BY-LAWS
BREED STANDARDS and REGISTRATION REQUIRMENTS
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 listed afterwards.
Traits discriminated against, 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 about
multiple markets) and may not necessarily weigh nor exhibit the deep and heavy
muscling 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 several colors and patterns. The Badger Face is seen
on several Corsicans and is very similar to the Barbados Blackbelly coloring. It is
defined by black stripes and areas of a brown color and even gray colors. More
solid coloring may be noted and can be color similar to the body or darker or even
black.
COAT:
The Corsican 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.
Corsican 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:
Corsican Sheep have multiple colors or shades with four general patterns (tracked in
pedigrees). The color white, unless obviously part of a natural pattern of coloring such
as found in the Mouflon Pattern, is a disqualification from registration as a Corsican.
If any sheep are produced which do not meet the color standards for the Corsican
Sheep Registry of UHHSA, PLEASE consider registering them with another Registry
Division of UHHSA if they match the division's Breed Standards.
EARS:
Ears should be parallel to the ground or at slightly higher angles. A very slight angle
below parallel to the ground is noticeable at times; however, the ears should become
parallel or higher when on alert.
While at birth, lambs may display droopy ears, especially those who are part of a
multiple birth; however, the ear(s) should straighten up within a few days. Otherwise,
ears must not droop enough to be considered floppy. Such ears would tend to
indicate cross-breeding in the background of the sheep. Naturally occurring (not due
to injury or other difficulties) droopy ears are a disqualification for registration.
Ears generally should come to a slight point at the tip and not be completely rounded
in shape. Elf ears (ears with external cartilage which is generally 1/2 inch to 3 inches
in length and exhibiting a more v-shaped ear) and Gopher ears (ears without visible
extenal cartilage or with less than 1/2 inch) are acceptable. Natural ears may vary in
length but are generally in the range of 3 - 4 inches. Abbreviations used within the
registry are as such: E indicating Elf Ears, G indicating Gopher Ears, and N indicating
Natural Ears.
EYES:
Eyes should be bright and alert and must be free from genetic eyelid defects such as
Entropion.
The color of the eyes vary from dark brown, golden brown to amber.
INCISOR TEETH:
Incisor teeth should meet the dental pad. A severe and distinct space between the
incisor teeth and the dental pad is a disqualification.
Sheep should not have an extreme overbite (parrot mouth) or underbite (monkey jaw).
CLICK HERE to learn how to estimate the age of your sheep by looking at the teeth!
NECK:
Neck should continue from the head and gradually lead into the shoulders and be
gracefully held when sheep are alert.
A ewe’s neck will be graceful and proportional in size based on the ewe‘s overall frame.
A ram’s neck will be thicker and more muscular than a ewe‘s neck in appearance and
to the touch. During the Fall or cooler weather, rams may display an increase in hair
and undercoat growth around the neck area which will make the neck look much
larger.
MANE:
Mature rams will display a mane in the winter. Some will shed the mane completely in
the summer while others will retain the main. A ram’s mane may be varied in length
from short to long, some even almost touching the ground when in full winter coat.
Some manes may be much shorter and hang just a couple of inches below the bottom
line of the chest. A ram with no mane at any time is a severe fault and is discriminated
against.
Some ewes may also exhibit a short mane.
SHOULDERS AND WITHERS:
The shoulders should be developed and muscled proportionally to the size of the
sheep. They should flow into the ribs (well laid into the ribs).
The withers (area between the shoulder blades along the top line) may be elevated
with rams exhibiting a more pronounced and higher elevated wither. Some sheep may
have a completely straight topline and no elevation at the withers.
CHEST:
The width of the chest of most Corsican Sheep will be narrow to moderate with a more
athletic look - proportional to the size of the sheep.
The width of the front of the sheep should not be greater than the width of the back of
the sheep to facilitate lambing.
BACK:
Continuing after a smooth transition from straight or elevated withers, the back should
be strong, level and relatively smooth. The Back may tend in width to look lean, sleek,
and athletic.
The back is proportioned to the height of the sheep and is generally not longer than
the height.
