Buying a valais?
- Congratulations on deciding to purchase some Valais Blacknose sheep. This guideline has been prepared to help you decide whether you might want to join the New Zealand Valais Blacknose Sheep Society (NZVBSS) as a registered stud. Firstly, ask yourself a couple of questions: 1. Are the sheep you are buying registered? If you want them to remain registered, you will need to join NZVBSS as a registered stud. 2. Do you want to participate in the NZVBSS breeding up program or breed purebred Valais as a stud? You will need to register with NZVBSS. 3. Do you want to show your sheep? You will need to be a registered member of NZVBSS. 4. Do you just want some cute sheep and are not too bothered if they are registered or not, you don’t need to register as a stud/breeder.
- If you are buying registered sheep, you need to ask the seller for a copy of their registration certificate. This can either be issued by New Zealand Sheep Breeders Association (NZSBA) or a Grassroots version. Grassroots is the software the NZVBSS use to manage the Valais Blacknose sheep registry in New Zealand. If you are buying purebred sheep, also ask for a copy of each sheep’s DNA results. If you are buying a purebred ram, you will also need to ask for a copy of its Brucellosis certificate. It needs to be done within the last twelve months. If you are purchasing sheep from a stud that has a ram, you should also ask for a copy of the stud Brucellosis certificate - if they only have one ram, it's the ram's results but if they have more it will be a farms results. By joining the NZVBSS you will have access to plenty of information, webinars, training, Grassroots pedigree software, dedicated social media environments and plenty of support from other breeders. NZVBSS is by far the largest sheep breed society in New Zealand with over 220 registered studs. It’s totally up to you whether you purchase purebred or part breed Valais Blacknose sheep. Obviously the price is driven by the market and the pedigree of the sheep. But be aware - the price range is vast, based on the quality and breeding of the sheep. Regardless of what you decide, enjoy your sheep - they’re an awesome breed!