fixing a sheep

I have a series of sheep images from a farm. They have been painted with identification numbers

To remove the numbers in PP, I have usually resorted to a mixture of cloning and content aware filling, with mixed the results

Am I missing another technique that will get me a more consistent removal of the red without affecting the texture of the wool?

No editing has been done on this (though I have the RAW version)

My go to method would be content aware filling. That tool never fails to amaze me. Maybe attempt this method and post the result for us to see from there.

Post one or more of your efforts, maybe someone can offer another approach!!

I did a quick test with ACR , I used spot remover and then decreased red saturation
if you spend more time you can do better

I used the Content Aware Fill tool and then a Selective Color adjustment layer to remove the red overspay.

Used Content aware fill, some clone stamping and selective color removal.

pelooyen wrote in post #17108734
...Am I missing another technique that will get me a more consistent removal of the red without affecting the texture of the wool?...

I would suggest using the Healing Brush tool. I think it tends to blend textures and tones rather than making an exact duplicate the way the Clone Stamp tool does.

-----