RIBS AND ABDOMEN:
Ribs should be well sprung. Abdomen should allow for multiple births and be
proportional for smaller sized ewes; however, Mouflon sheep and high content
Mouflon ewes are primarily shaped and geared toward single births.
BOTTOM LINE:
The bottom line should not be tucked in at the fore flank nor the rear flank.
LEGS:
The Legs should be sound and proportioned to size of individual sheep. Sheep will
have long athletic legs, usually longer than body height from bottom line to top line.
Rams will generally have thicker legs then ewes.
Legs should have a conformationally correct appearance. Front legs should not be
knock kneed, bowlegged, buck-kneed or calf kneed. Rear Legs should not be cow
hocked, sickle hocked or post legged. Lower Legs on both front and rear legs should
not toe in (angle inward/pigeon toed) or toe out (angle outward/splayfooted) too
much. Pasterns should be strong and correct.
SEE ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE RIGHT
A nice four square stance is desired with legs standing nicely inline with the body of
the sheep.
RUMP:
Continuing from the back, the rump should exhibit a gradually angled slope to the
dock.
Size and muscling of rump are proportional to the size of the overall sheep.
THIGH:
The Thigh should be well developed in proportion to the size of the sheep. Corsican
Sheep may not display the depth and heavy muscling of some sheep breeds
developed purely for fast gain and high weights (meat) at an early age.
TWIST:
The twist is the junction where the insides of the thighs meet. To compare sheep as
far as meat capability, the measurement of the depth of the twist may be taken. To
measure the depth of the twist, one can place hands at the top of the tail and at the
crotch. This measurement assists especially in judging of pure meat sheep breeds
and shows the depth of muscling in this area.
The Corsican Sheep tend toward the depth of the twist being minimal to moderately
deep. The Twist should be muscled proportional to the size and frame of the individual
sheep.
UDDER:
A ewe’s udder should be well proportioned and relatively symmetrical and have only
two teats. A ewe with more than two teats is discriminated against. The teats should
be free of obvious defects affecting function.
SCROTUM:
Both Testicles should be uniform and symmetrical, free of obvious deformities.
Testicles should be well sized and the scrotum itself should also be free of obvious
deformities.
SEE SCROTUM/TESTICLE ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE RIGHT
TAIL:
Tail lengths vary. Shorter tails are preferred. Tails should not be “round” and should
be more “flat“.
A tail that is reaching to the hocks is discriminated against. A tail past the hocks is a
disqualification from registration in the United Horned Hair Sheep Association, Inc.
SEE TAIL LENGTH ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE RIGHT!!
HOOF:
Hooves should be well formed and kept free of deformities and disease.
Corsican hooves must be dark to black with some allowance for a washing of color as
the sheep ages.
HORNS:
All rams must grow and display horns, however, both polled (hornless) and horned
ewes are acceptable as are ewes with scurs. Some breeders prefer not to have scurs
on their sheep due to scurs being easily knocked off and bleeding that could occur.
Rams with scurs are not eligible for registration. To be registered, ram lambs out of
unregistered parents will need to exhibit horns in submitted registration photographs.
HORN DISTANCE FROM FACE:
In general, wide horns (horns with plenty of room from the face) are preferred over
horns that may grow close to the face and eventually touch the face. Some flock
owners and breeders prefer horns which are a little closer to face (more heart
shaped) or have tight curls while other flock owners prefer horns which have much
wider areas between the face and the horns or less tight curls (horns almost sticking
straight out).
Filing or training of the horns to prevent horns from touching the face is acceptable
and will not prevent the ram from being registered. However, such activities should
always be disclosed in a honest manner to potential customers.
HORN SHAPE AND TYPE OF HORNS:
Horns can be of varying shapes. Some may be wider than others at the “tips“.
