Valais Blacknose sheep is a breed of domestic sheep with incredibly unique features. Rare and majestic, the Valais Blacknose Sheep is highly sought-after by farmers and pet lovers. Would you like to add this ancient breed to your flock?
Here’s everything you need to know about Valais Blacknose: its origin, characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages!
Valais Blacknose Sheep Origin
The Valais Blacknose is a hardy, unpretentious breed indigenous to the mountainous region of Valais, southern Switzerland. It’s also one of the oldest sheep breeds in the world, with the first mentions of the breed tracing back to the 1400s.
However, the appearance of Valais Blacknose, which once looked like the Scottish blackface, has changed significantly over the years.
Although the Valais Blacknose has been roaming the Swiss Alps for hundreds of years, it was only recognized as a breed in 1962.
The United Kingdom started importing Valais Blacknose in 2014. Before then, this sheep breed could only be found in the areas surrounding the Valais region of Switzerland.
In October 2021, a Valais Blacknose was born for the first time in Australia after successfully importing semen and embryos from the UK.
Valais Blacknose Sheep Characteristics
In this section, we look at the characteristics of the Valais Blacknose breed, focusing on three major categories; general appearance, temperament, hardiness, and prolificacy.
General Appearance
The Valais Blacknose’s standout feature is its large black nose, extending up to the head’s center. The distinctive convex nose, from which the breed derives its name, connects and encompasses the black surrounding the eyes.
They are mainly white, with uniformly distributed fleece. They have black ears and markings on the hocks, front of the knees, and tail (ewes). The entire body of a Valais Blacknose is covered in wool, including the legs and face.
Their short heads, small faces, big noses, and curly white fleece that’s soft to the touch give the breed a truly stunning and unique appearance.
One look at the breed, and it’s easy to see why they are dubbed ‘the cutest sheep in the world.’
When it comes to size, the Valais Blacknose is considered a large-sized breed. Ewes range from 70 to 90kg, while rams range from 80 to 130kg.
Both ewes and rams have a pair of helical or spiral-shaped horns, adding to their striking appearance.
Temperament
The Valais Blacknose is an even-tempered, friendly sheep breed. Highly domesticated, these sheep aren’t afraid of humans and usually do not shy away from human contact.
They are cute, social, easy to tame, and renowned for their gentle temperament, which makes Valais Blacknose sheep excellent additions to anyone looking for a companion animal.
They generally have an easygoing nature, are sociable, and ease of trainability which again makes them to be suitable pets for farm owners or keen sheep owners alike. These sheep require minimal maintenance, they graze on pasture and hay, and thrive in a farm environment.
The sheep are particularly well-suited for families with children, as their docile disposition and low noise level create an easygoing and harmonious atmosphere.
While they offer a delightful presence on the farm, it’s essential to ensure you have a sizeable grazing space, access to reliable veterinary care, and a long-term commitment to the sheep’s’ well-being.
Valais Blacknose sheep can enhance your life experience with their endearing qualities which makes them a fantastic addition to your agricultural family.
Hardiness
- Climate Adaptability. The Valais Blacknose is known to be an extremely hardy mountain breed adapted to the steep, rocky pastures on the slopes of the Swiss Alps. They can handle extreme weather conditions in their homeland, even in the summer. Being used to the cool and dry conditions in the mountains of the Valais region of Switzerland, this breed can be sensitive to extremely high temperatures. However, the Valais Blacknose has been shown to tolerate the heat just fine as long they are shorn and have access to shade.
- Disease Resistance. Valais Blacknose sheep are known for their strong immune systems and resistance to certain common sheep diseases. While no sheep breed is entirely immune to diseases, the hardiness of this breed often translates into lower susceptibility to illnesses. This can reduce the need for extensive veterinary interventions and medications, making them a practical choice for low-maintenance farms & households.
- Foraging Abilities. These sheep are efficient foragers and can graze on a variety of vegetation. They are adapted to browse on rough, alpine pastures where other breeds may struggle. Their ability to utilize a wide range of forage resources can be advantageous for farmers in areas with limited access to cultivated pastures or supplemental feed.
- Minimal Shelter Requirements. As mentioned above, this breed of sheep are usually well-equipped to withstand exposure to the elements and may require less elaborate shelter compared to more delicate sheep breeds. This can be an advantage for owners with limited resources or infrastructure or farmers practicing pasture-based farming.
- Low Maintenance. Due to their respectable hardiness, Valais Blacknose sheep are relatively low-maintenance compared to some other sheep breeds. Their ability to thrive in challenging conditions often means that they require less attention and subsequently require less effort to keep them healthy and comfortable.
