Cool stuff, wouldn't you say? Miniature Sheep. Male sheep are called rams. One of my new mixed-up crossbreed mutt ewe lambs. For the small farmer or homesteader, Merino sheep would be a good choice for home meat production because they are easy keepers. The West African Dwarf or Djallonké is an African breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep. The baby lambs are usually weaned between eight to twelve weeks old. If you see any you are interested in learning about, you may contact us by email or telephone us at 770-667-MINI (6464). Producers of Suffolk must remember to use a de-wormer for their sheep on a regular schedule, as these animals don't perform well with a high worm load. By the year 1990, only 350 miniature sheep were all that could be traced to still exist. By Jacquie Wingate from Recovery, usa (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by. This author happens to think they have one of the cutest faces of any sheep, but that's beside the point. And probably like me, you'll find it's all so much less than perfect. This breed is primarily raised for meat. All miniatures come with Tanglewood Farm health records showing up to date vaccinations, deworming schedule, and hoof trimming schedule. You've probably noted that I value genetic diversity in livestock animals, even over production efficiency, so I'm a proud owner of the large-sized, hardy, highly prolific Polypay. Just be aware that in order to produce all that extra milk, this breed of sheep requires extra nutrition during lactation. Hopefully, this guide will help shed some light on the topic, as I introduce to you my top five picks of sheep breeds for various uses on the small farm. They are primarily a wool breed but … If you've ever purchased athletic clothing or any high-end wool clothing, it's likely woven from Merino wool. Very good job for people who are interested. We provide proper nutrition and quality veterinary care to all of our animals. There are about 200 sheep breeds around the world. Are you interested in breeding a rare breed of sheep for preservation purposes? Bred during … :). Miniature Olde English “Babydoll” Southdown Sheep originated around the late 1700’s in the southdown hills of Sussex County, ... Miniature Shetland Sheep. American Blackbelly. Do you want to raise lambs for market or home-use? It is the dominant breed of West and Central Africa. Non-seasonal breeding can allow for more than one lamb crop per year, and the ewes are prolific, usually producing twins or even triplets. Miniature Sheep mate from August to December. Maybe an Icelandic, maybe a Brown Mountain. Just luck, I guess. Voted up! Even I don't know! People are drawn to these little cuties because of the small size, gentle nature and famous “smiling fuzzy faces”. They can breed year-round, throw two lamb crops per year, their wool is good enough to sell, and yearling ewes are able to breed and successfully produce twins or more. Our livestock is current on vaccinations, dental checkups, hoof care, and worming. Notable and desirable traits of the Barbados include resistance to disease, tolerance for different climates (especially hot and humid, and including cold climates), ability to tolerate a higher worm load than other types of sheep, and low-maintenance foraging skills. Do you want to raise lambs that will be grown into ewes for breeding purposes? The correct name for the " Cameroon sheep" or "West African Dwarf sheep" is "Djallonké" (in the Fulani language). Miniature Cattle Breeds ~ Size of Miniature Cows. In breeding for these larger characteristics however, many of the original "miniature" attributes were bred out and nearly lost. The Mini Lop, sometimes known as the dwarf lop rabbit, is one of the most popular … Female sheep are called ewes. Created prior to the 19th century by crossing the meaty and muscular Southdown with the hardy and semi-wild Norfolk Horned sheep, the Suffolk developed qualities taken from both its parent breeds and combined them well. Looks great. It is one of the finest and softest of any UK breed, with an average fiber diameter of 23 microns. Researchers find that most sheep are continually stressed unless kept in a flock of at least three sheep, so keeping a single pet sheep is rarely an option. ... As hair sheep breeds have become more popular, you will likely be able to find top breeders for sale in your area, too. Cheviot Sheep come in black and white, but most of our babies are solid white. Cheviot Sheep are one of our smallest breeds, and are known for their clean faces, small build, and