SEE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT
Over all directional shape of horn growth
Supracervical Horns (abbreviated SH) - Heart Shaped
Homonymous Horns (abbreviated HH) - Spiraling Out
Polycerate/Multiple Horns (abbreviated MH) - multiple horns - 3, 4 +
Actual Shape of Individual Horns
Webbed Horns
SW - Supracervical shape, Webbed horns
HW - Homonymous shape, Webbed horns
WH - Horns that do not show over all shape of horn growth yet but do show they are
webbed
Round/Usual Horns
Horns are more round in circumference. This is the most common actual horn shape
EWES' HORNS:
Ewes’ horns really do not take on shapes as the rams’ horns. They sometimes can be
curved outward or backward. To indicate Horned Ewes in the registry, HE is the
abbreviation used. SEE PICTURE TO THE LEFT
HORN LENGTH
A mature ram’s horn lengths vary based on actual age, individual ram (genetics),
areas of the country (environment and weather), nutrition and health. Growth rate
(rate at which the horns grow) is also dependent upon some of the above factors.
Horns generally slow down during late winter/early spring unless fed to overcome the
slowdown; however, the average overall growth rate for horns for young rams is 1 inch
per month for the first two years. Some rams may seem to get a good start with quick
growing horns while others horns grow slower but then catch up as the ram matures.
Mature rams usually display 20 - 29 inch length horns to measurements in the 30 - 39
range. Horns generally turn outward. Bases on mature rams generally run 8 to 9
inches in circumference. Ten inches in circumference of the base of mature rams’
horns also can be found. Eleven inches in basal circumference (base measurements)
for each horn is exceptional.
Some breeders will prefer larger base measurements as the horns grow out from the
bases and with larger base measurements, the belief is, the better future opportunity
for growth exists.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MEASURE AND SCORE YOUR RAM'S HORNS
HORN COLOR:
While shapes and lengths of the sheep breeds represented by UHHSA, Inc., are
similar, certain breeds prefer certain colors of horns. For the Corsican Sheep, horns
should be dark to black in color. As rams age, darker colored horns may become
more washed out and white coloring may appear but the distinguishable stripes of
variegation in the horns should not be visible at any time.
SEE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT
SIZE:
The average height of the Corsican Sheep for the ewes is 20 - 25 inches at the
withers and 21 - 30 inches at the withers for rams. Individual sheep may be outside of
the range and there is no fault or disqualification for above or below average heights.
Corsican Sheep with high Mouflon content may tend to be smaller, while Corsican
Sheep with heavy American Blackbelly sheep influence may tend to be larger.
WEIGHT:
The weight of the sheep varies and individual sheep may weigh outside the range.
Ewes may weigh 60 - 150 lbs with an average of 65 - 85 lbs. Rams generally weigh
from 75 - 200 pounds with an average of 75 -100 lbs.
BACKGROUND/HERITAGE:
Corsican are a naturally shedding, colored hair sheep with Mouflon Sheep influence in
ancestry. All rams must have horns, and the ewes are allowed to have horns although
most ewes are polled. Rams must not exhibit scurs instead of horns, while ewes with
scurs are acceptable.
The Sheep should not contain, to the best knowledge of the owner, any recent polled
blood or other types of polled bloodlines, including but not limited to Dorper, Katahdin,
and St. Croix sheep breeds. Horned Ancestry bloodlines accepted are Black Hawaiian,
American Blackbelly, Corsican, Mouflon, Horned Rambouliet, Merino, or Navajo
Churro, sheep breeds. To maintain the color patterns of the Corsican Sheep, wool
sheep parent breeds such as the Jacob which may cause spotting should probably
not be used.
While the original crosses occurred several decades ago, some breeders may wish to
create new bloodlines using one or more of the parent wool breeds. To be registered,
Corsican sheep must consist of 1/8th or less of parent wool breeds and meet all other
breed standards.
Corsican Sheep which are directly bred from wool lines and include only Horned
Rambouilet, Merino, or Navajo Churro, wool sheep parent breeds, must completely
shed and additional pictures showing the completely shed sheep may be required for
registration if the pictures submitted does not clearly show the sheep shedding or
having shed.
Information about any known background of the ancestral breeds should be included
in pedigrees with their percentages of the breeds noted to assist breeders in choosing
bloodlines. If a sheep is unregistered, the animal should be clearly labeled as
unregistered. This information should include any known wool breeds in the bloodlines.
