small sheep breeds

[Anny]

There are so many different breeds of sheep out there. What are some of the smaller breeds of sheep or mini sheep if you will, and which are easier for a beginner. And best temper.

Thank you

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

my buddy had icelandics... which are small and easy to deal with. but when we dressed them out - the cuts were really small so i wasnt sold on them for a meat bread. altho the meat we got was very mild and delish!

 

[Anny]

I would be looking more for fiber then meat personally.

 

[big brown horse]

Check out the Border Cheviots, they are smaller and produce wool that can easily be hand spun. And they are cute!

 

[Anny]

aww those are really cute sheep. Thanks !

 

[big brown horse]

Your welcome! Let us know what you finally decide on. Then we need photos!

 

[Eliza]

we have olde english babydoll southdowns. They are minature sheep, only 24 inches tall! Their wool is very like cashmir. They are wonderfully gentle and love people.

 

[big brown horse]

we have olde english babydoll southdowns. They are minature sheep, only 24 inches tall! Their wool is very like cashmir. They are wonderfully gentle and love people.

Hi Eliza, do you have a photo of a babydoll sheep? I would love to see one!! They sound awesome!

 

[Eliza]

sorry, been away for a while. You can google olde english babydoll southdown sheep on the internet. They have better pics than I do. My sheep are black, so getting good shots is hard. Babydolls have a characteristic smile that you need to see to believe. My wethers are sweet and happy. They love people and love to be petted. They are great weed eaters and won't strip bark from trees or bushes. Vineyards use them specifically for this purpose. I would love to have more of them. We were surprised at the size of "regular" sheep, they are pretty big. But these guys are small, so they are easier to handle, and easy to fence.

 

[jen6265]

Another possibility would be shetland sheep. We breed them here on our farm near Niagara Falls, they are the smallest of the British sheep breeds. Their wool is a dream to spin. We have a lot of information on our web page. Hope this helps!
Jen