One of the most wonderful things in my homesteading life happened just a few days ago when my sister and I spent a good 10 hours of driving to pick up four registered Olde English Babydoll Southdown lambs - Three ewes and a ram to start my own breeding flock! I will be adding one more ram lamb to my wee flock in just a few weeks when he has been weaned from his mama.
Oh, but they are darling! Like sweet little teddy bears with such gentle faces and little bodies! I love them!
For as long as I have had sheep., my heart has known that THIS is the breed I want to raise. It was just a matter oh how and when..
They were very well-behaved during the five-hour drive home. They never bleated, and mostly just stood quietly and peered out the window, sometimes lying down to rest for a bit and then quickly jumping up when a transport truck zoomed by. When I came to a traffic stop, I had to open the window to tell the excited nearby drivers yelling out to me that the adorable creatures in the back of my small car were indeed lambs, and I caught at least two drivers behind me taking photos of the lambs looking out the rear window. An adventure!
They are timid and run away from us, but are slowly adjusting to their new surroundings. They don't seem to know how delicious grain is yet, but once they do I am sure hand-feeding them some will quickly gain their trust! They have been through a lot in the past few days, as have I. Sweet little nuggets, I love them so. I am just deciding on names now and will share them soon!
Oh how wonderful!!! They are just gorgeous and your excitement is contagious!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! I was nearly bursting with excitement, so I am not surprised that it came through in my words! xo
DeleteOh my goodness, they are adorable! I have noticed this breed at fiber and farm fairs. Besides the fact that they just make you smile (which is a perfectly fine reason - that is why we got Corgis), is there a particular reason that you chose this breed?
ReplyDeleteI chose this breed for multiple reasons! The first is that my heart beat faster for them than any other (I always listen to my heart on such matters), because they are a small and compact breed traditionally used in orchards (we just planted an orchard so it seemed the perfect marriage, plus they are more economical to raise than large breeds), because they are a heritage breed that was once nearly extinct -- I am always drawn to rare breeds - and lastly, because they have great fleece. Plus, the smiles! Oh my goodness, I love their smiles! :)
DeleteAdorable!!!! So exciting for you!! Where did you get them? We are trying to decide on a breed (for wool) and to find a reputable breeder in Ontario. I will be following your journey with them :)
ReplyDeleteHello Michele! I am getting babydoll lambs from three separate registered breeders across Ontario. There aren't many, but if you look on the Babydoll registry website, all the breeders are listed there! The same goes for other registered breeds :) You just have to find the person (s) that work for you, and of course proximity is an issue! I almost took in an established flock of Babydolls, but they were located almost 14 hours from me, so in the end I decided to take in lambs instead and 'start from scratch':)
DeleteSamantha!!!! Hello!!!! I was delighted to stop by and see you've been here again...hooray! Oh my goodness, those sheepies are adorable! Such a different and unique face on them. I'm smitten, too! It is so very good to see what you've been up to...I've been thinking lots about you! xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteHello!!!! Sorry for the late reply! Summer seems to make that happen. I do love my sweet new sheepies. They are so loving and snuggly now that they are all settled in. xo
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