NON STANDARD COLOR PRODUCING CORSICANS
What to do when sheep which are registered as Corsicans when mated with another
registered Corsican Sheep, produces non standard coloring. Are these non standard
color producers then still considered Corsican Sheep or are the offspring simply
expressing a color phase? For UHHSA and the Corsican Sheep Registry Division
purposes at this time, a Corsican Sheep will be defined as a sheep with the above
described coloring and patterns which, when bred to sheep with the same above
described coloring and patterns normally produces offspring within the standard
coloring and which has no known spotting genetics in the known pedigrees of the
sheep.
While some market opportunities do not require such distinction, for registration and
breeding purposes of a Corsican Sheep, production of spotting and color variances in
addition to the allowable colors listed above should matter and is highly discriminated
against. Animals displaying nonstandard coloring will not be eligible for registration as
a Corsican Sheep. UHHSA and the Corsican Sheep Registry expects it’s members to
fully disclose any known spotting or non standard coloring that exists in their Corsican
Flocks and work on minimizing spotting and the chance for spotting or non standard
coloring to the best of their abilities.
While each shepherd needs to make decisions on their flock management, it is
strongly suggested that if a registered ram or registered ewe is shown to produce non
standard coloring with different mates, that the sheep be removed from the Corsican
breeding program
If Any Sheep are produced which do not meet the color standards for the Corsican
Sheep Registry, PLEASE consider registering them with the Painted Desert Registry
division of UHHSA if they match the Painted Desert Breed Standard or another
division within UHHSA if they match the division’s Breed Standards.
TRAITS REQUIRED FOR REGISTRATION:
TRAITS DISCRIMINATED AGAINST (considered a fault):
DISQUALIFICATIONS:
NOTES:
Sheep with Disqualifying traits are not eligible for registration and will be denied
registration. Excessive Discriminating traits of an individual sheep may render that
sheep ineligible for registration if, at the inspectors and board of directors discretion,
such traits seriously challenge the breed identity.
BREED STANDARDS and REGISTRATION REQUIRMENTS
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 listed afterwards.
Traits discriminated against, 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 about
multiple markets) and may not necessarily weigh nor exhibit the deep and heavy
muscling 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 several colors and patterns. The Badger Face is seen
on several Corsicans and is very similar to the Barbados Blackbelly coloring. It is
defined by black stripes and areas of a brown color and even gray colors. More
solid coloring may be noted and can be color similar to the body or darker or even
black.
COAT:
The Corsican 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.
Corsican 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:
Corsican Sheep have multiple colors or shades with four general patterns (tracked in
pedigrees). The color white, unless obviously part of a natural pattern of coloring such
as found in the Mouflon Pattern, is a disqualification from registration as a Corsican.
If any sheep are produced which do not meet the color standards for the Corsican
Sheep Registry of UHHSA, PLEASE consider registering them with another Registry
Division of UHHSA if they match the division's Breed Standards.
EARS:
Ears should be parallel to the ground or at slightly higher angles. A very slight angle
below parallel to the ground is noticeable at times; however, the ears should become
parallel or higher when on alert.
While at birth, lambs may display droopy ears, especially those who are part of a
multiple birth; however, the ear(s) should straighten up within a few days. Otherwise,
ears must not droop enough to be considered floppy. Such ears would tend to
indicate cross-breeding in the background of the sheep. Naturally occurring (not due
to injury or other difficulties) droopy ears are a disqualification for registration.
Ears generally should come to a slight point at the tip and not be completely rounded
in shape. Elf ears (ears with external cartilage which is generally 1/2 inch to 3 inches
in length and exhibiting a more v-shaped ear) and Gopher ears (ears without visible
extenal cartilage or with less than 1/2 inch) are acceptable. Natural ears may vary in
length but are generally in the range of 3 - 4 inches. Abbreviations used within the
registry are as such: E indicating Elf Ears, G indicating Gopher Ears, and N indicating
Natural Ears.
