BREED STANDARD

Standard of Type:

The Valais Blacknose has a robust and large-framed physique.

The black nose should be centered and it is preferred that it extend up to the eyes. The ears are also black and extend up to the base of the head. There should be black colorations on the ankles and on the front knees. The females have black tail spots. 

Helical or spiral-shaped horns are typical of both ewes and rams and should be well balanced.

The head and the legs should exhibit wool growth evenly and be well covered.

Breed Type:

  • Nose to the center of the head, black

  • Black eye rims, both sides connected to the nose coloring preferred

  • Black ears

  • Uniform, black spots on the ankle and the front knees

  • In females a tail spot is desirable but it must not be too large

  • Short, dressed head

  • Wide mouth, broad forehead and Roman nose

  • Ears medium length and set

  • Distinctive head shape in males

  • Short, well-muscled neck

Horns:

  • Spiraling, well separated in the horizontal direction of the jaws

  • Occasional black streaks are tolerated

Chest, Shoulder, Withers:

  • Wide and deep chest

  • Shoulder close fitting

  • Withers broad and closed

  • Good spring of ribs

Back, Loin:

  • Long, straight and broad back

  • Wide loin

Height & Weight (from two years):

Female: 72 – 78 cm / 70 - 90 kg
Male: 75 – 83 cm / 80 125 kg

Legs:

  • Strong and well placed

  • Not cow-hocked and not bowlegged

  • Wide-legged position of the front legs (not knock-kneed)

  • Solid bone structure

Wool:

  • Fineness 5 -4

  • Staple length about 10 cm (5-6 months growth – sheep should be shorn twice yearly)

  • Balanced and natural all over the body, including the head and legs

  • Uniformly white, the neck be scattered black hair tolerated (in the males to 18 months, there is a reason for exclusion)

  • Balanced fleece

  • *Docked tails must be in line with the top of the black markings on hocks.

Undesirable Characteristics:

Anatomy:

  • Jaw: Condensed mandible or jaw unequal length

  • Teeth: If teeth are not up to the gummy plate or fitting (up 18 months,both male and female)

  • Dwarfism

  • Testicular sac rupture or chryptorchidism

Color Features:

In males, body spots within the fabric boundary (above the abdominal line), tail spots and the absence of a color feature.

Wool:

An excessive number of guard hairs
mixed-colored wool up to the age of 18 months

It should be noted that scurs are expected as part of the upgrading program with polled foundation breeds. Evaluation of registered individuals will be undertaken with successive upgrading and will become a criteria for evaluation in the American Purebred and acceptable reference sires.