Painted Desert Sheep Characteristics summarized here, in the categories of Color, Horns, Size, Coat, Temperament and Fertility.

Color
The colorful markings of the Painted Desert Sheep sets them apart from most other breeds.  They are commonly marked in a combination of colors, although solids are possible.  Painted Desert Sheep ar typically at least two-colored, with tri-color and even quad-color being possible.

Typically a painted desert sheep will have a dark body with white markings, or a white or roan body with dark markings.  Markings range from distinct patterns to a speckled or 'splashed' look, frosted or even marbled where the colors seem to blend or fade into one another.

Horns
At present the Painted Desert Sheep is known predominantly for the ram's growth of trophy class horns.  They are in demand by hunting ranches.  These sheep have been crossed with other breeds to reach trophy class horn sizes faster.  The style of horns a ram will have is largely influenced by the influence of other breeds in their background.

Generally ewes do not have horns, although some backgrounds, such as those with mouflon and/or jacob influences, have produced Painted Desert ewes with horns.

Size
The adult sizes vary with the influence of other breeds within their background; as such there is no strict standard at this time.  Ewes range from 60 to 120 lbs (27.2 to 54.4kg) in weight and shoulder heights of  21 to 25 inches (53.3 to 63.5cm).  Rams range from 75 to 200 lbs (34 to 90.7kg) and may stand over 30 inches (76cm) at the shoulder.

Coat
The Painted Desert is not a" woolless" breed, but a double coated breed that casts its wool in the spring.  In the fall they begin growing their undercoat of wool, which gets thicker as the weather gets colder.  Rams are known to grow beautiful manes, which adds to their favor as a trophy animal.  This mane often begins at the shoulder with a thick bib under the neck.  As the season changes, the wool undercoat begins to shed off, usually in clumps along with some of the longer outer guard hairs.

Generally wool will completely come off of the sheep by summer, although in some cases brambles or other debris matted into the wool may cause some clumps to cling for extended periods.  Likewise lambs frequently do not fully cast off their wool until their second springtime.

Temperament
Like many sheep, the Painted Desert has a strong flocking instinct when disturbed, but when relaxed will scatter across a pasture.  The more they are handled from birth onward, the more docile they will tend to be.  A mesh fence 4 feet in height, or in many cases field or woven wire fencing of similar hieght will generally keep the flock in your pasture.

Fertility
Largely due to the Barbados influence in some of these sheep, the Painted Desert Sheep can have lambings at about 7 months apart.  While it is possible for them to breed while still nursing a lamb, this tends to be an exception rather than the rule.  Rams have been known to father offspring as early as 4 months of age, making it important to remove ram lambs before this time.

More information about the breed can be found at the Painted Desert Sheep Society website.