hardiness. That seems kind of confusing, but basically the story behind the Polypay is that some producers got together in the 1970s and decided they wanted to create a new type of sheep that would meet specific demands. West African Dwarf Sheep: The breed is found in the whole area south of Latitude 14°N. The parts of the body are in balanced proportion. The mutt sheep are less likely to have damaging traits bred into their flock, such as blindness, lameness, a propensity for cancers or cysts, deafness, or a low tolerance for disease or worms. The Miniature American Shepherd, frequently abbreviated MAS, is a small herding dog breed. The breed is considered to be tolerant to trypanosomiasis. Animal Actors Traveling Barnyard Traveling Ponies Live Nativity. Question, how much room does a small breed sheep need? Rachel Koski Nielsen (author) from Pennsylvania, now farming in Minnesota on August 01, 2014: Bill, you'll get there. Neither males nor females have horns. Though I have no personal experience with East Friesian sheep, I wanted to include them on this list because they are the choice for dairy sheep. Also Know By: Cameroons Dwarf, Djallonké, Forest-type, Fouta Djallon, Futa Jallon, Guinean, Kirdi, Kirdimi, Lakka, Nigerian Dwarf, Pagan, Savannah-type, Southern, West African Maned. They are almost always polled, and mature ewes can weigh up to 250 pounds. It's actually a four-way cross between Finnsheep/Rambouillet and Dorset/Targhee. They're easy to obtain, easy to keep healthy, easy to breed, and easy to sell. Size: Very large. The ancestors of the Hog Island Sheep were brought to the island in the 18th century, and abandoned sometime in the early twentieth century. They aren't the only breed of sheep that needs extra care to reach full potential. Rachel Koski Nielsen (author) from Pennsylvania, now farming in Minnesota on July 21, 2014: Radcliff - Thanks for reading and commenting! :). Lambs will produce about 4 pounds of wool at shearing, while a yearling will produce closer to 7 pounds of wool. Fat lambs, that is - which means they're born in the spring and we sell in the fall, when they're heavier and their dams have weaned them. Babydoll sheep are a registered breed of miniature sheep. The Friesian doesn't do well in climates that are different from Northern Germany where they evolved. This breed of sheep is rather large, but very docile. I am also in wa. Does that even make sense? If you're trying to decide which type of sheep best suits your small or hobby farm, the information can get a little overwhelming! Kristen Howe from Northeast Ohio on June 03, 2015: Great hub Rachel on the different types of sheep for the farm. And if you can find a vendor to sell the wool to, or process the wool yourself into marketable products, I'd wager you can produce enough income from wool alone to at least have the Merinos paying their own keep. Oftentimes, the best and most desirable traits of each breed involved in the cross will show up in the offspring. They are small enough not to damage the fruit and do not eat the bark off trees. Looking like tiny Holsteins, these genetically small sheep are naturally polled. Like the Katahdin, the Dorper is a large sheep – ewes average more than 150 pounds and rams can reach more than 250 pounds. Also called “teddy bear” sheep, they are 19-24” at the shoulder. Breeds like the Cheviot, Babydoll and Southdown typically weigh 130 to 200 pounds, and produce quality meat and wool. Harlequin sheep are a registered breed of miniature sheep. We are very proud of the daily handling and care given to our miniatures here at Tanglewood Farm. They descend from crosses of African hair sheep and European wool sheep, dating back as far as the 17th century. Ouessant sheep are small-sized breed which is black or brown in color and sometimes white. While all of these modern traits may seem superior, the fact of the matter is that other aspects of the animal suffer when only one is emphasized in breeding practices. Another consideration is that, while adult Suffolks generally do very well on pasture and forage, the lambs may need supplemental grain in order to reach ideal market weight quickly. The Balami is a predominantly white and hairy breed with a pronounced convex heat and a dull depression. But the flock of mutt sheep has less to worry about. Katahdin. They're bred for wool production and don't reach market weight as quickly as sheep that are bred for meat. We are very proud of our foundation bloodlines. My experience with Hog Island Sheep involved crossing a ram with Dorset ewes (a heavy meat breed).