, usually the initial colors are considered the true color of the sheep

Frosting and Roaning may also permanently change the color or pattern of your sheep.  Ticking may also affect the spotting
pattern.

If your sheep appears to have permanently changed colors or patterns from what is listed when registered, please notify the
registrar and have the color and pattern updated.

Generally, especially for younger aged sheep registrations, TF is not included in assigning a spotting category as the amount
of Ticking/Freckling could increase as the sheep ages, or end up decreasing the look of the spotting pattern.  If your sheep is
older and seems to have stabilized and you would prefer your registration papers to be changed to match the sheep, please
contact the office.
Same lamb pictured above at birth
and to the right at age 6 months -
ROANING
CATEGORY ONE (1): Flashy / Loud
For sheep with the most colorful and eye catching spotting patterns.  Very
Distinctive and Flashy, with sheep having an evenly distributed amount of color,
or color combinations, and white.
CATEGORY TWO (2): Medium Flashy
The next level of spotting for very colorful sheep. Sheep that have nice spotting
patterns but spotting or color patterns are not as evenly distributed over the
entire sheep as in Category One (1)
Larger colored areas than defined smaller spots.
CATEGORY SIX (6) Solid
Solid color sheep with no white markings in any area, OR solid white sheep with
no additional colored spots. If a solid color or solid white sheep is produced out
of two Registered Painted Desert Sheep or one Registered and one Recorded
Painted Desert Sheep, the offspring can be RECORDED with pedigrees noted
and can be used as breeding stock in the Painted Desert Sheep Registry. Such
sheep will be listed as Recorded and Pattern will be listed as Solid along with
color on Recording Certificates. Solid colored sheep can not be inspected in
(Recorded or Registered) as a Painted Desert with an unregistered or unknown
sire or dam.
CATEGORY FIVE (5) Minimal
Sheep with a very minimal area of color on a white body or a minimal area of
white on a colored body that shows in registration photos.
CATEGORY THREE (3):  Medium
Sheep with one or more main colors and white areas highlighting it, or sheep that are
mainlywhite with colored areas highlighting them
CATEGORY FOUR (4) Medium Minimal
Sheep with the body being a main color(s) with the majority of white markings
mainly on head, legs or tail. Some Sheep may have minimal white markings on
body as well.  Or sheep that are
white with minimal spotting on face legs and body.
FROSTING
Back of mature ram's head showing "hump"
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