A rare opportunity to secure genetics from "the highland cow of the sheep world" will be available on AuctionsPlus next week.
Alicia McConnell from Alora Prestige Studs, Dubbo, NSW, was the first breeder in the state to import the Valais Blacknose genetics and is offering an assortment of genetics on the platform for the first time.
The journey to this sale has not been for the faint hearted – and was five years in the making, with a series of embryo importing hoops to jump through and a long wait for gestations to yield live lambs.
Miss McConnell works at Central West Genetics, which specialises in sheep reproduction and exports, so she knew it was going to take some time and effort.
"It's been a big job," she said.
"I was looking at being involved in a sheep stud, and wanted something different that wasn’t already established in Australia."
The breed has only been available in Australia for the past four years, first with embroyos imported to Victoria, and Miss McConnell is the first breeder to do so in NSW.
Her first pure Valais were born last year with the second drop this year. She currently has 35 lambs and 11 one year olds, as well as crosses.
"I have one more shipment to come over which should arrive early next year," she said.
She said she had had a lot of outward expenditure, with little return so far. However, she has sold a ram to Victoria for stud duties, a ewe to Queensland for stud duties and wethers to an Air BnB at Newcastle, NSW.
The rare breed can fetch in excess of $20,000 per head, but Miss McConnell isn't expecting such heady prices given the current economic climate.
"That’s the whole point of the auction, to see how much interest there is and see where the price sits," she said.
Over the past year she has attended a dozen shows to give exposure to the breed and educate Australians about them.
"A lot of people see pictures of them when they are only young, so they don’t realise they are not a miniature breed," she said.
"They do have horns and I think they're the highland cow of the sheep world."
She said they would never be commercialled to the extent of having thousands out west, but were perfect additions to BnBs, small acreages and petting zoos.
"The only difference of these guys to standard run of the mill Australian sheep is that they grow 10cm every six months so they need two shearings a year. It’s carpet. Nitters and spinners love it because it doesn’t have any lanolin," she said.
Miss McConnell reported that she had only seen flies around a ram's horn, no body strike yet, which she attributed to the lack of lanolin.
"They are black hooved, with quite tough feet, but like other sheep in wetter conditions they are susceptible to foot abscesses."
They have been imported from the UK, but the breed originates from Switzerland, and much prefer the colder climates.
They’re also naturally docile and very curious, similar to a dog, so much so she says she can't clean a trough in a paddock without the Valais sheep coming over to say hello.
"The reason I thought of you, I use the platform myself – I also have a Limousin stud - I find it really good and I didn’t have enough numbers to warrant having my own on-farm sale," she said.
The genetics sale was a great fit and she's since encouraged four other breeders to become involved to provide some variety.
Alora Prestige Studs will be offering two grown rams ready for work, five ewe lambs, a pair of pet wethers and two semen packages.
The weekly sheep stud and genetics sale for next Tuesday can be accessed here.
Alora Prestige Studs will also be holding an open day on Saturday, November 9.
