History of “Cutest Sheep in the world” the Valais Blacknose.
The Valais Blacknose sheep originate in the Valais region of Switzerland. They are unique to the Upper Valais and are well adapted to the harsh mountain conditions, being extremely hardy, prolific and frugal. These traits made them good at grazing the steep, rocky slopes of the Alps. Their small black faces combined with soft white fleece earned them the reputation of ‘cutest sheep in the world’, with many doubting on first seeing them whether they’re actually real and not woolen mascots. Moreover, as a dual purpose breed their size and robust physique make them particularly good for meat, while their wool is considered perfect for carpets and felting.
The earliest mention of the Valais Blacknose breed dates back to 1400A.D. The breed more than once became endangered by human activity. In 1884, trying to improve upon the wool and meat output, the authorities of Valais decided to start a program of crossing the breed with Australian Southdown sheep. Luckily for the native race, the descendants proved to be less adaptable to the climate, their wool much harder to spun, their meat less desirable due to high fat content. 1930s saw the Valais Blacknose once again in jeopardy. State agencies and agricultural associations, striving to establish uniformed breeding of a standardized white mountain sheep, a race best meeting the needs of the changing market, took efforts to eject other traditional breeds. In order to do so, it was decreed that the old races would no longer be licensed, and their herd books would cease to be recognized. On top of that, throughout 1930s and 1940s bouts of tuberculosis and brucellosis decimated the Blacknose population. The liberalization of regulations in 1960s brought a welcome change to the situation of Valais sheep. Their meat returned to the market and in 1962 they were officially recognized as a breed. In 1964 they were admitted into the Swiss Sheep Breeding Association. Today, the Swiss herd books include almost 13,700 animals.
The breed was exclusively raised in Switzerland until imported to the British Isles in 2013 and 2014 by several interested breeders. Importation to the US started in the fall of 2016 through an upgrading program using artificial insemination with imported semen collected from purebred Valais Blacknose Sheep. To reach a full Valais Blacknose requires 5 generations of breeding up.
F1 (50% Valais)
F2 (75% Valais)
F3 (88% Valais)
F4 (94% Valais)
F5 (97% Valais)