Colors and "Detail"

Hi, Doug:
I seem to recall from somewhere that before the stock cars were painted black, they were painted red, like other freight equipment. This was customary on the C&S narrow gauge to the end of operations.
I don't know that I have ever heard a definitive answer on the color change to black or even when it was done.
If you wish to capture the real essence of a livestock car, line the bottom of it with sheep poop. This would be a much more "colorful" and accurate representation of such a car to anyone who ever had the misfortune of being too close to one in service. The smell of a string of stock cars in a train could knock you out. I remember this as a kid.