Old English Southdown Sheep are classified as a rare breed today. The breed originated in the South Down of Sussex County, England in the 1780s and were first imported into the United States in 1803. Early American settlers and small English farms kept these sheep for their hardiness, fine fleece, and meat.
With the arrival of refrigeration in the U.S. in the 1900s, larger meat carcasses were desired and the smaller English sheep were cross bred with bigger New Zealand Southdown sheep to produce a larger breed (the more numerous Southdowns kept by many large commerical producers today). Around 1990, small flocks of the traditional English Southdowns were rediscovered and are now referred to as Old English Southdowns to differentiate them from the larger modern breed. Because of their small stature and cute appearance, they are also sometimes called "Babydoll" miniature Southdowns.
Each spring, we have a small number of select Old English Babydoll Southdown lambs for sale. We accept deposits throughout the year from those wishing to purchase sheep when they are born. Lambs are ready for pick-up when they are weaned, approximately 12 weeks after they are born. All lambs come with registration papers, their first CDT vaccination, docked tails, and de-wormed.
Here are some pictures of our lambs: