Block Farms - Valais Blacknose Sheep

11/26/2022

I can't wait for the 2023 Valais blacknose sheep show right hercin Des Moines!!!!

11/19/2022

Isla had a bit of a long day, but was ready to play and eat right when we got home! Lots of prayers for sweet little lambs in the spring!!!

11/18/2022

Today is the day! Isla is on her way to Iowa State for IVF! 💙💗🙏

11/14/2022

Flock of sheep decorated with Remembrance poppies

Flock of sheep decorated with Remembrance poppies

11/12/2022

Photos from Valais Blacknose Sheep - Iowa's post

11/04/2022

🤣😄🤣😄

08/13/2022

Photos from Valais Blacknose Sheep National Show USA's post

06/23/2022

Photos from Valais Blacknose Sheep Herefordshire's post

05/17/2022

Photos from Johnston Community School District's post

04/30/2022

Photos from Valais Blacknose Sheep - Iowa's post

04/09/2022

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!this is so exciting!!!!!!!!!!!

**UPDATED from original post. Our friends in New Zealand forwarded us comments that they have better results flushing embryos from ewes that have lambed naturally once before being flushed for embryos. This adds ANOTHER YEAR to my original timeline! 5 years to get a PUREBRED Valais Blacknose sheep to the US!!!

🎉🎉🎉 Our long-awaited first purebred Valais Blacknose was born to Valais Blacknose Sheep-Iowa!
Aimee Rueber, DVM & Jesse Stayner, Scott & Tina Starkweather

How does a PUREBRED Valais Blacknose sheep get to the US? How long does it take?
Here’s how it works…. (my disclaimer: After visiting with breeders and industry professionals in the UK, Switzerland, New Zealand and the US, this is my overview of the timeline of a complex process.)

The Valais Blacknose breed originates from the Valais canton of Switzerland.
In 2014/2015 only, Switzerland exported the sheep, and flocks were established in Europe outside of Switzerland.

Due to the sheep disease Scrapie, the US has restrictions regarding the importation of sheep, semen and embryos from the UK. As of Fall 2020, the US allows sheep and embryos to be imported from Scrapie free New Zealand (semen was imported prior to 2020).

UNITED KINGDOM
In the UK the ram & ewe are quarantined, tested, & bred. NOV-MARCH 2018
The ewe’s embryos are flushed 6 days after breeding & embryos are frozen.
Frozen embryos are exported to New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND
Frozen embryos are imported to reproductive centers in New Zealand.
Frozen embryo(s) is thawed and implanted in recipient/surrogate ewe(s). MARCH 2019
20-70% of embryos develop into lambs.
❤️🐑 A PUREBRED Valais Blacknose lamb is born in New Zealand. AUGUST 2019
After the ewe/ram is 12 months old, it is considered part of the New Zealand national flock and NZ allows embryos or semen from that ewe/ram to be exported from NZ. AUGUST 2020

In NZ the ram & ewe are then quarantined, tested, & bred. FEB/MARCH 2021
The ewe’s embryos are flushed 6 days after breeding & embryos are frozen.
Frozen embryos are exported to the US. AUGUST 2021

UNITED STATES
Frozen embryos are imported to reproductive centers in the United States.
Frozen embryo(s) is thawed and implanted in recipient/surrogate ewe(s). OCTOBER 2021
20-70% of embryos develop into lambs.
❤️🐑 A PUREBRED Valais Blacknose lamb IS BORN IN THE US! MARCH 2022

It ONLY takes…
4 months for UK Breeding/export/import to NZ
PLUS the time to align with the breeding calendar in NZ
5 months gestation
12 months in NZ’s national flock
3 months for NZ Breeding/export/import to US
PLUS the time to align with the breeding calendar in US
5 months gestation

TOTAL TIME: ~4 years! It takes a significant amount of PEOPLE, DISTANCE TRAVELED, TIME, MONEY…and PASSION…to bring Purebreds to the US! Thank you to everyone involved!

03/13/2022

Photos from Valais Blacknose Sheep - Iowa's post

02/28/2022

Our hearts are broken today as we had to say goodbye to our dear little Gummy. She came to us to be a companion to Hero after the loss of Hans, and she so quickly became family and touched our hearts so much. She is no longer in pain and back to sweet pastures to play again. We will miss our sweet girl. We thank Dr. Amy so much for letting her come stay with us!❤❤❤

01/26/2022

01/20/2022

Watch this reel by goodnewsdog on Instagram

Watch this reel by goodnewsdog on Instagram

1,171 Likes, 6 Comments - Good News Dog () on Instagram: “This is beautiful 🥲❤️☁️ 🦴 fetched from: guyrajack/Twitter in New South Wales,…”

12/25/2021

Merry Christmas to you all from Block Farm fiber kids! Ian, Isla, Indie, Hero and Gummy even got spoiled this Christmas day!❤❤❤

12/13/2021

11/22/2021

Teehee

10/21/2021

Silly 🐏

When it stops raining and mom opens the gate!🚀

08/10/2021

Our new pens and alittle cuteness!

07/09/2021

We love visitors!❤🐏❤🐏❤

06/27/2021

Photos from University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture's post

06/27/2021

Telling the age of sheep by their teeth

Telling the age of sheep by their teeth

Sheep will set two permanent teeth each year from the age of one to four years of age.

06/14/2021

Welcome home kids! We are over the moon excited to have you become part of our family! We love you so much! Meet Indie, Isla and Ian! I, because they are the next year of breed up program for the Valais blacknose sheep to become fullbred here in the United States!

06/06/2021

05/23/2021

New haircuts and new pasture!😍 thank you Jaxon Kampen for Shearing the sheepies!!!!!

05/22/2021

Our sweet little Hero and friend Gummy!

05/22/2021

Fun little find in the sheep barn!😍

05/22/2021

I make wool, what's your super power!?💜😍💜😍💜

04/30/2021

All so very cute!

04/24/2021

Photos from Valais Blacknose Sheep - Iowa's post

04/19/2021

Caution: Cuteness overload!
More of our day meeting our new littles Isla and Indie! I could have stayed all day to cuddle these sweet babies!

04/19/2021

Caution: Cuteness overload!
Meet Indie and Isla coming home to our farm soon! We got to meet these sweetpeas today and are already in love!!!!😍 Thank you Tina and Scott Starkweather for having us to the farm today!❤

04/06/2021

Photos from Katelyn Folkmann - 2021 National Miss Agriculture Advocacy Ambassador's post