| 27 Hobby Valais flock a labour of love Tracey is keen to do more with the Valais wool, which is a coarse 40microns. Tracey Edwardes MEAT & WOOL » Elgin View Valais Blacknose There’s nothing better than going out to the paddock, shaking the bucket, and 50 sheep come bellowing down the hill to see you,” says Tracey Hurst of Elgin View Valais Blacknose. “They are always right in your face and wanting cuddles.” The Swiss Valais Blacknose, introduced here in 2017, are a dual-purpose breed, but Kiwi’s are just keeping them for their friendly nature and cuteness. Tracey and husband Jerry, a fourth generation sheep farmer, have 2800 Coopdales and 130 Angus on 1200ha just out of Waimate. Her hobby flock, kept separate from the main mob, include F1-50% Valais Blacknose, F2-75%, F3-87.5% one F4-93.75%,two full-bred rams. “And I recently purchased a full Valais ewe from the Remarkable online auction. She’s settled in with Charlie the Ram, so looking forward to some cute full-bred lambs in the spring. “Spring is my favourite time, the lambs are just so cute.”. “It’s more than I’m allowed, Jerry tells me daily. We’ll hopefully sell a few in-lamb before spring, especially now it’s been a drought and were short of feed, the sheep nut costs are adding up!” As they originate from the harsh mountainous environment, they love our hills and foraging which is evident with the amount of weeds leaves etc caught in their fleeces sometimes! Jerry’s mum, Rosie Hurst, always loved the breed that originated from Switerland’s Valais region, after a time working and skiing there in her youth. Rosie brought three in-lamb Leicester ewes from Sally and Lindsay Strathdee in Motueka. “They were for Charlotte, the farmy one of our three daughters. But she soon went to boarding school,so I took over. “It’s still a hobby but the animal care, record keeping, registering and checking pedigrees, especially when upgrading rams, is involved. The Valais Blacknose Society for which Tracey is a registered breeder, operates the Grassroots Registry, others can view the breeding. “I have learnt a lot, and most breeders offer great advice. Nikita Woodhead From Woodland Farm Valais has been amazing. “In January 2018 we were blessed with three F1-50% Valais Blacknose ewe lambs – Heidi, Greta and Leisel – and two ram lambs. The flock keeps growing as we breed up through the grading. “We scan and sell in-lamb with single or twin this year we have mainly F2s for sale. Prices are becoming more affordable.” Tracey is keen to do more with the Valais wool, which is a coarse 40microns, needing shearing twice yearly. “We sheep farmers are passionate about our produce. It’s devastating wool is not worth much at present. I’m organising a workshop here this winter to learn felting and produce something with the wool.” “My family think I’m a little crazy with almost daily updates of selfies with my flock. And there’s plenty of photos on my Elgin View Valais Blacknose Facebook and Instagram pages. “We want to keep it simple. My ultimate aim is to breed my own flock to full-bred. We natural mate here, keep crossover percentages down, mixing up the genetics. When breeding up, their unique features get stronger,ie their black faces, knees and hocks, and the wool coarser – both ewes and rams have spiral horns.” “Lulu who was hand-reared, is the friendliest and always at the front of the pack, right under my feet. There is nothing better to brighten my day.” Elgin View Valais Blacknose = One of our great “Sheepish” Clients
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