Presents!

                      Origins

                                  of the

        Painted Desert, Black Hawaiian, Texas Dall

            American Blackbelly & Corsican Sheep

 

 

The Corsican Family of Sheep (Painted Desert, Texas Dall, Black Hawaiian, American Blackbelly) are actually the result of initial crosses decades ago between the shedding, wild Mouflon Sheep with a wide range of more well known "wool" breeds of sheep including: Rambouillet, Churro, Merino, and Jacob, etc.   At times, some of these crosses also included another hair or shedding sheep called the Barbados Blackbelly which was imported from Barbados with bloodlines originally coming from Africa.  One of the very first crosses happened quite by accident in the mid 1900’s at the YO Ranch in Texas between Mouflon Ewes and Rambouillet rams resulting in beautiful snowy white, shedding sheep now known as the Texas Dall.

MOUFLON SHEEP: Mouflon Sheep are found running wild in a few locations throughout the world but have dwindling populations in some places. Mouflon sheep are a shedding sheep which shed a wooly undercoat during the summer leaving a sleek, slick coat.  These sheep are considered by many to be one of the two original wild sheep from which the domestic breeds of sheep descended. The other sheep is called the Urial.  Research is showing that the need for shearing of sheep (because the “wool” sheep do not naturally shed their wool) is a result of selective breeding through the years by folks to increase and improve wool for use in fabrics. Mouflon ram pictured to left is Majestic Mouflon’s Maximum Max. We have some of his granddaughters and greatgranddaughters here at Rafter SB.

Eventually, Mouflons made their way into several zoos, including the Fort Worth Zoo.  After several years, the zoos released some of the Mouflons to large ranches. Here in the United States, the wild Mouflon Sheep crossed with the more domesticated wool sheep breeds and the Corsican Family of Sheep were born.

Corsican Sheep have a variety of coloring patterns as a result of the various domestic sheep used in crosses with the Mouflon but one of the most familiar color pattern is the pattern resembling the Barbados Blackbelly.  Some sheep still having this type of coloring (Reddish brown with black bellies and markings) but with more influence of other Mouflon crosses and less Barbados bloodlines are still called Corsican Sheep.  This term is also used to describe sheep which have brown and black coloring or dark brown and cream, yet which lack white coloring (spotting) which would qualify them as a Painted Desert. American Beauty, pictured at left, is Black Hawaiian X American Blackbelly while her daughter Champagne Beauty, at right, is Painted Desert X Black Hawaiian/American Blackbelly.

The sheep resulting from the Mouflon X Barbados Blackbelly crosses with some Rambouillet bloodlines are called American Blackbelly or Texas Blackbelly Sheep.  These sheep have maintained the Barbados Blackbelly coloring of Reddish brown with black bellies and black markings on face - sometimes referred to as "badger markings" on the face (pictured at right). The main physical difference between these American or Texas Blackbelly Sheep and the original Barbados Blackbelly Sheep is - horns. American Blackbelly rams have nice horns inherited from their Mouflon and Rambouillet bloodlines. Barbados Blackbelly rams are still polled.

Just like with any new hybrid, popularity for the hybrid's physical looks and behavior qualities increases and soon efforts are underway to develop the hybrid into a recognized and separate breed from it's "parent" breeds. This is true of all breeds of animals, especially noted in sheep and in dogs.

 

Spotted Corsicans have developed into the Painted Desert Sheep Breed through the efforts of dedicated breeders who appreciate these beautiful and rare sheep.  Recognition of these unique sheep came in 1997 when Anita Garza of Texas, a long-time taxidermist, started the Painted Desert Sheep Society and the Painted Desert Sheep Registry.

 

Black Corsicans which produce black sheep are developing into the unique and separate Black Hawaiian Breed and efforts are underway to start a registry for the beautiful solid black sheep. 

 

White Corsicans, properly called Texas Dall Sheep which produce white sheep are a little further ahead in popularity and recognition than the Black Corsicans.  Efforts are underway to start a registry also for the all white Texas Dall Sheep which will bring recognition of the Texas Dall Sheep as an individual and unique breed. These sheep are not related to the Alaskan Dall or the New Mexico Dahl Sheep.

 

Origins Nature Horns Advantages PD Breed Standards

 
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