Ballan farmer Julie Dekort can not hide the joy in breeding Valais Blacknose, a sheep that's been widely called the cutest sheep in the world.
Discovering the breed was a stunning experience too for her, coming by them in the wild during a trek in Switzerland five years ago.
"We took the tourist train to the top of the Swiss mountains and decided to walk down instead of taking the train, and halfway down, we came across the Valais Blacknose sheep in the wild and we absolutely fell in love with them," Ms Dekort said.
Since the introduction of genetics in November 2020, the amount of interest in the breed had steadily grown across Australia, with studs in every state and territory except in the NT.
Victoria also currently hosts 17 Valais Blacknose studs, with many established within the Moorabool and Ballarat regions with studs in Colbrook, Smeaton, Miners Rest and Elaine in addition to Ms Dekorts property, Gordilly Park.
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Ms Dekort said much of that interest is driven by the sheep's temperament and the local Central Victorian climate suited the breed well.
"It's picking up a lot of interest and breeders range from those who are doing a breed up program to use who are focusing on the purebreds, like us" she said.
"They are used to a cooler climate, and that is why we chose Ballan to base ourselves, because the area really does excel at giving us cooler temperatures at the right time."
There were some biosecurity concerns when Valais Blacknose genetics were introduced, as the breed is susceptible to scrapie - a possibly fatal transmissible disease which affects the central nervous system and leads scratching or scraping patches of their fleece.
Ms Dekort said the breed had continually met strict requirements since embryos were introduced in Australia and rigorous processes from Camperdown genetics importer Carpotek have ensured the safety of the breed.
"When we came back to Australia from Switzerland we'd tried to figure out how to get them across the line, and that took a long time but we actually found (Carpotek founder) Belinda Cardinal, who we appreciate the work of, as it took years" she said.
"We ended up purchasing some embryos from her and since then we've been importing to make sure we've got the diversity and sustainability of the breed."
While the couple were drawn by the cuteness of the animal "and liken them to owning a loyal dog", they also argue there was good commercial potential from the Valais Blacknose's fleece and regularly schedule shearing twice a year.
"Their fleece are widely used for carpet or felting, and many crafters are purchasing as they love the look of the curls," she said.
Having successfully argued at a recent Moorabool council meeting to have a house built on the Ballan property, Ms Dekort said she will work hard to talk up the benefits of the breed to other producers ahead of the sheep showing season.
But Ms Dekort said she wants to show off the unique farming experience the sheep provide.
"When you do get to know the sheep, it's a different kind of farming and people just love having interaction with animals," she said.
"There is certainly nothing wrong with having animals for enjoyment, and that's what we love."
"For me, to be there with our own animals and to help other people enjoy them as much as we do, that's my main focus as opposed to growing to be any huge commercial interest."