Before we dive into babydoll sheep size, what are babydoll sheep? Babydoll sheep are little teddy-bear-faced wool sheep renowned as livestock for profit and companionship.
They are an excellent alternative if you want to save resources and reduce pressure on your property, but how big do they get?
Babydoll sheep generally weigh 70–120 pounds and are 18–24 inches tall. They are significantly smaller than other species of sheep and require less area and money to care for them.
In addition, these tiny, gentle, and adorable animals demand less maintenance, and you can find them in small or hobby farms in the U.S, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Babydoll Sheep Size (Detailed Explanation)
If you’re thinking about getting some sheep, it’s usually a good idea to consider what breed you’d like. But, if you want to get wool, manage a breeding enterprise, prepare your meat, or have a companion for your children, babydoll sheep are up to the task.
Babydolls are significantly easier to care for than other livestock, thanks to their small body size. With a weight ranging between 70-120 pounds and a height spanning between 18-24 inches, you can place your fence lower, which in turn helps you save money.
Babydoll sheep are ideal for small farmsteads and hobby fields with families due to their size and mild dispositions.
Besides being adorable pets for your kids, babydoll sheep can make excellent backyard lawnmowers.
READ ALSO: Babydoll Sheep Breed: Information, Behavior, and Care
What Makes Babydoll Sheep Different From Other Sheep Breeds?
The table below summarizes the differences between babydolls and other breeds of sheep.
| Babydoll | Other Sheep breeds | |
| Weight | 70-120 pounds | 100-300 pounds |
| Height | 18-24 inches at their withers | 36 inches at their withers |
| Lifespan | 12-16 years | 10-12 years |
| Price | Between $200-$500 | Between $75-250 |
| Required Space | 1 acre supports 5 babydolls | 1 acre supports two sheep |
Why Are Babydoll Southdown Sheep Small?
The intriguing background of old babydoll sheep helps to shed light on why they are tiny. However, these woolly, charming Southdown creatures can pique your interest for different reasons.
These include the fact that they were bred on farms centuries ago and are what many now call babydoll sheep.
When they first arrived in America, herders strived to inflate their sizes to produce more. That also explains why babydoll Southdown sheep are not indigenous (as many erroneously believe) but hybrids.
The original Southdown sheep, sometimes known as babydolls nowadays, were virtually extinct. Nevertheless, in the 1990s, Robert Mock aided in the preservation of the breed.
As previously stated, babydolls are no taller than 24 inches and not heavier than 120 pounds. As a result, many people believe they are small sheep.
What Makes Southdown Babydoll Sheep Ideal For Your Homestead?
The gentle, smiling, teddy-bear-faced sheep can be a great addition to your hobby farm or family homestead because:
They Are Natural Fuel-efficient Lawn Mowers
Mature babydolls stand 18–24 inches tall from the ground, which gives them a lower center of gravity. It further makes them excellent lawnmowers for your orchard or vineyard.
Apart from browsing, they add manure to the soil, a quality that has earned them the term “multi-purpose” animals. You will, however, have to protect young trees from these animals.
Babydolls Are Smart
These woolly creatures are more intelligent than many people give them credit for.
They hide their true feelings from strangers and express themselves fully to caring shepherds who have stayed with them for a while. Southdown babydolls can also remember faces.
They Are Incredibly Calm
Babydolls’ docile demeanor makes them adorable to hang around. Their calmness, miniature size, and 60-pound weight make them easy to handle, aside from making decent pets.
They Need Lower Fencing
Since Southdown babydolls don’t go over fences like other herds, hog panels are enough to restrain them. The fencing should, however, keep them safe from predators.
READ ALSO: Do Wolves Kill and Eat Sheep?
What You Should Know Before Raising Southdown Babydoll
Here are a few things babydoll shepherds would like you to know before settling on the idea of breeding them:
Keep Them Safe From Predators And Adverse Weather
When breeding babydoll sheep, their safety is paramount. Their small size (18-24 inches in height in adulthood) makes them an easy target for animal eaters that could roam around your property at night.
The good thing about these lovely animals is they stay together, and the likelihood of one wandering away is minimal. But that doesn’t negate the fact that they need protection since they spend their nights outdoors.
Apart from predators, Southdown babydolls need protection from wind, rain, and snow. Exposure to such conditions can make them sick, and you don’t want to deal with avoidable veterinary expenses.
You can construct a mobile sheep shelter to protect them from severe weather. You can also invest in good fencing and guard dogs to ward off predators.
READ ALSO: 15 DIY Mobile Sheep Shelter Ideas
Babydoll Sheep Require Proper Feeding
Like other livestock, Southdown babydoll sheep need access to clean water, high-quality hay, grain and mineral supplements. However, ensure that the supplements given to your babydolls don’t contain copper, as too much of it can be toxic to them.
Don’t be fooled by their small size; these sheep breed eats a lot. If the food provided isn’t enough, they will break away from their confines and encroach on other livestock’s feed.
Due to their appetite, babydolls can overfeed and thus suffer from bloating. When that happens, veterinary doctors recommend the administration of AntiGaz emulsion to restore normalcy.
Furthermore, avoid feeding them moldy hay because it is hazardous to their health.
They Demand Less Maintenance
Many babydoll shepherds have touted them as easy keepers since good quality grass, hay, copper-free mineral supplements, and freshwater is enough to sustain them.
They take little grain and increase consumption during the latter stages of gestation and lactation stages.
Their small size also makes these lovely temperament animals easy to breed since one acre of land can accommodate 5 babydolls.
Apart from safeguarding them from potential animal eaters and harsh weather, you don’t have to worry much about their shelter: they love staying outdoors.
Shearing And Health Maintenance
Southdown babydolls have soft wool that grows to about two or three inches. You can shear the fleece once a year, preferably in the spring seasons.
When it comes to their health, ensure you administer annual CD&T vaccination to adult babydolls and deworm your flock three times per year. You can use the TASVAX® 8 vaccine to protect your flock from tetanus.
Even though this breed has incredible resistance to foot rot, vets advise you to schedule regular hoof trimming to minimize infections.
FAQs
1. How Much Space Does A Babydoll Sheep Need?
Babydolls do not need much acreage. Often, you may only require about one acre of pasture for five ewes and the young ones.
They love to be outside but need protection from the rain, wind, snow, and hot sun. Other than lambing season, a three-sided lean-to is often sufficient.
2. Are Babydoll Sheep Good For Beginners?
Since babydoll sheep require less maintenance than other sheep breeds, they are ideal for beginners.
After they get used to their surroundings and owner, they warm up pretty well and are a pleasure to have around a hobby farm.
Go for babydolls if you are contemplating whether to rear them or miniature goats as farm pets.
3. Are Babydoll Sheep Good For Meat?
Babydoll sheep can make prime lambs with succulent meat. In fact, they were primarily raised for their quality meat which is tender. They produce a well-rounded carcass with a great meat to bone ratio.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for adorable, teddy bear-faced, smiling animals that are cocktails of good hobby farm pets and low-maintenance, you won’t go wrong with babydoll sheep. Their small stature (18-24 inches in height and a weight between 70-120 pounds) makes them easy to handle.
However, their size makes them an easy target for carnivores such as wolves and coyotes. As a result, consider incorporating guard dogs and building fences and barns to keep them safe.
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