EYES:
Eyes should be bright and alert and must be free from genetic eyelid defects such as
Entropion.
The color of the eyes vary from dark brown, golden brown to amber.
INCISOR TEETH:
Incisor teeth should meet the dental pad. A severe and distinct space between the
incisor teeth and the dental pad is a disqualification.
Sheep should not have an extreme overbite (parrot mouth) or underbite (monkey jaw).
CLICK HERE to learn how to estimate the age of your sheep by looking at the teeth!
NECK:
Neck should continue from the head and gradually lead into the shoulders and be
gracefully held when sheep are alert.
A ewe’s neck will be graceful and proportional in size based on the ewe‘s overall frame.
A ram’s neck will be thicker and more muscular than a ewe‘s neck in appearance and
to the touch. During the Fall or cooler weather, rams may display an increase in hair
and undercoat growth around the neck area which will make the neck look much
larger.
MANE:
Mature rams will display a mane in the winter. Some will shed the mane completely in
the summer while others will retain the main. A ram’s mane may be varied in length
from short to long, some even almost touching the ground when in full winter coat.
Some manes may be much shorter and hang just a couple of inches below the bottom
line of the chest. A ram with no mane at any time is a severe fault and is discriminated
against.
Some ewes may also exhibit a short mane.
SHOULDERS AND WITHERS:
The shoulders should be developed and muscled proportionally to the size of the
sheep. They should flow into the ribs (well laid into the ribs).
The withers (area between the shoulder blades along the top line) may be elevated
with rams exhibiting a more pronounced and higher elevated wither. Some sheep may
have a completely straight topline and no elevation at the withers.
CHEST:
The width of the chest of most Corsican Sheep will be narrow to moderate with a more
athletic look - proportional to the size of the sheep.
The width of the front of the sheep should not be greater than the width of the back of
the sheep to facilitate lambing.
BACK:
Continuing after a smooth transition from straight or elevated withers, the back should
be strong, level and relatively smooth. The Back may tend in width to look lean, sleek,
and athletic.
The back is proportioned to the height of the sheep and is generally not longer than
the height.
RIBS AND ABDOMEN:
Ribs should be well sprung. Abdomen should allow for multiple births and be
proportional for smaller sized ewes; however, Mouflon sheep and high content
Mouflon ewes are primarily shaped and geared toward single births.
BOTTOM LINE:
The bottom line should not be tucked in at the fore flank nor the rear flank.
LEGS:
The Legs should be sound and proportioned to size of individual sheep. Sheep will
have long athletic legs, usually longer than body height from bottom line to top line.
Rams will generally have thicker legs then ewes.
Legs should have a conformationally correct appearance. Front legs should not be
knock kneed, bowlegged, buck-kneed or calf kneed. Rear Legs should not be cow
hocked, sickle hocked or post legged. Lower Legs on both front and rear legs should
not toe in (angle inward/pigeon toed) or toe out (angle outward/splayfooted) too
much. Pasterns should be strong and correct.
SEE ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE RIGHT
A nice four square stance is desired with legs standing nicely inline with the body of
the sheep.
RUMP:
Continuing from the back, the rump should exhibit a gradually angled slope to the
dock.
Size and muscling of rump are proportional to the size of the overall sheep.
THIGH:
The Thigh should be well developed in proportion to the size of the sheep. Corsican
Sheep may not display the depth and heavy muscling of some sheep breeds
developed purely for fast gain and high weights (meat) at an early age.
TWIST:
The twist is the junction where the insides of the thighs meet. To compare sheep as
far as meat capability, the measurement of the depth of the twist may be taken. To
measure the depth of the twist, one can place hands at the top of the tail and at the
crotch. This measurement assists especially in judging of pure meat sheep breeds
and shows the depth of muscling in this area.
The Corsican Sheep tend toward the depth of the twist being minimal to moderately
deep. The Twist should be muscled proportional to the size and frame of the individual
sheep.
UDDER:
A ewe’s udder should be well proportioned and relatively symmetrical and have only
two teats. A ewe with more than two teats is discriminated against. The teats should
be free of obvious defects affecting function.
