The
Valais Blacknose Sheep are unmistakable with their black faces, ears and long spiral horns, black patches on their knees, hocks and feet. The sheep are extremely friendly and seem to love us as much as we love them. Therefore, we are not surprised they have been called the cutest sheep in the world!
Widely known as 'the cutest sheep breed in existence', Valais Blacknose sheep are famous for their fluffy, almost teddy-bear like appearance. They are also known for their friendly, affectionate natures and are often kept as pets, even in their home country of Switzerland.
'World's cutest sheep' Valais blacknose makes long-awaited flight to Tasmania. It was among a flurry of barking dogs and squeals of children's excitement that a long-awaited sheep called Amy walked regally across the tarmac of a regional airport in Tasmania, and straight into the arms of her new family.
The Valais Blacknose is a domestic sheep that originates from the mountainous state of Valais. Though they have been documented since the 15th century, it wasn't until 1962 that they became a standardized breed. These days, they're not only known for their adorable appearance but also their winning personality.
In Senegal, Ladoum sheep can cost tens of thousands of pounds. Measuring up to four feet tall, they're prized as pets and status symbols.
The Merino wool difference
Merino wool is the finest and softest sheep's wool in the world. Merino wool makes up just 1% of the world's fibre for apparel – true luxury.
Western Australia (WA) produces some of the finest lamb, mutton and wool in the world and exports to over 100 countries. Sheep are produced in the south west of the State on broadacre farms, with world class welfare, food safety and environmentally responsible systems.
Pink Sheep are the rarest with only a 0.164% chance of naturally spawning.
An Australian white ram broke records after selling for a whopping $240,000.
Like New Zealand lamb, Australian lamb tends to come from smaller animals that have been entirely grass-fed on open pasture. It is leaner and has a deeper flavor than American lamb.
The loin produces the most flavorful and tender cuts of Lamb in our opinion, due to its generous and tasty fat cap. Lamb Loin is located in between the ribs and sirloin. Lamb Loin Chops look like miniature bone-in T-Bone steaks or Porterhouse, that are straightforward to grill or pan-fry.
Sheep meat consumption
According to the OECD, the consumption of sheep's meat—including both lamb and mutton—is most popular in Kazakhstan, Australia, and Turkey. Amongst EU nations, Greece is the top consumer of lamb per capita, consuming around 27.11lbs per person per year.
The Valais blacknose are seldom seen outside their native Switzerland, where they are often referred to as the "world's cutest sheep".
In 1797 the first merino sheep were landed in Australia. Unlike earlier breeds, this Spanish variety was much better suited to the Australian environment and was a formidable wool producer.
The Norwegian Grey Troender (Norwegian: Grå trøndersau) is a very rare breed of domesticated sheep that originated from crossbreeding native landrace sheep with the now extinct Tautra sheep in the late 19th century.
Pink Sheep is a fictional character created by ExplodingTNT who exists in the sandbox/RPG game Minecraft. He is arguably ExplodingTNT's most popular character, and after appearing in many of TNT's videos has launched a channel of his own.
The unique sheep became so popular, that the owners decided to make the look permanent. However, dyeing them in two different colors was difficult, so after discussing various colors and causes, they settled upon this bright pink, in honor of breast cancer awareness.
Victoria is Australia's largest sheep meat producer, producing around half (46%) of Australian sheep meat followed by NSW (28%). Victoria's sheep meat production increased by 5 per cent (15,100 tonnes) between 2015-16 and 2019-20.
China has more sheep than any other country in the world, with approximately 175 million of them living within its borders. The sheep population in China continues to grow, as the economy continues to expand. China has more than twice as many sheep as the second country on the list.
Rawlinna Station in Western Australia is the largest sheep station in Australia.
A study of sheep psychology has found man's woolly friend can remember the faces of more than 50 other sheep for up to two years. They can even recognize a familiar human face.
Texel sheep are the most expensive sheep breed to buy because their breeding lines are tightly controlled.