Buyers Guide - Valais Blacknose Australia Ltd.

Valais Blacknose are a large, long wool breed that will require shearing twice a year.
Sheep require food, water, shelter, fencing, and protection from predators.
All sheep require routine foot trimming and parasite management.
Not every vet works with sheep. Call around and see if you have access to vets locally before you commit to buying
Sheep need to be with other sheep, so you will need space and resources for at least two or three sheep. Lower percentage Australian Breed Up Valais wethers make ideal, and affordable companions for other Breed Up or Pure Bred Valais.

In Australia both buyer and seller are required to have a PIC (Property Identification Code). This number can be applied for through your state agriculture authority.
All sheep sold in Australia should have an NLIS approved ear tag showing the PIC for the breeder or seller.
All sheep being transported in Australia should be accompanied by an NVD (National Vendor Declaration), showing, among other things, recent chemical treatments. To provide an NVD you must be accredited with the Livestock Production Assurance system

A breeder or seller should be able to provide details of health, breeding history, vaccinations, medications, and treatments a sheep has received to a prospective purchaser.
Specific health/biosecurity issues to ask about could include, parasites, foot rot, Johne’s disease, and brucellosis.
If purchasing a lamb that is not fully weaned, you should be provided with detailed information about the foods and type of milk or milk replacer being used and the feeding regime. We highly recommend sticking to the regime the lamb is used to and introducing any changes very slowly and carefully.
We recommend asking what sort of aftersales service your breeder/seller offers. Such as, are they happy to talk to you about potential problems and perhaps to act as a mentor if you are just starting out with sheep.

If purchasing a breeding animal, you should be provided with an outline of the animals breeding history.
All sheep being sold by VBA members should come with a certificate of registration showing if the animal is Pure Bred, or Breed Up (F1, F2, F3 etc.) and should show the ear tag number matching the tag on the sheep. The certificate must be signed by the registered owner to enable transfer of registration.
If you are thinking of purchasing from a non VBA member, or if your seller doesn’t have the certificate as yet, we highly recommend contacting us at [email protected] prior to committing to the purchase, to ensure the animal is eligible for inclusion on our registry.
If purchasing a ram for breeding purposes, it is important to be clear about any potential semen right being retained by the breeder.
When purchasing a ram for breeding, we highly recommend a clear discussion about what guarantees, if any, the breeder is offering in regards to fertility.
If purchasing a pregnant ewe, we highly recommend a clear discussion about what guarantees, if any, the breeder is offering in regards to the pregnancy and potential live lambs.
In the case of a pregnant ewe the seller should be able to provide you with an estimate due date, or date range and the details of the sire. We recommend contacting us to verify the lambs will be eligible for inclusion on our registry, prior to committing to buy.

Please protect yourself from scams. Don’t make any payments until you are satisfied it is a legitimate transaction.
All our current breeder members are listed in our members directory with their VBA member number.
If you can’t get to see the sheep before purchase, we recommend a video call or unedited, unbroken video footage of your sheep showing their markings and ear tag.
If the animal is being transported to you, we highly recommend a clear discussion about what guarantees, if any, the breeder and/or transport company is offering about the safe arrival of your sheep.