This factor determines if the pattern is expressed in black or brown, such as black or brown Badgerface or black or brown Solid Colour. Gray pattern in moorit colour Mouflon pattern in moorit colour Badgerface patern in moorit colour. Finally there is the Spotted Factor. Only two possibilities exist here also. In breeds other than the Icelandic there is also a dominant black gene factor, but since this factor has not been found in the Icelandic breed I will not address it here.
Every sheep born gets two genes, one from each parent, for each of the three factors above.
The more dominant ones will be expressed and the recessive ones will be hidden. Chance seems to determine which gene the parent passes on, the dominant or the recessive. If a lamb gets a white pattern gene and a solid colour gene, that lamb will be white. But it can give a coloured offspring since the hidden solid colour gene could be the one passed on. For example one can have Grey Badgerface, where the colour expressed in the Badgerface pattern is Grey.