Valais Blacknose

A hardy, large, strong-bodied and harmoniously built mountain sheep. It can be bred at any time of year; ewes mature late and produce on average 1.6–2.0 lambs a year, rearing them very well. It needs little exercise and is calm and notably affectionate.

Its fleece is long-stapled mixed wool of guard hairs and down covering the whole body: coarse, wavy, corded, white, with a staple length of 35–45 cm. Rams yield 3.5–4.5 kg and ewes 3–4 kg of wool a year.

The head is short with a Roman nose; nose, eye area and ears are solid black, and the wide nostrils turn outwards. Both sexes carry spiral horns. The knees, hocks and lower legs are black, as is the tail root in ewes; markings are sharply outlined and symmetry is desired. The long hanging tail sways as the sheep walks.