Valais Blacknose sheep find true home in Tyrone

But as the young lady from Cookstown in Co Tyrone went on to point out, the sheep that she received were very special animals indeed.

“My father presented me with a Valais Blacknose breeding ewe and her ewe lamb daughter,” said Anna.

“The breed hails from Switzerland and is now very much very much sought after throughout the UK and Ireland,” said Anna.

“Demand for the sheep became so strong that Switzerland banned all exports of the breed a number of years.

“In fact, the ewe that I received as a Christmas present was one of the last Valais Blacknose sheep to be exported from Switzerland.

The Millar family farm between Cookstown and Moneymore.

Pigs are the main enterprise on the farm.

This side of the business is looked after by Anna’s father James, leaving her with the job of managing the burgeoning sheep enterprise.

“I have succeeded in building up numbers within our River Valais flock over the past two years,” she further explained.

“In turn, this has provided me with the opportunity of selling a selection of breeding males and females to other flock owners.

“To be honest, the interest in the breed is so strong that I cannot keep up with demand at the present time.”

According to Anna, demand for Valais Blacknose sheep is being driven by the friendly nature of the animals in tandem with their unique appearance.

She added: “I had previously seen the breed featured on the ‘This Farming Life’ television programme. And I was immediately hooked.

“There are currently 25 sheep in the flock: 12 ewes and their lambs. It has been a tremendous adventure up to this point.

“I had a great day out at Plumbridge Show earlier this year and I am really looking forward to Balmoral 2022.”

She explained: “They are tremendous companion animals and so easy to work with. Valais Blacknose have been characterised as the cutest sheep on the planet.

“From the outset, we have remained totally committed to using Swiss-only bloodlines within the flock.

“This is now well recognised by other breeders and those wanting to buy animals from me.”

Anna wants to follow a career in veterinary genetics.

“Having the sheep and using techniques such as embryo transfer to build flock numbers has further boosted my interest in the application of genetics within the various animal breeds.”

David Morgan, from Caltech: Crystalyx was a recent visitor to the River Valais flock. Anna puts Crystalyx Extra Energy Sheep feed blocks out with the ewes and lambs throughout the grazing season.

David commented: “I would like to congratulate Anna on her achievements to date and to wish her every success in the future.”