Thanks to their rarity – and adorable looks – they are in demand as pets. These three are the latest additions to the flock on a farm in north Devon

In Switzerland, which banned exports six years ago, the sheep are reared for wool as well as meat.

In the UK, where there are thought to be only a few thousand, they are kept as pets, for breeding and for showing.

They typically sell for up to £7,000 but the most attractive rams can fetch £10,000.

Chris Slee and Tom Hooper have been breeding Valais blacknose sheep at Halsbury Barton, near Bideford, since 2016, when they invested in some embryos from Scotland.

Mr Hooper, a former City economist, said: ‘It’s a fairly straightforward case of supply and demand.

These three are the latest additions to the flock on a farm in north Devon, where the lambing season is in full swing. In Switzerland, which banned exports six years ago, the sheep are reared for wool as well as meat

‘The supply is limited as the Swiss have prevented further exports so the ones we have in the country, which would only be a few thousand, cannot be added to by imports and it is not a particularly quick process to add naturally to a flock by breeding.

On the other side of the equation, there’s a lot of demand – they look great and are fairly docile so make ideal pets for those with a bit of land who want a pretty, but expensive, lawnmower.’

Mr Slee, whose family have farmed in north Devon for more than a century, added: ‘The prices are a bit crazy but seem to be going up for the good quality stock.

‘We got interested in them a few years ago after going to Holsworthy market and seeing sheep go through the ring for thousands of pounds. I couldn’t believe it – Holsworthy is a small town in north Devon and I have kept sheep my whole life and never seen anything like it.

‘On my family farm we have about 400 commercial sheep and my sister and I breed and show Jacob sheep.

‘But we are always being told by the Government to diversify, so Tom and I took a punt and bought some of these Valais.

‘It has worked out well so far but lambing time can be a bit more stressful as these little lambs are worth 30 or 40 times the values of normal sheep.’

In the UK, where there are thought to be only a few thousand, they are kept as pets, for breeding and for showing. They typically sell for up to £7,000 but the most attractive rams can fetch £10,000