Welcome to the Valais Blacknose Sheep Society

Established in 2017 to Build a Collaborative Community to Preserve & Promote the Valais Blacknose Sheep in the USA.

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The Valais Blacknose Sheep Society is dedicated to establishing, protecting, and promoting the Valais Blacknose breed in the United States through responsible breeding, accurate registration, member education, and collaboration.

A herd of valais blacknose sheep walking on a narrow dirt path in a grassy area with mountains in the background.

Our Mission

Learn more about the VBSS’s commitment to ensuring the quality of Valais Blacknose Sheep in the United States. 

Our Mission

Become A Member

Get involved in promoting the Valais Blacknose breed in the United States and take advantage of everything that the VBSS has to offer!

Become a Member

Meet the Board

Get to know the elected board of directors to the Valais Blacknose Sheep Society and learn about their commitment to our cause.

Meet the Board

History of the Valais Blacknose Sheep

The Valais Blacknose sheep originate in the Valais region of Switzerland. They are a dual-purpose breed, raised for meat and wool. They are unique to the Upper Valais and are well adapted to the harsh mountain conditions, being extremely hardy, prolific and frugal.

The black on its nose, eyes, ears, knees, hocks and feet and otherwise light woolly coats make them quite unmistakeable. They have large helical or spiral shaped horns .They are good at grazing steep, rocky slopes. Both sexes are horned.

The earliest mention of the breed dates back to 1400 A.D., but they were first recognized as a separate breed in 1962.

Today, the Swiss herdbooks include almost 13,700 animals.  The breed was exclusively raised in Switzerland until imported to the British Isles in 2013 and 2014 by several interested breeders. Importation to the US is being pursued through an upgrading program using semen collected from purebred Valais Blacknose Sheep beginning in fall of 2016. 

The VBSS respectfully acknowledges the generations of work that have gone in to developing the Valais Blacknose Sheep in Switzerland and has adopted the Standard of Type from the Swiss time tested standards of selection.

Valais Blacknose Sheep Society Events & Important Dates

View All Upcoming Events

Use the link below to view details on all upcoming Valais Blacknose Sheep Shows, Events & Webinars and so much more!

If you would like to add or suggest an event, email vbssinfo@gmail.com

View Full List of Events

Volunteer Opportunities

Want to Volunteer? We’re always looking for great people who want to support VBSS! If you’re interested in volunteering, email us at vbssinfo@gmail.com. We’ll be in touch soon to discuss how you can get involved

Contact to Inquire

Proud Members & Sponsors of the VBSS

Bauman's Farm

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Plumpy's Peaceful Pastures

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Wing & A Prayer Farm

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Davis Family Livestock

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All Saints Valais Blacknose Sheep

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Oregon Valais

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Pure Valais

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Wild Rose Farm

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Vineyard Valais

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Valais At Mountain View Farms

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Leaning Cross Ranch

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Valais Iowa

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Hesed Farms

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Honey Hoof Ranch

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Bauman's Farm | Plumpy's Peaceful Pastures | Wing & A Prayer Farm | Davis Family Livestock | All Saints Valais Blacknose Sheep | Oregon Valais | Pure Valais | Wild Rose Farm | Vineyard Valais | Valais At Mountain View Farms | Leaning Cross Ranch | Valais Iowa | Hesed Farms | Honey Hoof Ranch |

A young boy in a white lab coat standing next to a blacknose sheep at a farm event, with people and fencing in the background.
A young black and white sheep with curly wool standing on grass with a tree in the background. A logo with a sheep and the text "Valais Plumpys Peaceful Pastures" overlays the image, along with information about raising sheep as pets and breeders in
A baby sheep with a black face and white woolly body standing on straw inside a barn, wearing a flower necklace.
Yellow poster advertising Davis Family Livestock with contact information, types of sheep offered, and agricultural tours.
Logo of All Saints Valais Blacknose Sheep with a sheep's head and stars, and contact information for a sheep farming organization, including names Ed and Andie Eisenberg and their phone numbers, along with an email and website, hosted on a white back
Business card for Oregon Valais with a logo featuring a sheep's face. The card includes contact information, website, and email, emphasizing sales of purebred and breed-up Valais Blacknose sheep, supporting and mentoring sheep ranchers.
Photo of a sheep and a lamb in a barn, with a promotional sign for Purebred Valais Blacknose Sheep Breeders listing breeding stock, pairs, rams, bred recipients, embryos, and Valais fiber.
Sign for Wild Rose Sheep Farm with a sheep logo, and photo of sheep inside the barn.
Business card for Vineyard Valais Swiss legacy sheep, featuring a photo of a white sheep with black face and legs, and contact details.
Business card for Valais at Mountain View Farms featuring a photograph of a Valais Blacknose sheep.
Business card for Leaming Cross Ranch, featuring images of Blacknose Sheep and contact information.
Group of four people in white coats standing behind four sheep, each with a green ribbon. A banner and a logo for Valais Iowa are visible, indicating they are involved in sheep shows or breeding. The people are smiling and appear at a livestock event
Advertisement for Hesed Farms, located in Howell, MI, offering purebred Valais and breed-up/ foundation ewes. Includes farm logo with a cross and text, background illustration of hop cones, contact information, and website.
Three black-faced sheep with thick wool coats standing on grass, with a large sign in the background advertising honey and sheep products.
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A woman in a red jacket herding valais blacknose sheep outside a wooden barn with a yellow pedestrian sign nearby.
A woman in a red jacket herding valais blacknose sheep outside a wooden barn with a yellow pedestrian sign nearby.

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