The adorable and friendly Valais Blacknose originate from the Valais region of Switzerland and is a  dual-purpose breed raised for meat and wool. They are a hardy mountain breed, grazing the steepest stoniest slope of the Alps. First mentions of the race can be traced back to the 15th century, however, it's possible the current Blacknose sheep are descendants of a breed introduced to Valais in pre-Roman times. They produce coarse carpet grade wool with fibres having an average micron of 38 in mature sheep and 28-30  for lambs. The wool is great for felting and has a long staple growing around 30cm annually. Leigh-Anne and Andrew Peake are among the handful of pioneers who successfully brought Valais Blacknose embryos to New Zealand.