Sheep color
Black
Solid black pigment. In birds often with a green or purple sheen; on skin, legs, beak, comb and tongue the dark pigment some standards call for.
37 Sheep breeds list Black. It is in a club standard for 17 breeds. At least one club disqualifies it in 4 breeds.
Breeds whose standards accept Black
| Breed | BBSAI | DORPER SA | LSZV MV | KHSI | LLSBA US | AMERICAN ROMNEY | ASBA SOUTHDOWN | SOUTHDOWN SS | SCHSB | SCHSIA | USSA | BRIT TEXEL | BLUE TEXEL SS | WLSBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbados Blackbelly | Standard (“contrasting black belly / black facial bars”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Barbados BlackbellyHooves | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| DorperBlack-headed | No ruling | Standard (“black confined to the head and neck”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| East Friesian | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“einheitlich schwarzbraun”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Katahdin | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“any color or pattern”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Leicester Longwool | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Leicester LongwoolHooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Romney | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“natural colored (black)”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| RomneySkin and scales | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| RomneyNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“solid black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| RomneyHooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SouthdownNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SouthdownHooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Horn of hoof black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| St. Croix | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Disqualifying (“Body color spot larger than a US quarter dollar”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SuffolkHooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“jet black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| TexelNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“nose preferably black”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| TexelBlue · Hooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling |
| Wensleydale | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Alternate (“black / pure black”) |
| WensleydaleSkin and scales | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Alternate (“black skin”) |
Breeds where Black is a fault
| Breed | HAMPSHIRE DSBA |
|---|---|
| Hampshire | Fault (“Black wool”) |
Breeds where Black is disqualified or not accepted
| Breed | COTSWOLD SS | LINCOLN LLSBA | MERINO SA | ASBA SOUTHDOWN | USSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotswold | Disqualifying (“Any black fibres in the fleece or black wool”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Merino | No ruling | No ruling | Disqualifying (“Brown or black fibres in fleece”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Southdown | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Disqualifying (“Black Sheep”) | No ruling |
| Lincoln | No ruling | Not recognized (“No coloured wool within the fleece”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Suffolk | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Not recognized (“dark or black or colored fleece”) |
| Awassi | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Cormo | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| CotswoldNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| CotswoldHooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Dorper | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| DorperHooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| HampshireNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| HampshireHooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Lacaune | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Leicester LongwoolNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| LincolnHooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| TexelHooves | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
Color changes
How Black can appear or change over an animal's life.
Blackchanges toGray
Coat · With age
Blackchanges toDark brown
Coat · With age · from 0 to 52 weeks
Blackchanges toGray
Coat · Progressive
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Blackchanges toWhite
Coat · With body condition · can change back