Flock Management
Management of the Valais Blacknose Flockbook in Ireland.
Valais Sheep Management
The Irish Valais Blacknose Sheep Society Flockbook is run in conjunction with Sheep Ireland. You can find the breeders by county located at: https://appsh.sheep.ie/finder/flockbook/VB
From 1st January 2025 all pedigree lambs born in the Republic of Ireland must be registered starting with the letter “M”. All lambs must be genotyped and parentage verified prior to pedigree registration.
Usually a Valais Blacknose shearling ewe is bred between 18 – 24 months of age for the first time. They are not usually bred within the first year of life to allow them time to develop fully and mature prior to lambing.
Valais Blacknose sheep need to be shorn twice a year due to the growth rate of their wool.
It is important to scan ewes in lamb between 80-100 days, to ensure the breeder has enough time to adjust the feeding based on the number of lambs the ewe is carrying.
Castration Criteria For Rams
Confirmation:
- Incorrect mouth (up to 18 months of age) ie. undershot or overshot jaw length
- Bow legged or weak pasterns
- Absence of testicle/s
- Presence of scrotal hernia
Markings
- Additional black markings on body or legs
- Missing markings ie. from knees or hocks
- Panda eyed (white break between the eye and mouth) on one or both sides of the head
- Presence of black tail spot
