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A shorn Babydoll Southdown ram standing on grass.
Photo: 6th Happiness (Alan diGangi), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Babydoll Southdown Sheep

Ovis aries

A small, teddy-bear-faced sheep breed from England's South Downs with some of the finest wool of any British breed.

🐐 Farm Animals🦓 Hoofed Mammals
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About the Babydoll Southdown Sheep

Babydoll Southdown sheep come from the South Downs of Sussex, England. They stand only 18 to 24 inches tall at the shoulders and weigh 60 to 125 pounds. Their dense, fine wool covers the whole body except around the eyes and nose, and it is one of the finest wools of any British breed. They are usually white, off-white or black.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Ovis aries[1]
Size
18 to 24 inches tall at the withers.[1]
Weight
60 to 125 pounds.[1]
Lifespan
About 10 years.[1]
Diet
Herbivore. Hay, plants, grain and produce.[1]
Where it lives
Developed in England; now kept worldwide.[1]
Babies
Pregnancy lasts 138 to 149 days. Usually twins.[1]

Fun facts

  • Babydoll sheep have faces that always seem to be smiling.[1]
  • Babydoll wool is one of the finest of all British sheep breeds.[1]
  • A ram curls its upper lip to smell the air, a behavior called flehmen.[1]

Vocabulary

domesticated
Tamed and raised by people over many generations.
breed
A group of domestic animals that people have raised to share certain traits.
withers
The highest part of an animal's back, between the shoulder blades.
wool
The soft, curly hair of a sheep, used to make yarn.
flehmen
Curling the upper lip to help smell the air.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Southdown Baby Doll Sheep.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/southdown-baby-doll-sheep/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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