My venture into shepherding began in 2011 before I had even closed on my farm purchase. My small flock of NABSSAR-registered Babydoll Southdown sheep is a key component of the farm. They are smaller than many sheep breeds and have delightful personalities. Even as an aging farmer I can manage the rams. Babydolls are considered a dual purpose breed, producing both flavorful meat and fine wool, but I was most keen on acquiring them due to their proven track record in the maintenance of orchards and vineyards. In 2013, I started to work with their wool – learning to spin on an Ashford Traditional spinning wheel. As I worked with their wool I became intrigued with using genetics to change some of the sheep’s wool while keeping the Babydoll portion true to type.
In the fall of 2015 I purchased a brown Finnsheep ram and bred him to just 2 of my Babydoll girls, Nina (white) and Tammy (black). Since then I have acquired 4 additional Finn rams and have started to breed my own rams. My goal is naturally machine washable wool that will be a commercially yarn-able length (3″ or longer) from a half year’s fleece. Hand spinners can create yarn with as short as 3/4″ fiber.
Wool Comparisons of the 2 Breeds
| Trait | Babydoll Southdown | Finnsheep |
| wool fiber (“staple”) length | short – 2 to 3″ per year | long – up to 7″ per year |
| wet felt-ability | not possible – can machine wash on gentle | very feltable – the preferred breed for wet felting |
| appearance | matt | beautiful sheen! |
| fineness (micron measurement) | fine to medium – lambs finest | fine to medium – lambs finest |
Breeding and Behavior Comparisons of Breeds
| Trait | Babydoll Southdown | Finnsheep |
| lambs per pregnancy | 1 when young, 2 when older with triplets rare | 7 or more possible, even first timers may have triplets |
| timing of first breeding | slow maturing – not recommended to breed 1st year | fast maturing – expected to breed first year |
| frequency of bottle babies | rare | expected for 3s or 4s depending on age and udder of mother |
| friendliness | need conditioning/ human exposure to be friendly | even non-bottle babies friendlier than Babydolls |
| breeding season | generally seasonal breeders | can/will breed in “off season” – separate out rams if not desired |
Management Comparisons
| Trait | Babydoll Southdown | Finnsheep |
| feed efficiency | very feed efficient – can become overweight very easily | less feed efficient |
| feed quality | do best on grass hay, may never need grain supplement | need mixed hay appropriate in last 3rd of pregnancy and while nursing, grain may be needed for high count pregnancies |
| foraging tendencies | mostly graze broadleaf herbaceous plants and grasses – proven orchard & vineyard mowers | attracted to trees, shrubs and vines even if adequate pasture available – valued woody plants within pasture need protection |
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