SCROTUM:
Both Testicles should be uniform and symmetrical, free of obvious deformities.
Testicles should be well sized and the scrotum itself should also be free of obvious
deformities.
SEE SCROTUM/TESTICLE ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE RIGHT
TAIL:
Tail lengths vary. Shorter tails are preferred. Tails should not be “round” and should
be more “flat“.
A tail that is reaching to the hocks is discriminated against. A tail past the hocks is a
disqualification from registration in the United Horned Hair Sheep Association, Inc.
SEE TAIL LENGTH ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE RIGHT!!
HOOF:
Hooves should be well formed and kept free of deformities and disease.
Corsican hooves must be dark to black with some allowance for a washing of color as
the sheep ages.
HORNS:
All rams must grow and display horns, however, both polled (hornless) and horned
ewes are acceptable as are ewes with scurs. Some breeders prefer not to have scurs
on their sheep due to scurs being easily knocked off and bleeding that could occur.
Rams with scurs are not eligible for registration. To be registered, ram lambs out of
unregistered parents will need to exhibit horns in submitted registration photographs.
HORN DISTANCE FROM FACE:
In general, wide horns (horns with plenty of room from the face) are preferred over
horns that may grow close to the face and eventually touch the face. Some flock
owners and breeders prefer horns which are a little closer to face (more heart
shaped) or have tight curls while other flock owners prefer horns which have much
wider areas between the face and the horns or less tight curls (horns almost sticking
straight out).
Filing or training of the horns to prevent horns from touching the face is acceptable
and will not prevent the ram from being registered. However, such activities should
always be disclosed in a honest manner to potential customers.
HORN SHAPE AND TYPE OF HORNS:
Horns can be of varying shapes. Some may be wider than others at the “tips“.
SEE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT
Over all directional shape of horn growth
Supracervical Horns (abbreviated SH) - Heart Shaped
Homonymous Horns (abbreviated HH) - Spiraling Out
Polycerate/Multiple Horns (abbreviated MH) - multiple horns - 3, 4 +
Actual Shape of Individual Horns
Webbed Horns
SW - Supracervical shape, Webbed horns
HW - Homonymous shape, Webbed horns
WH - Horns that do not show over all shape of horn growth yet but do show they are
webbed
Round/Usual Horns
Horns are more round in circumference. This is the most common actual horn shape
EWES' HORNS:
Ewes’ horns really do not take on shapes as the rams’ horns. They sometimes can be
curved outward or backward. To indicate Horned Ewes in the registry, HE is the
abbreviation used. SEE PICTURE TO THE LEFT
HORN LENGTH
A mature ram’s horn lengths vary based on actual age, individual ram (genetics),
areas of the country (environment and weather), nutrition and health. Growth rate
(rate at which the horns grow) is also dependent upon some of the above factors.
Horns generally slow down during late winter/early spring unless fed to overcome the
slowdown; however, the average overall growth rate for horns for young rams is 1 inch
per month for the first two years. Some rams may seem to get a good start with quick
growing horns while others horns grow slower but then catch up as the ram matures.
Mature rams usually display 20 - 29 inch length horns to measurements in the 30 - 39
range. Horns generally turn outward. Bases on mature rams generally run 8 to 9
inches in circumference. Ten inches in circumference of the base of mature rams’
horns also can be found. Eleven inches in basal circumference (base measurements)
for each horn is exceptional.
Some breeders will prefer larger base measurements as the horns grow out from the
bases and with larger base measurements, the belief is, the better future opportunity
for growth exists.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MEASURE AND SCORE YOUR RAM'S HORNS
HORN COLOR:
While shapes and lengths of the sheep breeds represented by UHHSA, Inc., are
similar, certain breeds prefer certain colors of horns. For the Corsican Sheep, horns
should be dark to black in color. As rams age, darker colored horns may become
more washed out and white coloring may appear but the distinguishable stripes of
variegation in the horns should not be visible at any time.
