The Roux du Valais is an endangered breed of sheep native to
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
History and Usage
The Roux du Valais is indigenous to Switzerland, and has survived despite the extinction of many other indigenous Swiss sheep breeds.
Its genetic descent cannot be known for certain, but it is believed to be related to the now-extinct Copper sheep, Roux du Bagnes, and Pilot sheep breeds.
The Roux du Valais is bred for both wool and meat.
Its meat is of a good quality, and is very lean.
Today, its wool is mainly used in specialty product, heavy-duty cloth. This is a fairly limited market due to the Roux du Valais's low population numbers. Historically, its wool was very popular in Switzerland for use in underwear and stockings, as it was believed to have therapeutic qualities including the ability to cure
rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...
.
Characteristics
The Roux du Valais is a medium-sized sheep, with males weighing about 65–85 kg and ewes 50–65 kg.
It is a distinctive red-brown color,
but there is also an extremely rare black variety known as the Lotschental.
Both sexes are horned. The Roux du Valais mainly lives in the French-speaking areas of Switzerland,
but has expanded into other areas in recent years.
It is one of the few surviving breeds indigenous to Switzerland.
Conservation Status
The Roux du Valais is endangered, largely due to lack of interest in the breed in favor of faster growing breeds.
It nearly became extinct in the 1980s,
but a breeders association formed in 1994, The Swiss Breeding Association for Valais Rural Sheep, along with
Pro Specie Rara
ProSpecieRara, the "Schweizerische Stiftung für die kulturhistorische und genetische Vielfalt von Pflanzen und Tieren" ("Swiss foundation for the cultural and genetic diversity of plants and animals"), is a non-profit charitable organization de ...
, has helped improve the breed's genetics and seen its numbers rebound somewhat.
The expansion of the breed into
Romandie
Romandy (french: Romandie or )Before World War I, the term French Switzerland (french: Suisse française) waalso used german: Romandie or , it, Romandia, rm, Romanda) is the French-speaking part of western Switzerland. In 2020, about 2 mill ...
and German-speaking Switzerland has also helped its population increase.
Still, there are estimated to be only about 1,000 Roux du Valais sheep left in the world.
Sources
{{reflist
External links
Roux du Valais breeders association(In French/ German)
Specie Pro Rara breed page(In French/ German/ Italian)
Sheep breeds originating in Switzerland