A company in New Zealand has been perfecting the production of a special breed of sheep that it hopes will turn heads around the world.
It was love at first sight for farmer Sally Strathdee when she saw the Valais Blacknose online five years ago. The sheep has a distinctive black face, ears and feet, with white fluffy fleece that makes it look like a doll. Strathdee was determined to breed the animal, which originates from the Valais region in Switzerland, where it wanders in the Alps and is raised both for meat and wool.
"One of the most wonderful surprises for us, though, was that not only were these the cutest sheep in the world, but they had friendly inquisitive natures unlike any other sheep breed, more like your family dog following you around the fields," Strathdee told Newsweek.
Now, Strathdee and her husband, Lindsay, have formed a company and are working to bring more of what's been called the "cutest sheep ever" to countries, like the United States, where until recently there were none.
Strathdee and her husband got started by joining forces with biosecurity expert Christine Reed to set up Valais Blacknose Breeders New Zealand Inc. and source the best sheep breeders in the U.K.
Reed selected winners from the National Valais Blacknose Show in Carlisle, England. Embryos were chosen from two breeders: Raymond Irvine and Jenni McAllistair from Tomintoul, Scotland, and Jamie Woods from Northumberland.
In 2017, strict New Zealand laws restricting the entry of sheep embryos were starting to be relaxed, and the embryos finally arrived in May of that year at the Strathdee's property in Motueka, located in the Tasman region at the top of the South Island. By October, 16 lambs had arrived, including one set of twins.
The company now gets inquiries from around the world, and its Facebook page has thousands of followers.
"They're an expensive hobby," Strathdee acknowledged. "Some people sink their money into jet boats, whereas we're investing in sheep."
When Strathdee came across the Valais Blacknose, there were none in Australia or the United States. Now, her company will export ram semen to the U.S. and offer a more affordable option of cross-bred Valais rams with English Leicester ewes.
The sheep will be showcased at an agricultural show in the South Island city of Christchurch in November.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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