All in all, the hardiness of Valais Blacknose sheep is one of their standout features. They are an excellent choice for owners living in a range of varying environments, particularly land in cold climates or land which has rugged landscapes. Basically, their resilience, combined with their adaptability and ability to thrive on natural forage makes this breed of sheep a great choice for both sheep owners and farmers alike.
READ ALSO: 15 Super Cool DIY Mobile Sheep Shelter Ideas (With Pictures!!)
Prolificacy
The Valais Blacknose becomes sexually mature at about 18-24 months. Their oestrus cycle is unseasonal, with a yearly reproduction rate of 1.6 lambs. However, breeding the Valais Blacknose only once a year is best.
The Valais Blacknose ewes have a gestation period of 20 weeks and usually give birth to one or two lambs.
These sheep give birth to fast-growing lambs and have excellent mothering instincts. They produce sufficient milk for their offspring.
Valais Blacknose Sheep Uses
Valais Blacknose is a dual-purpose breed, primarily raised for meat and wool production. Let’s explore the breed’s meat and wool performance.
Meat Production
The Valais Blacknose have good meat traits, such as their large size, making them ideal for meat production. Their bodies are lean and evenly muscled, with a fat content 50% lower than other breeds.
The Valais Blacknose breed is also known for producing excellent quality meat, highly sought after for its tender nature.
Their meat is tasty even to people who dislike lamb — perhaps due to the various mountain herbs they are raised on.
Wool Production
The Valais Blacknose is also raised for wool production. Their fleece is equally distributed all over the body, including the face and legs, and has similar length and thickness.
The average Valais Blacknose produces about 4 kilos of wool per year.
Their fleece is white and coarse, with a fibre diameter of roughly 28 – 38 microns (depending on age and gender) and a staple length of 5 – 6 inches. The Valais Blacknose wool is mainly used to stuff mattresses, felting, and carpet making.
Valais Blacknose Sheep Advantages
The Valais Blacknose is a very difficult breed to come by. That’s because this breed has many good traits that make it highly desirable for sheep farmers and pet lovers alike.
Here are some things that the Valais Blacknose sheep are good for.
- Dual purpose. The Valais Blacknose are a dual-purpose breed. They are primarily raised for meat and wool. Both their meat and wool are highly sought after and fetch reasonable prices in their respective markets.
- Adaptable. Although the Valais Blacknose are used to the dry cold conditions of their homeland, they are a highly adaptable breed. They can tolerate high temperatures are long as they are shorn and have access to shade.
- Non-seasonal breeder. The Valais Blacknose can breed all year round, averaging 1.6 lambs per year. The fact that their breeding is not seasonally limited — as it’s the case with many sheep breeds — is great news for sheep farmers.
- Great pets. The Valais Blacknose have a striking appearance (earning the reputation of the cutest sheep in the world), are intelligent, and are not shy of human contact. These characteristics make them such perfect pets.
Valais Blacknose Sheep Disadvantages
Although the Valais Blacknose is pretty close, any sheep farmer can tell you for free that there is no perfect sheep. There’s always something to compromise. Here are the potential drawbacks of the Valais Blacknose:
- Maintenance. This breed does not shed and requires shearing twice a year for optimal health and wool quality, which is quite a chore for the farmer and unpleasant for the animal.
- Slow maturing. The Valais Blacknose is a notoriously slow-maturing breed, especially the ewes —which are only considered mature enough to handle pregnancy and labour at 18 months. This is not ideal for sheep farmers looking to grow their flock quickly.
Frequently asked questions
What problems do Valais sheep have?
Valais Blacknose is a long wool breed, which probably makes them prone to interdigital dermatitis or ‘scald’. This condition occurs when their long wool gets trapped between their hooves, causing discomfort for the animal.
Since a mixed bacterial infection causes this condition, administering antibiotic spray can help. But first, you have to remove the wool and hose the feet to remove any other debris between the hooves.
Do Valais Blacknose sheep make good pets?
The Valais Blacknose sheep breed has a calm demeanor and is docile. If you have young kids, this would make such a perfect pet for your family.
Why are Valais Blacknose sheep so expensive?
The Valais Blacknose is an expensive breed and for a good reason. They have unique body traits and are so adorable. Furthermore, they are extremely hard to breed and few farmers breed them.
How much does a Valais Blacknose cost?
Valais start from $4000- $25000 depending on where you are in the world.
How long do Valais sheep live?
The lifespan of a Valais sheep is anywhere between 10-12 years. At maturity, they weigh 80lbs-400lbs.
Conclusion
One of the most prized breeds in the world, the Valais Blacknose Sheep could be an excellent addition to your flock. The large, even-tempered sheep has many unique features that make it desirable. It’s hardy with great meat and wool performance, good maternal traits, and a striking appearance.
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