SEE PICTURES TO THE RIGHT
SIZE:
The average height of the Corsican Sheep for the ewes is 20 - 25 inches at the
withers and 21 - 30 inches at the withers for rams. Individual sheep may be outside of
the range and there is no fault or disqualification for above or below average heights.
Corsican Sheep with high Mouflon content may tend to be smaller, while Corsican
Sheep with heavy American Blackbelly sheep influence may tend to be larger.
WEIGHT:
The weight of the sheep varies and individual sheep may weigh outside the range.
Ewes may weigh 60 - 150 lbs with an average of 65 - 85 lbs. Rams generally weigh
from 75 - 200 pounds with an average of 75 -100 lbs.
BACKGROUND/HERITAGE:
Corsican are a naturally shedding, colored hair sheep with Mouflon Sheep influence in
ancestry. All rams must have horns, and the ewes are allowed to have horns although
most ewes are polled. Rams must not exhibit scurs instead of horns, while ewes with
scurs are acceptable.
The Sheep should not contain, to the best knowledge of the owner, any recent polled
blood or other types of polled bloodlines, including but not limited to Dorper, Katahdin,
and St. Croix sheep breeds. Horned Ancestry bloodlines accepted are Black Hawaiian,
American Blackbelly, Corsican, Mouflon, Horned Rambouliet, Merino, or Navajo
Churro, sheep breeds. To maintain the color patterns of the Corsican Sheep, wool
sheep parent breeds such as the Jacob which may cause spotting should probably
not be used.
While the original crosses occurred several decades ago, some breeders may wish to
create new bloodlines using one or more of the parent wool breeds. To be registered,
Corsican sheep must consist of 1/8th or less of parent wool breeds and meet all other
breed standards.
Corsican Sheep which are directly bred from wool lines and include only Horned
Rambouilet, Merino, or Navajo Churro, wool sheep parent breeds, must completely
shed and additional pictures showing the completely shed sheep may be required for
registration if the pictures submitted does not clearly show the sheep shedding or
having shed.
Information about any known background of the ancestral breeds should be included
in pedigrees with their percentages of the breeds noted to assist breeders in choosing
bloodlines. If a sheep is unregistered, the animal should be clearly labeled as
unregistered. This information should include any known wool breeds in the bloodlines.
NON STANDARD COLOR PRODUCING CORSICANS
What to do when sheep which are registered as Corsicans when mated with another
registered Corsican Sheep, produces non standard coloring. Are these non standard
color producers then still considered Corsican Sheep or are the offspring simply
expressing a color phase? For UHHSA and the Corsican Sheep Registry Division
purposes at this time, a Corsican Sheep will be defined as a sheep with the above
described coloring and patterns which, when bred to sheep with the same above
described coloring and patterns normally produces offspring within the standard
coloring and which has no known spotting genetics in the known pedigrees of the
sheep.
While some market opportunities do not require such distinction, for registration and
breeding purposes of a Corsican Sheep, production of spotting and color variances in
addition to the allowable colors listed above should matter and is highly discriminated
against. Animals displaying nonstandard coloring will not be eligible for registration as
a Corsican Sheep. UHHSA and the Corsican Sheep Registry expects it’s members to
fully disclose any known spotting or non standard coloring that exists in their Corsican
Flocks and work on minimizing spotting and the chance for spotting or non standard
coloring to the best of their abilities.
While each shepherd needs to make decisions on their flock management, it is
strongly suggested that if a registered ram or registered ewe is shown to produce non
standard coloring with different mates, that the sheep be removed from the Corsican
breeding program
If Any Sheep are produced which do not meet the color standards for the Corsican
Sheep Registry, PLEASE consider registering them with the Painted Desert Registry
division of UHHSA if they match the Painted Desert Breed Standard or another
division within UHHSA if they match the division’s Breed Standards.
