The little sheep with a big smile...
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Hello.
The Eden Valley Babydoll Southdowns...
Hello & a huge fluffy warm welcome! Here in England, there are currently only less than 200 registered Babydoll sheep in the whole of the UK. By stopping by & and supporting our flock you are helping us to build awareness of this incredibly rare breed. Cuddle by cuddle we're working to build awareness of this miniature 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?
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 22 inches, our range from 18 - 22) so very easy to handle, (the whole flipping on their back is an easier task when their legs are short) 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 bucket”. Babydolls will come to “GOOD MORNING GIRLS!” like a flock of dogs happy to approach en-mass for a nose scratch or belly rub without a bribe, but you bring a bucket of food in 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.
Queen B & her twins Rocky and Frankie 2021
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 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 6 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 only breed with registered sheep as we build the numbers back up from UK extinction. To discover more or register as a member of NABSSAR click here.