About Babydoll sheep
Small but mighty – bred to perform
Our goal is to breed small, compact and easy handling Babydoll sheep that are useful for meat, fibre, agritourism, energy efficient mowing and sucker pruning in orchards and vineyards. We select for calm temperament, excellent conformation, easy lambing and good meat qualities.
Babydoll lambs
Babydoll sheep are known on social media for their fluffy-faced lambs with knee high 'socks'. However much fun that stage might be, we want our Babydolls to grow into robust, small sheep that are attractive and perform well. We expect our ewes to lamb easily, be good mothers and produce offspring that are true to the Babydoll breed standard.
Babydoll traits
We find that our Babydolls are resilient and hold their condition well in dry times. They live outdoors all year round (even during lambing in our cold winters). They are relatively calm and easy to train.
Babydoll sheep generally have woolly faces, some more than others. We trim the wool on the faces of our lambs in November to reduce the impact of the many grass seeds in our pastures over summer.
The Babydoll smile comes from the wider jaw of the Southdown. That jaw also makes them efficient grazers.
The height of sheep depends on genetics and the environment where the lamb is raised. Babydoll sheep are small rather than miniature. This keeps them useful and better at producing vigorous lambs. The Babydoll breed standard allows for sheep to be up to 61cm high at the shoulder when shorn. Our sheep are typically around 58cm at the shoulder. Rams tend to be taller than ewes.
We aim for a well proportioned, smaller body shape with good meat qualities and ease of movement. Rather than a big sheep with short legs, we look for a sheep that is scaled down in size all over. We like a neck free of wrinkles and with some length, thicker boned legs and standing well up on the feet, well muscled hindquarters, depth of body and twist, a straight back and depth and length in the loin.
Babydolls have a dense, springy Downs type wool with a short staple which makes it harder to hand spin. It makes good stuffing and takes dye beautifully. Our Babydoll wool is around 22 to 24 micron. Babydolls need to be shorn once a year.
If you are so inclined, the meat is finely marbled and flavoursome. It is suitable for small, succulent cuts.
Babydoll sheep generally have woolly faces, some more than others. We trim the wool on the faces of our lambs in November to reduce the impact of the many grass seeds in our pastures over summer.
The Babydoll smile comes from the wider jaw of the Southdown. That jaw also makes them efficient grazers.
The height of sheep depends on genetics and the environment where the lamb is raised. Babydoll sheep are small rather than miniature. This keeps them useful and better at producing vigorous lambs. The Babydoll breed standard allows for sheep to be up to 61cm high at the shoulder when shorn. Our sheep are typically around 58cm at the shoulder. Rams tend to be taller than ewes.
We aim for a well proportioned, smaller body shape with good meat qualities and ease of movement. Rather than a big sheep with short legs, we look for a sheep that is scaled down in size all over. We like a neck free of wrinkles and with some length, thicker boned legs and standing well up on the feet, well muscled hindquarters, depth of body and twist, a straight back and depth and length in the loin.
Babydolls have a dense, springy Downs type wool with a short staple which makes it harder to hand spin. It makes good stuffing and takes dye beautifully. Our Babydoll wool is around 22 to 24 micron. Babydolls need to be shorn once a year.
If you are so inclined, the meat is finely marbled and flavoursome. It is suitable for small, succulent cuts.
Gaucher Disease
Gaucher Disease is a recessive genetic disorder found in Southdowns and Babydolls with fatal consequences for all lambs born with with two copies of the gene. Carrier rams can quickly spread this defect through a flock unnoticed. Carrier ewes appear to be more likely to be infertile, die while pregnant, have stillborn lambs or unexpectedly die soon after lambing.
We began DNA testing ewes and rams in the Roogulli Babydoll flock for Gaucher in 2020. The Hillgrove flock has been tested extensively in 2024-25. Both of our Babydoll flocks are now Gaucher Free.
We began DNA testing ewes and rams in the Roogulli Babydoll flock for Gaucher in 2020. The Hillgrove flock has been tested extensively in 2024-25. Both of our Babydoll flocks are now Gaucher Free.
