Valais Blacknose.
The famously cute Swiss mountain sheep, with their distinctive black face markings and curly wool.
Nutmeg and Basil, two of our Valais lambs.
About the breed.
Valais Blacknose sheep come from the Valais region of the Swiss Alps, where they've been bred for centuries. They're known just as much for their calm, friendly temperament as for their striking looks. The black faces, knees and feet against the white woolly body make them instantly recognisable, often called the cutest sheep in the world.
They only arrived in Australia recently, and the breed is being built up here through an official breed-up program (more on that below).
- Originally from the Swiss Alps, only arrived in Australia recently
- Calm and friendly, very comfortable around people
- Both ewes and rams have curled horns
- Wool is coarse and curly, often used for felting and rugs
- Adults around 70 to 90kg, with rams larger
What "breed-up" actually means.
If you've been reading about Valais Blacknose in Australia, you've probably seen the words "breed-up" and "F1, F2, F3" thrown around. Here's the plain version.
True purebred Valais Blacknose semen is imported from Europe and used on similar-looking ewes in Australia. Each generation of lambs gets closer to a "full Valais":
- F1 — half Valais, half base ewe
- F2 — three quarters Valais
- F3 — around 87% Valais
- F4 and up — considered fullblood for Australian registration
We're working through this program ourselves. When we have lambs available, we'll always tell you what generation they are and what their parentage looks like. No surprises.
Where we are with Valais.
Our Valais journey is just getting going, with Nutmeg and Basil among the first lambs on the farm. Lamb availability will be shared on our journal and Instagram when we have firm dates.
If you're interested, the best thing is to drop us a line and start a conversation. We're always happy to talk Valais.