Breed Information
Babydoll Southdown
Sheep
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Only 18" - 24" at the shoulder
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Hardy and easy keepers
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Excellent mothers
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Adorable smiles
Babydoll Southdown Sheep
I chose to start my shepherding adventure with Babydoll Southdown sheep. They are a very versatile small sheep breed, perfect for the small homestead and novice shepherd.
They are used for meat and fiber, and because of their diminutive size (18 -24" at the shoulder), they are easy to manage. Though small, babydoll sheep are hardy and fairly low maintenance.
They are wonderful mothers who often lamb unassisted. Babydoll sheep are known for their teddy bear faces and sweet smiles, which go along with their docile and friendly temperaments.
Finnsheep
When I first learned about Finnsheep, I was intrigued by their many desirable qualities. They are a smaller breed that comes in many colors. They have been bred to be very productive lambers, with the breed standard calling for first lambing by 12 months, 5-6 lambs by age 2, and
9-10 lambs by age 3! Finnsheep have been used in crosses to improve lambing numbers as this trait carries into the crossbreeds.
Finnsheep are finer boned than Babydoll Southdowns and VBN. They are about as tall as VBN, but even more athletic (meaning they jump around a lot, climb on their flockmates, and browse tree trunks). My Finnsheep are very "goat like" in their behaviors, though they are better about respecting fences.
Valais Blacknose Sheep (VBN)
Swiss Valais Blacknose sheep are often referred to as "The Cutest Sheep in the World." (I agree to some extent, but the Babydoll Southdown is adorable, too, and the cross of both of them is cuteness overload.)
Swiss Valais Blacknose sheep are very new to the U.S. through importation of semen and frozen embryos. Because live sheep are not allowed to be imported from other countries, breeders are using a "breed up" program using foundation ewes implanted with either purebred VBN semen or fertilized embryos. There are only 10,000 Valais Blacknose sheep worldwide.
