Adorable Babydoll sheep make the perfect loving, trusting and affectionate pets and their flock is growing in Kirkby Lonsdale
When Heidi Bell moved onto her small holding in Kirkby Lonsdale and was searching for an eco-lawn mower to keep the grass down, she found the perfect solution in a rare breed of miniature sheep.
‘It had even got to the point where we were making hay by hand so, having discussed the idea of keeping sheep, I went online and fell in love with the look and size of Babydoll Southdowns,’ she said.
Standing about 22 to 24 inches tall, these cute miniature sheep are often known as teddy bear sheep. ‘They are like little fluff balls on legs – they have fluff everywhere except for their noses and the shape of their mouth makes them look as if they smiling.’
Having started with a handful of sheep four years ago, Heidi now owns a small flock on a small holding in the Eden Valley and has found the perfect antidote to her busy life as a freelance designer and parent to two teenage children. ‘I am a third-generation shepherdess but unfortunately the hand me down knowledge had got lost so I had to start from scratch.
‘Looking after Babydolls brings a whole different lifestyle which means checking them twice a day and being out in all elements, sometimes when it’s dark. They make the most wonderful pets and love human contact and always come for a cuddle.
‘The key to building a connection with them is to get down on the ground at their level and gain their trust. I get climbed on, sniffed, nibbled and licked and find that being surrounded by a flock of fluffy, wet, boisterous lambs is liberating and very rewarding. Even if I’ve been sitting in a wet field in the rain it helps to re-set me and when I get up everything seems a little lighter.’
Heidi’s sheep are all named and each has their own unique personality, just like cats and dogs. She points out Lexi who is standing at the back of the flock. ‘She is extremely shy and always waits determinedly at the back of the flock until the others move away. She then comes and stands perfectly still in front of me until I give her a cuddle. Star is the opposite, always at the front of the stampede and if not cuddled immediately will raise her hoof and paw me like a dog. Tinker, another of the lambs born last year is fearless. He was the only one to entertain the idea that I had of marking our 10,000th follower on Instagram by tying a balloon to him. The other sheep didn’t want anything to do with it, but he strolled right up, investigated it to discover that it wasn’t edible and then let me attach it and plodded off happily round the field.’
Heidi’s sheep are all pets from the minute they are born until they pass away naturally. ‘They live outdoors but we have a state-of-the-art barn when they need shelter and for lambing time. Babydolls are very good mothers and they are happy to have me alongside in the pen when they are lambing and will often come to me with a new lamb. I feel so privileged and feel it’s a precious gift to be trusted by them.’
They are never used as meat but their fleece, for the first time, is being processed at a mill in Bridlington and Heidi is now excited to be designing and making sustainable merchandise.
Known for their gentle nature, hardiness and fine fleece this ancient breed originated in the South Downs of Sussex and grew in popularity until the 1900s when World War One brought a sharp decline in their numbers as bigger sheep were needed for meat and wool. They became extinct in Britain after World War Two but had previously been imported to America before being recently reintroduced into this country which means there are just a handful of registered breeders in the UK.
Aware that there are currently only 187 Babydoll sheep in the UK and that the breed, one of the first ancient breeds dating back to the 18th century, is at the risk of becoming extinct, Heidi is now raising the profile of this rare breed on social media. She has also launched an Adopt a Babydoll scheme which includes a handcrafterd felted Babydoll so others can ‘enjoy all the fluffy joy without needing a field.’
To find out more, go to babydollsheepuk on Instagram or babydollsheep.co.uk