TRAITS REQUIRED FOR REGISTRATION:
- Rams must have horns
- Known background of only Black Hawaiian, Mouflon, Corsican, or American
Blackbelly Sheep and wool parent breeds of Horned Rambouilet, Merino, and
Navajo Churro - 1/8th or less of wool parent breeds
- Sheep at maturity normally exhibiting shedding ability
- No white coloring except as part of the Mouflon Pattern or Badger face
TRAITS DISCRIMINATED AGAINST (considered a fault):
- Rams’ horns which touch the face at maturity
- For multi horned animals - fused horns
- Extra Teats on ewes
- Slight under or over bite, with teeth just barely touching the edge of the dental
pad - Sheep which do not shed out completely at maturity on a general basis
- Mature rams with no mane at any time
- Tails reaching to the hocks
DISQUALIFICATIONS:
- Sheep with known recent polled bloodlines
- Rams which are polled or have scurs at maturity
- Tails past the hocks
- Docked tails
- Sheep with more than 1/8th known wool breeding from the parent breeds -
Horned Rambouliet, Merino, Navajo Churro - Sheep with any known wool breeding from any non-parent wool breed
- Hermaphroditism
- One or both testicles not descended
- Severe under or over bite, with distinct space between teeth and edge of dental
pad - Evidence of cross breeding shown by physical appearance of breeds which are
not included in the history or background of the Corsican Sheep such as
Suffolk, Hampshire, Dorper, Katahdin, St Croix, etc. - Entropion (inverted eye lids) or other genetic eyelid defects
- Naturally occurring droopy or floppy ears on adults
- Known spotted genetics or other nonstandard coloring in pedigrees
NOTES:
Sheep with Disqualifying traits are not eligible for registration and will be denied
registration. Excessive Discriminating traits of an individual sheep may render that
sheep ineligible for registration if, at the inspectors and board of directors discretion,
such traits seriously challenge the breed identity.
United Horned Hair Sheep Association, Inc. |
| 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. |
| Supracervical (SH) Heart Shaped Horns displayed by a Mouflon Ram |
| CORSICAN SHEEP BREED STANDARDS |
| Tail Lengths |
| Horned Ewe |
| Homonymous (HH) Horns spiraling out like a corkscrew especially when viewed from side |
| Homonymous Webbed Horns (HW) |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dark Colored Hooves |
| This hoof is variegated in color and is generally a Disqualification from Registration as a Corsican Sheep |
| HORN MEASURING Click on picture above to learn how to measure and score YOUR ram! |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
| Washing/fading on dark horns as rams matures |
| Black Horns on young rams above and to the right Horns were buffed for show time on above |
| Variegated Horns on Painted Desert Ram Generally not seen on Corsican Sheep |
| White Horns generally not seen on Corsican Sheep |
| Gopher Ear Length |
| Elf Ear Length |
| Natural Ear length |
| Ears will generally be at parallel to the ground (depicted to left) or above parallel (pictured right on a young Mouflon ram lamb). Sheep which naturally have ears below parallel to the ground are disqualified from registration |
| Corsican Ram in process of shedding winter coat |
| Normal Bite |
| Underbite |
| Overbite |
| General Anatomy |
| Back Legs - Side View |
| Correct |
| Sickle-Hocked |
| Postlegged |
| Back Legs - Rear View |
| Correct |
| Bowlegged |
| Cow-Hocked |
| Front Legs - Front View |
| Front Legs - Side View |
| Correct |
| Correct |
| Weak Pasterns |
| Calf Kneed |
| Buck Kneed |
| Toes Angled Inward Pigeon Toed |
| Toes Angled Outward Splayfooted |
| Bowlegged |
| Knock- Kneed |
| Weak Pasterns FAULT |
| SCROTUM/TESTICLES |
Please CLICK HERE to visit our NEW Website (effective 03/31/2021 for up-to-date information
Please CLICK HERE
to visit our NEW
Website (effective
March 31, 2021) for
up-to-date
information,
pictures, forms, and
list of members.
to visit our NEW
Website (effective
March 31, 2021) for
up-to-date
information,
pictures, forms, and
list of members.
Please CLICK HERE to visit our NEW
Website (effective March 31, 2021) for
up-to-date information, pictures, forms,
and list of members.
Website (effective March 31, 2021) for
up-to-date information, pictures, forms,
and list of members.