The Hawaiian Black is a black Corsican type (hair) sheep. It is believed that they are a cross from a feral sheep from Hawaii. These feral sheep were crosses from sheep imported to Hawaii and Mouflon. Like many of the hair type sheep in the US, they were originally imported to improve the domestic sheep, either through higher fecundity, non-seasonal breeding, higher tolerance to parasites, higher vigor, etc. Over the years, they were crossed with sheep (Rambouleitt, Mouflon, etc.) that had horns to be used in the hunting market. They are not classified as a breed unto themselves yet, but within the exotic and hunting market they are. The Record of Exotics book classifies them as a breed for hunting standards. The majority of the good Hawaiian Black sheep will have shorter tails than the Barbados Blackbelly, and will range in color from black to a reddish-chocolate brown, and can have a white muzzle. Their horns will be black when young, and can turn a brown to yellowish color when older.
Another view point on the BLACK HAWAIIAN....
Here's another sheep that has been the topic of much argument. I guess only sheep freaks would bother to engage in such arguments (I confess that I am one), but it is amusing that one side won't give in to the other. Remember I mentioned that the Barbados sheep would occasionally produce black lambs? This usually happened when breeding very dark mahogany sheep with high "smudge marks" (the black that comes up the hindquarters onto the haunch and sometimes loin area). So of course it follows that our Corsican sheep are going to do the same and produce a black lamb every now and then. When solid, coal black, these sheep are very attractive. They may have a white crown or some gray on the face or muzzle, but the solid individuals are more desired. If harvested at the wrong time of the year, their coat may be a bit sunburned and take on a reddish appearance.
So why the fancy name? It seems as if the black Corsican was drowning in obscurity until, as luck would have it, a hunter ventured to Hawaii on a Mouflon and Corsican hunt. A very nice black ram was taken, and the story grew into a tale about a Black Hawaiian ram (or some will say Hawaiian Black). This started the argument about these magnificent black sheep that can only be taken in Hawaii. Sorry, but I sometimes have to stifle a laugh. The story of the origins of the Black Hawaiian took on a life of its own. The issue was settled with a call to the Department of Agriculture in Hawaii to confirm that there is no breed of black sheep indigenous to Hawaii. The Black Hawaiian is merely a black Corsican.
The Corsican Sheep is the poor man's Bighorn Sheep. For those of us who don't have thousands of bucks to spend sheep hunting the Corsican is the answer. This sheep is probably the most hunted of all the exotics in the United States.
The Corsican is a hybrid sheep that began its history in Texas about 40 years ago. This popular addition to the exotics scene will usually be brown with a black or white belly. Males will often have long black hair on the neck that many call a ruff. The horn configuration on a ram can vary from a tight curl similar to a Mouflon sheep or wide and flaring. A mature Male will weigh in the vicinity of 140 pounds and the females will weigh around 75 pounds. Horn lengths on a trophy sized animal start at about thirty inches and exceptional specimens can grow horns that will scare the 38 to 40 inch mark on a tape.
With the increased knowledge of management techniques and food supplements, the average horn size has increased the chances of a superior trophy with the cost being way below the costs of even an extremely low priced Bighorn, Dall, Stone, or Desert Sheep.
To make things even sweeter there have been a number of types of color variations on the Corsican to come along to make it even more interesting to hunt these sheep.
First is the one called the White Texas Dall. This is Corsican dressed up in all white hide and honey colored horns. This variation or color phase was isolated and spread in numbers by selective breeding, according to rumor on the famous Y.O. ranch.
Second on the list is the Hawaiian Black ram. This one is all black with black colored horns. The only white allowed on it is a little splash of white on the muzzle.
The most recent addition to the scene is the Painted Desert sheep. This ram is mostly black, white and brown. It has mostly black undersides with a wide variation of the other colors. The ones I have seen remind me of a paint horse's color and markings.
Thus you have a wide variation of sheep to hunt right here in Texas at greatly reduced process by comparison with other sheep species.
Adapted from a article written by Steve Mahurin on July 24, 2000.
.jpg)
