topic Re: 'Sheepish' in Community Chat

'Sheepish'

feline groovy — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 19:01:02 GMT

kind of the giant pandas of the farm animal kingdom ;-)

Cutest sheep in the world are in ‘hot demand’

BNQT September 26, 2018

The Valais Blacknose sheep originating in the Valais region of Switzerland are known as the cutest sheep in the world and it's easy to see why.

With their black faces, long spiral horns, black patches on the knees, hocks and feet, and fluffy-looking fleece, it's no wonder their popularity is said to be "taking the world by storm," as reported by NewsHub in New Zealand.

"It would be fair enough to say they are going viral," Christine Reed told BNQT. "The Valais Blacknose New Zealand Facebook page now has over 11,000 followers and we have inquiries daily from all over the world to import them. They continue to be sought after in the U.K., and the breeding up program in the USA and soon in Canada is growing in popularity."

The Valais Blacknose New Zealand sheep are being bred by Sally and Lindsay Strathdee, who initiated the process to begin breeding the sheep when falling in love with the breed five years ago. They partnered with Reed and imported the sheep as embryos from prize-winning flocks in Scotland and the U.K.

Raymond Irvine and Jenni McAllistair from Valais Blacknose sheep Scotland and Jamie and Nicola Wood at Prendwick Farm in Northumberland, England, are the top suppliers to New Zealand, Reed told BNQT.

They describe the breed as "more like dogs than sheep" because of a warm and friendly temperament.

"The Swiss say, 'make friends with a Valais and you have a friend for life!' and that about explains it," the Valais Blacknose New Zealand website says. "They are gentle and curious with very little fear of humans, making them the perfect pet."

Sally Strathdee told NewsHub they're in "hot demand."

The Valais Blacknose New Zealand breeders will be introducing part of their 50-head flock at a New Zealand Agricultural Show in November.

The first generation of Valais Blacknose sheep in the United States is being born this year as part of a successful launch of the "breed up program," according to the American Sheep Industry Association.

The Valais Blacknose Sheep Association of North America was formed in 2017 to support the introduction of the breed in the states.

NewsHub reported that the popularity of the Valais Blacknose sheep "has skyrocketed around the world with Britain's Valais Blacknose Sheep Society proclaiming them the fastest growing sheep breed in the U.K."

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Re: 'Sheepish'

chickenbutt — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:13:56 GMT

Oh my goodness! How cute are they? And the babies. *swoon*

I want to hug them all - forever.

Re: 'Sheepish'

Cakers3 — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:15:13 GMT

I want them.

Re: 'Sheepish'

Equuleus — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:15:21 GMT

OMG. I want one. The last one looks like he's smiling!!!!

Re: 'Sheepish'

blackhole99 — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:18:03 GMT

I want one or two too, my husband is going to wish I never saw this post.

Re: 'Sheepish'

Marp — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:21:51 GMT

"They are gentle and curious with very little fear of humans, making them the perfect pet."

That makes me want to cry. No, herd animals do not make perfect pets but unfortunately too many people will attempt to keep them as backyard pets not having a clue about their care needs.

They are adorable.

Re: 'Sheepish'

phoenixbrd — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:40:27 GMT

my prayer is that they are cherished as all animals should be....not used for food/wool.

Re: 'Sheepish'

phoenixbrd — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:45:14 GMT

too late...man can be cruel and ignorant. Just found this:

The Valais Blacknose sheep are very hardy and strong animals. They are mainly a dual purpose animal, good for both meat and wool. But today the breed is raised mainly for meat production purpose.

tears....

Re: 'Sheepish'

ValuSkr — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:50:44 GMT

Very cute! It looks like they start out with a black nose and eventually their entire face is black.

Re: 'Sheepish'

feline groovy — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 21:18:19 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
Oh my goodness! How cute are they? And the babies. *swoon*

I want to hug them all - forever.

Re: 'Sheepish'

OKPrincess — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 21:27:31 GMT

Thanks for posting. I love these little guys. “Look at me” says this little one. @feline groovy

Re: 'Sheepish'

feline groovy — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 21:40:56 GMT

@OKPrincess wrote:
Thanks for posting. I love these little guys. “Look at me” says this little one. @feline groovy

You're most welcome, @OKPrincess. Yep - they make me happy, too.

Re: 'Sheepish'

feline groovy — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 21:41:57 GMT

just wanna kiss them on their sweet little lips...

Re: 'Sheepish'

Drythe — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 03:22:00 GMT

Yes, Please !!! 🐏 🐑

Re: 'Sheepish'

nrm — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 05:43:33 GMT

@feline groovy Too cute! Thanks so much for the post! 😺

Re: 'Sheepish'

meallen616 — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 11:24:04 GMT

@feline groovy,

For sure,

Re: 'Sheepish'

151949 — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 13:02:53 GMT

I can't imagine a sheep for a pet. We had neighbors who raised them (not this cute breed) when I was little and they certainly did not smell very nice. Maybe if you kept them very clean....

Re: 'Sheepish'

feline groovy — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 16:48:20 GMT

@151949 wrote:
I can't imagine a sheep for a pet. We had neighbors who raised them (not this cute breed) when I was little and they certainly did not smell very nice. Maybe if you kept them very clean....

Definitely, if these cuties are a bit stinky. They have fur deodorizing shampoos and sprays at Amazon that are natural and gentle.

Re: 'Sheepish'

SahmIam — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 17:34:46 GMT

Friends of friends have a small herd of Black Sheep (don't know the true name but they are all black sheep). They purchased a home with a few acres and wanted to find a way to keep the grass short and weed free without using pesticides, gas mowers, etc. Research led them to a small herd of sheep (all female). They do harvest the wool, but otherwise, the ladies move from one field to the next and have an ADORABLE barn (heat and AC, plus hot and cold running water) to stay in at night and during bad weather.

Re: 'Sheepish'

151949 — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 18:42:56 GMT

@feline groovy wrote:
@151949 wrote:
I can't imagine a sheep for a pet. We had neighbors who raised them (not this cute breed) when I was little and they certainly did not smell very nice. Maybe if you kept them very clean....

Definitely, if these cuties are a bit stinky. They have fur deodorizing shampoos and sprays at Amazon that are natural and gentle.

I think - I'm rather sure - sheep have oils in their skin that they excrete and that is the smell.