Valais Blacknose

The Valais Blacknose (Template:Langx) is a breed of domestic sheep originating in the Valais region of Switzerland.Template:R It is a dual-purpose breed, raised both for meat and for wool.Template:R

History

The breed originates in the mountains of the canton of Valais – from which its name derives – and of the Bernese Oberland. It is documented as far back as the fifteenth century, but the present German name was not used before 1884; the breed standard dates from 1962. In the past there was some cross-breeding with imported sheep: in the nineteenth century with Bergamasca and Cotswold stock,Template:R and in the twentieth century with the Southdown.Template:R

The Valais Blacknose is also present in Austria, Germany and Holland.Template:R The total population reported in Switzerland for 2023 was Template:Val, with Template:Val ewes registered in the herd-book; the conservation status of the breed is listed as 'not at risk'.Template:R

Characteristics

The Schwarznasenschaf is a mountain breed, well adapted to grazing on the stony pastures of its area of origin.Template:R Both rams and ewes are horned,Template:R with helical or spiral-shaped horns. Ewes may have black spots on the tail, but rams may not.Template:R

Use

The Valais Blacknose is a dual-purpose breed, reared for both meat and wool. The wool is coarse: fibre diameter averages approximately 38 microns, and staple length is Template:Cvt or more.Template:R The annual yield of wool is about Template:Cvt per head.Template:R

Near Zermatt, with the Matterhorn in the background