The little sheep with a big smile...
£2.50 DELIVERY FOR UK ORDERS | FROM £12.50 WORLDWIDE ORDERS INC TARRIFS & TAXES
Hello.
The Eden Valley Babydoll Southdowns...
Hello & a huge fluffy warm welcome! Here in England, we think there are currently fewer than 300 registered Babydoll sheep in the whole of the UK. By stopping by and discovering our flock, you are helping us to build awareness of this incredibly rare breed of pet sheep. Cuddle by cuddle, we're working to build awareness of this mini, adorable "teddy bear " sheep and, in turn, increase the numbers back to a sustainable level by nurturing new mini flocks across Great Britain.
The Eden Valley, Cumbria, England is sheep country. There's nothing new about this. For centuries the fells and rich lowland pastures of the Upper Eden Valley have been the land of hill farmers shepherding the native hefted native breeds of Swaledales & Herdwicks. But, if you take a walk today, you may be lucky enough to spot a rather different, very rare - ancient English breed, The Old English Babydoll Southdowns.
We are one of just a handful of NABSSAR registered Babydoll Southdown breeders in Britain, committed to building the Babydolls numbers back up after becoming extinct in Britain after WWII. Re-introduced in the UK just over 20 years ago we feel passionate about saving this little fluffy teddy bear sheep with a smile.
What is a Babydoll Southdown sheep?
The late Queen B & her twins Rocky and Frankie 2021
Babydolls are not a miniature “created breed” they are in fact the ancient origins of the more common Southdown Sheep of today.
Mini in size (the standard Babydoll is less than 24 inches, our flock range from 18 - 22), so very easy to handle, the whole flipping on their back is an easier task when their legs are short and very docile- for sheep, quite trusting!
I always smile at adverts from other sheep breeds when owners boast their flock is trained “to come to the bucket”. Babydolls will come to “GOOD MORNING GIRLS!” like a flock of dogs happy to approach en masse for a nose scratch or belly rub without a bribe, but you bring a bucket of food into the equation, and they’ll stampede you! Disclaimer - you may want a sheep nut or two to avoid doing an involuntary field conga (you being at the very distant back) if you intend to administer the mandatory seasonal booster medicines - but that story is for another day.
Rocky born Spring 2021
Why keep Babydoll sheep?
If you have a spare handful of acres, an orchard, or a vineyard (we have the first two, sadly not the third), being small is this breed's advantage - Babydolls are efficient, eco-friendly mini lawnmowers, unable to reach the vines or fruit on the trees. Or if you simply need grazers, Babydolls make wonderful pets, with huge characters to entertain you. We can testify that Babydoll sheep are a great addition to any smallholder and a great beginner's route into keeping sheep.
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What is NABSSAR?
NABSSAR is the North American BABYDOLL Southdown Sheep Association and Registry. It's the registry for all Babydoll Southdown UK sheep. All breeders are members to protect bloodlines and prevent inbreeding, so all our Babydoll Southdowns are registered at 9 months old. NABSSAR provide a family tree certificate which, if the Babydoll is bought or sold, is transferred to the new owner via NABSSAR. It is vital that not only do we register all Babydolls born but also breed with registered babydoll sheep, as we build the numbers back up from UK extinction. To discover more or register as a member of NABSSAR click here.
