Qualities of the Olde English Babydoll Sheep

“Babydolls” make outstanding pets, produce wool that is a delight for spinners, provide organic weeding without harm to the plants or trees, make excellent companion animals, and are a good investment opportunity.

Pets:  These wonderful little sheep make excellent pets.  When we tell people this they quite often ask if they can bring them in the house.  The answer is no, but if you are interested in a farm animal that loves attention the Babydoll is for you.  Their gentle nature and easy care make them an ideal choice for any small farm or pet lover.  Our sheep love to be scratched behind the ear or in under the chin.  They also enjoy having their backs rubbed.

Wool:  Babydoll fleece has been found to be in the same class as cashmere.  The Babydoll fleece also has more barbs per inch than any other wool type.  Which makes it an ideal blend for angora rabbit, angora goat, or alpaca.  This is next on our list of things to learn about. 

Weeders:  Babydolls have been used with huge success in orchards, berry farms, and vineyards because they will not harm the fruit, girdle trunks, or harm shrubs.  They leave the grounds looking well groomed as well as fertilizing as they graze.  Our lambs have spent a great deal of time grazing on our lawn this summer, mostly because we love to have them near us, and they love the fresh mowed grass.

Companions:  Babydolls are naturely calm and fit well with other docile breeds of livestock.  Rams and ewes are both naturely polled.  They are not agressive and have shared the pastures with our guineas and turkeys with no problems.

 Investment:  Babydolls have proven themselves to be a sound financial investment.  Most breeders sell out of lambs early and the demand exceeds the supply.  They are priced comparatively with other rare and miniature sheep.  We will be offering lambs for sale in the spring.

Mothering:  2008 was our first year for lambing.  All of our first time moms turned out to be excellent mothers.  The lambs were born in the first week of March and the first week of April.  Each mom spent her first night with her face either over her lamb to keep it warm or right by her lamb breathing on it.  Each mom placed her lamb in a small nest of hay for the first week or so.  We were truly amazed at how instinct took over as each mom had her own little sound she made to her newborn.  We started hearing these sounds a week or so before the births and for several weeks after the lambs were born.  The girls stopped making these noises when the lambs reached weaning age.  2009 showed us how well our moms could take care of twins.  Even the first time moms with twins instinctively knew just what to do to take care of two lambs at once.  What a surprise Loni had in store for us.  2010 proved that a Babydoll ewe could raise triplets all on her own with no problem.