VIDEO: ‘The cutest sheep in the world’ at Middle Farm

It certainly does when you pop into Middle Farm in Firle where lambs and chicks are charming visitors galore.

There are around 50 chicks currently hopping about the farm, with a variety of different breeds.

During the year the farm will produce between 600 and 800 chicks which are sold as pets. And there are four lambs and three goat kids to look at too.

Farm supervisor Vicky Wise said: “People love chicks, especially at this time of year.

“Chickens are really fun animals. They have lots of character and are really friendly.”

In addition Middle Farm is currently housing arguably the cutest sheep in the world, which appear in our video here.

A small flock of Valais blacknoses is living there and they belong to Vicky.

She bought them as an investment to help fund her way through vet school and the sheep will be expecting lambs in the autumn.

Originally from Swizterland they are very rare in the UK with only about six flocks in the country.

And apparently they make amazing pets - most sheep will run away from you whereas these little woolly balls of fun will run up to you looking for a fuss!

Vicky is hoping to sell the lambs as pets to help fund her studies at veterinary college.

Having sheep as pets is becoming increasingly popular, much like the fashion for micro pigs.

Visitors should also keep an eye out for Dudley the Sheep, who featured on Britain’s Got Talent.

His trainer Bonnie taught him to do jumps and go through hoops. You can check out some of Dudley’s signature moves on Youtube where he tackles agility courses.

The rare Swiss sheep also featured on Countryfile and are proving very popular.

They are well known for their shaggy coats, spiral horns and distinctive black faces, which almost make it look like their features have been photoshopped out.

Since the sheep are so friendly, many residents of Upper Valais, a German speaking region of Switzerland where the breed hails from, have started keeping them as pets in recent years.

They are often seen being walked on leads or tied up outside supermarkets in the villages around Upper Valais.

The earliest mention of the breed dates back to 1400 but they were first recognised as a separate breed in 1962.

Vicky has five ewes and one ram who are living at Middle Farm.

There are only a few thousand left in the world, with only a few hundred in the UK. They are threatened by the recent return of the wolf to Switzerland.

Vicky added: “Sheep are just as intelligent or trainable as dogs. They make fantastic pets.”

The open farm can be found at www.facebook.com/OpenFarm.MiddleFarm

To find out more aboutVicky’s flock visit www.ValaisBlacknoseSheepSussex.com