Miniature breed easy to manage
Southdown.
Still so rare that they are listed in the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, fully grown babydolls are between 18 and 24 inches tall and weigh 60 to 125 pounds, compared with the standard Southdowns that can weigh from 150 to more than 200 pounds.
Their popularity stems from the fact that they are easy to manage — they typically don’t jump fences, for example — and their teddy bear faces, totally covered in wool, always seem to be smiling.
While the vast majority of babydolls are white or white with colored legs and muzzles, they also can be black.
“Ten years ago, spotted babydolls were very rare,” Riegler said. “I saw a spotted sheep online and went berserk like everybody does. So I purchased a ram for my ewes and started breeding because I wanted spotted sheep, too.”
Her search for spots also led her to purchase some Harlequins, another miniature sheep breed, although much newer than the babydolls.
Harlequins are known for their multicolored coats; no two are ever alike, and many also have blue eyes. Adult Harlequins weigh from 80 to 120 pounds, and are under 24 inches tall at the shoulder. Like babydolls, they are hornless and have docile dispositions.
Although Riegler loves the look of her sheep, they actually earn their keep. Any lambs not sold become part of the flock entertaining guests at the ranch — when not munching their way through potential brush fire fuel.
“For fire control, they do a phenomenal job on their 2acre pasture,” she said.
“They keep it clean and help keep us safe.”
Of her current flock of 17 sheep, Riegler said most are Harlequins, with her babydolls being mostly gray.
She is currently breeding for “a nice, miniature look.” She said she strives to keep the teddy bear face of the babydolls, with their shorter ears and smiles, but with less wool on the face, which makes them easier to care for.
“The Harlequins are more athletic; they will get up on their hind legs to reach things and can jump fences,” she said.
Along with the increased agility, they sometimes have a more nervous temperament. She has carefully planned her breeding program to eliminate these undesirable traits, she said.
Riegler often sells lambs to owners of bed-and-breakfast rentals, because their small size and gentle nature make them attractive to guests and easy for the homeowner to handle.
Heather Shampoux of Lakeside has two miniature sheep she purchased from the Rieglers — Bentley and
Shelby. As owner of an Air BnB, she says her guests enjoy feeding and petting them.
But the sheep are also part of a small menagerie of alpacas, miniature goats, chickens and other animals she uses in her work with people with disabilities, such as autism or blindness.
“The sheep are very loving, very, very sweet animals and we love them,” Shampoux said. “Animals can be very soothing to those with disabilities. Although we haven’t been able to have many of our community service people over since the pandemic, they are constantly asking me about the animals, especially the sheep.”
Hobbyist hand spinners often buy the sheep to create yarn from the wool — babydoll fleece falls into the same class as cashmere. Many spinners also love the varied colors of the spotted Harlequin wool, according to the various online hand spinning sites.
Vineyard and orchard owners like them because with their short and stocky bodies they are usually only
able to eat grass and weeds at the base of trees; they can’t reach the taller, tastier branches. Their droppings become organic fertilizer, and they clean up any fallen fruit while on the job, Riegler said.
A professional animal trainer, Riegler disagrees with those who dismiss sheep as being not very bright.
Her first sheep became a movie star.
“I trained Stormy to do tricks and took him to everything from kids’ birthday parties to parades,” she said. “He was even in a movie, ‘Killer Tomatoes Eat France.’ His tricks included waving hello with a raised hoof bobbing in the air, doing weave poles, bowing and going over jumps.”
She has already taught some members of the current flock to wave — although Francesca admittedly taught herself the fine art of jumping. But Riegler used a simple solution for her wily lamb — she simply taught her to jump back in.