Animals Pets 9 Wooly Facts About Darling Babydoll Sheep Babydoll sheep are tiny and full of personality. By Mary Jo DiLonardo Mary Jo DiLonardo Senior Writer University of Cincinnati Mary Jo DiLonardo has worked in print, online, and broadcast journalism for 25 years and covers nature, health, science, and animals. Learn about our editorial process Updated August 27, 2024 People often keep babydoll sheep for pets on small farms. Beacon House Farm Animals Wildlife Pets Animal Rights Endangered Species With their sweet teddy bear faces and wooly charm, babydoll sheep attract people looking for gentle pets or adorable lawnmowers. They're tiny and chock full of personality. Some people raise them for their cashmere-like fleece, while others just like these friendly sheep around as backyard lawnmowers— or for 4-H projects for kids or family pets. Originally bred in the United Kingdom, babydoll sheep are now found throughout the United States and Canada. Here's the scoop on these little sheep with smiling faces. 1. Babydoll Sheep Come From England Officially known as Babydoll Southdown sheep, members of this ancient breed are the diminutive version of the Southdown breed of sheep, which originated in the South "Downs" of Sussex County, England. There, they were known for their hardiness, fine fleece, and tender meat. The breed made its way to the United States around 1803, according to the Olde English Babydoll Southdown Sheep Registry. 2. They Have Distinct Personalities Ewes often give birth to twins and sometimes even triplets, all with distinct personalities. Beacon House Farm People often choose to keep babydoll sheep because of the animals' gentle, yet distinctive personalities, says Rosemary Weathers Burnham, who breeds the tiny sheep at her Beacon House Farm in Union, Kentucky. "They are very gentle and they aren’t real big so they're easy to manage," Burnham tells Treehugger. "I love seeing the different personalities." She mentions Nona, who's so outgoing she'd come right up to you and happily live in the house with you. Then there's Harmony, the rather bossy leader of the flock, who's always in front of everyone else. And Iris, who's sweet and shy and such a good mother. 3. Babydoll Sheep Are Either White or Black Babydoll sheep are most often white, but can also be black. Beacon House Farm Babydoll sheep are most often white or off-white, with their muzzle and legs ranging from light tan or brown to cinnamon or gray, according to the North American Babydoll Southdown Sheep Association and Registry (NABSSAR). Babydoll sheep can also be black, which is a recessive gene. Black sheep always have black legs and muzzles. As they're out in the sun, the wool on black sheep lightens and can look reddish-brown. As babydoll sheep age, their coats may turn a kind of grayish-brown and they can get gray hairs on their muzzle. 4. Their Fleece Is Like Cashmere Fiber artists often enjoy working with the babydoll fleece, which is said to be along the lines of cashmere. Beacon House Farm Babydoll fleece, which must be sheared each spring, is springy and soft. At about two to three inches long, it's relatively short. In textile terms, this fleece runs in the 19 to 22-micron range, which means it's similar to cashmere and can be worn next to the skin without being itchy and uncomfortable. Babydoll fleece also blends well with other fibers. Many black babydoll sheep have coarser fleece than their white or off-white counterparts. The lighter fleece typically can be more valuable because you can dye it any color, according to NABSSAR. 5. Babydoll Sheep Are Small Babydoll sheep are small and easy to handle. Beacon House Farm Babydolls are only about 18 to 24 inches tall when fully grown. They can weigh between 60 and 125 pounds. Because of their small size, they're easy to handle and popular as pets for children and 4-H projects. Babydoll sheep can be easily contained with small, low fences. They won't try to jump or barrel through them. The larger danger isn't that these lovely creatures will escape; it's that predators can get to their areas, so it's important to bring your sheep into a barn or corral them into a predator-proof area at night. 6. They Are Naturally Polled Babydoll sheep do not have horns. Beacon House Farm Both babydoll ewes and rams are naturally polled, meaning they're born without horns. These lovers-not-fighters are non-aggressive by nature so they get along well with other docile breeds of livestock. They can have a calm, soothing effect on other animals, according to the Olde English Babydoll Southdown Sheep Registry. Babydolls can be wary in new situations and might need time to warm up to strangers. Breeders say the sheep are curious and trusting with the people they know and are especially fond of routine. 7. They Are Easy Keepers Babydoll sheep graze at Beacon House Farm in Union, Kentucky. Beacon House Farm Babydolls don't need much acreage. They're known as "easy keepers" because of their small size and efficient metabolism. They just need some good grass for grazing and sometimes like a little grain. "They're not hard on the land. The only thing they do is eat the grass," says Burnham. You need to provide a shelter where Babydoll sheep can cool off in the summer and get out of the rain. "But in general they like to be outdoors because they always have that wool sweater on," says Burnham. "They just don't like to get wet." 8. They Are Organic Weeders Babydoll sheep trim grass and weeds at Granton Vineyard in southern Tasmania. Stefano Lubiana/Flickr Babydoll sheep are popular as "organic weeders." They're often used in vineyards and orchards because they don't hurt the tree trunks or shrubs that grow there, and because the sheep fertilize the soil while they graze. In vineyards and orchards, sheep are usually too short to reach the grapes or fruit on the tree, so they keep their eating to unwanted weeds and overgrowth. Some vineyards also find that "the little sheep in the fields created a tremendous draw for workers and visitors and resulted in goodwill for the winery," according to the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. 9. Babydoll Sheep Are Good Mothers Babydoll sheep like to stay together. Beacon House Farm Babydoll ewes are good mothers, according to breeders, and often have twins—occasionally even triplets. The ewes like to stay together and don't typically wander off and get lost. They thrive on companionship. You should never have just a single babydoll sheep. "The special thing about these sheep is they have a strong flocking instinct. They tend to stick together," says Burnham. "Every night they come back to the paddock and spend the night. They have this instinctive thing to come back home every night."