TENNERY FARMS
Babydoll Southdown Sheep
Welcome to Tennery Farms! We are a small hobby farm located in Danville, Indiana. We raise and sell registered Babydoll Southdown sheep, also know as "miniature sheep" or "Babydoll sheep". They are the original ancient Southdown breed which originated in the South Down hills of Sussex County, England in the 1700s, making them one of the oldest breeds of English sheep. Babydoll sheep are a wonderful animal to own. They are small, easy to care for, hardy and much more resistant to parasites than other modern-day sheep. They are also resistant to foot rot. They were once raised for their tender cuts of meat until the breed was crossed with other larger sheep to create a bigger carcass, almost to the point of extinction. Now they are more of a novelty breed. Their wool is highly sought after by hand spinners with the fleece having a micron rating between 19 and 22, putting it in the same class as cashmere. They are excellent weeders and do well in vineyards and orchards by not disturbing the fruit or trees and they fertilize the ground as they go. Babydolls are excellent mothers and often have multiple lambs. They have a short, stocky build, measuring between 18 and 24 inches at the shoulder. There are still not many of them around however their popularity is certainly growing. We stumbled across this breed when looking for small, docile animals for our kids. We did some research and decided to give Babydolls a try and now we can't get enough! Their fuzzy, smiling faces will warm your heart.
All of our sheep are dual registered. Olde English "Babydoll" Miniature Southdown Sheep Registry (OEBMSSR) and Babydoll Southdown Sheep Breeders Association (BSSBA) . They qualify for open registration with North American Babydoll Southdown Sheep Association & Registry as well. (NABSSAR)
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Growing up Tennery
Growing up around livestock was a huge part of my childhood. From cows, chickens, ducks, goats, donkeys, sheep, pigs, horses and ponies--we had it all. It teaches you valuable life lessons and responsibility at an early age. I knew before I started a family of my own that I would want my children to have the same wonderful experiences as I was so fortunate to have as a child. My parents worked hard raising six kids. Constantly on the go, running from one ball practice the next, school events to 4-H meetings.
Fast forward many years, and here we are. Married to my high school sweetheart with 4 wonderful children of our own. Now I find myself in my parent's shoes. We are the ones running crazy! Juggling schedules and getting the kids to all their activities gives me an even deeper appreciation of how hard my parents worked to make it all happen. But we wouldn't change it for the world! When I look back on my childhood, many of the great memories and stories still told to this day are ones from time spent at the barn. Hopefully one day our children will have the same type of memories and their own stories to share.
FOR SALE
2024 Pricing
Ewes Dual Registered Off White or Black $750
Rams Dual Registered Off White or Black $500
Wethers $250 unregistered, unless otherwise requested then registration fees will apply.
Payment - Cash, Venmo, and Checks are accepted. See reservations page for more details.
Adult sheep may be available from time to time.
All lambs will be vaccinated, tails docked, hooves trimmed and in good health before leaving.
Sheep are a companion animal with a strong flocking instinct and will not do well without another sheep as a companion. It doesn't need to be the same breed, but another sheep none the less. Therefore, you must already own sheep or will need to purchase a pair. Wethers are a good choice as a companion and less expensive too.
RESERVATIONS
If you would like to reserve a lamb, you need to be on our waiting list. Please send us an email with your request, letting us know how many lambs you are interested in along with the gender, color and if you would like a breeding pair(s). If you need help deciding or have any questions, please let us know and we will be happy to help you with your decision.
Once you are on our waiting list, we will notify you when the lamb(s) arrive. At that point, a $100 nonrefundable deposit is required per lamb to hold with the remaining balance due at time of pick up. If you plan on paying the remaining balance by check, you will need to send the check to us in advance, allowing enough time for funds to clear. Cash, Venmo and PayPal are accepted at anytime. We will do our best to meet your request but cannot guarantee the number of lambs, gender or color we are going to have each year. We keep between 15 to 20 breeding ewes and have 3 rams. If you are truly interested in purchasing a lamb(s), I recommend getting on our waiting list sooner than later. We will fill requests in the order we receive them. Thank you!
