About Painted Desert Sheep

The Painted Desert Sheep is a relatively new sheep breed that was developed in Texas originally for trophy hunting as rams grow impressive sets of curly horns. Since then, interest in the breed has increased as it is prized for its diverse and fancy coloring, broad environmental tolerance, parasite resistance, mild meat flavor, and ease of handling. The Painted Desert Sheep Society was established in the late 1990s “to preserve, promote, and improve the Painted Desert Sheep through selective breeding; while striving for color, shedding ability, 'Gold Star' horns and lean carcass.”

The Painted Desert Sheep is a hair sheep, meaning that they have a double coat that is naturally cast off each spring. Thus, there is no need to shear their thick winter undercoat. Rams are especially dramatic in growing a luxuriant winter mane. This, together with their impressive horns, make for stunning pasture animals! The large winter ram mane is also shed in the spring, leaving a trimmer version for the summer. The Painted Desert sheep’s short glossy summer coats make them especially resistant to external parasites. While they do not enjoy rainy downpours, they are adaptable to extremes of heat and cold. During inclement weather, they take cover under trees or in small shelters.

Keeping Painted Desert sheep in a pasture is easy: they do not challenge fences and a 4-ft field fence is sufficient. While they could easily jump that height, they are rarely inspired to. A shelter is important for inclement weather and to provide food supplements and minerals. Further, a small, confined space simplifies handling—for hoof trimming, deworming, vaccinations. The sheep will tend to cluster in corners and individuals can be easily grabbed for handling.

Painted Desert Sheep are generally calm and have a strong flocking tendency. They easily flock together—and with their guardian llamas. With human contact, they can become eager to eat out of hand.

Lambing generally occurs without human participation. Ewes produce singletons, twins, or triplets and gestation is 5 months. They can breed at any season and some breeders choose to work in two lambing each year. Ram lambs reach sexual maturity between 4-5 months of age; ewes can be bred after 7 months of age. Ewes are good mothers, producing sufficient milk for multiple lambs. Lambs are generally nursed for ~12 weeks; keeper ewe lambs can be left to wean naturally.

Like most sheep, Painted Desert sheep are good grazers and can keep pastures looking mowed. They will even prune the leaves of spiky brambles. This diet leads to lean carcasses and because Painted Desert sheep do not produce lanolin (as standard wool sheep do), their meat is mild in flavor. Delicious!