The Miniature Saanen goat was developed by the crossing of the Standard sized Saanen goat breed with that of the Nigerian Dwarf goat. Appreciate your comment, as always :) We breed our sheep and sell the lambs. Here is an animal that has not been selectively bred by man to exhibit certain qualities, such as excellent wool, fast growth rate, multiple births, increased lactation, or heavy finished weight. Rachel Koski Nielsen (author) from Pennsylvania, now farming in Minnesota on July 19, 2014: Hi DrMark! For the small farmer or homesteader, Merino sheep would be a good choice for home meat production because they are easy keepers. Lambs will produce about 4 pounds of wool at shearing, while a yearling will produce closer to 7 pounds of wool. We are very proud of the daily handling and care given to our miniatures here at Tanglewood Farm. The males have horns while the females are hornless. These sheep don't belong to any particular breed, and while some of their characteristics might be recognizable as originating from (or being the originators of) popular, commercial breeds, they are successfully helping small farmers like me to make a living. In contrast, Babydoll Southdown sheep and Persian sheep are heritage breeds that were traditionally small. Miniature Babydolls were imported to the United States in 1803. Miniature Olde English “Babydoll” Southdown Sheep originated around the late 1700’s in the southdown hills of Sussex County, ... Miniature Shetland Sheep. 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. Very useful and informative for farmers to have them as livestock. The recent arrival in Australia of the Nigerian Dwarf and American Pygmy goat breeds offers even more potential for new breed development in this country. Do you want to sell (or spin your own) wool? Babydolls are a rare breed that are protected by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. This divergence from the original breed standards was the beginning of what would later become two distinct lines: The Southdown and the miniature (or original) Southdown. • Miniature sheep are easier for husbandry duties: foot trimming, shearing, drenching are all easier with smaller sheep. Having retained many of their primitive survival instincts, they are easier to care for than many of today’s commercial breeds. Miniature Olde English “Babydoll” Southdown Sheep originated around the late 1700’s in the southdown hills of Sussex County, England. A very important characteristic of Shetland Sheep is their beautiful wool, upon which the world-renowned Shetland wool industry was built. May I ask what you do with your sheep? I'm in favor of the Polypay (in fact, I own three of them) because they represent a wonderful phenomenon known as hybrid vigor. Rams usually weigh 75 to 100 pounds and ewes about 60 to 85 pounds. These miniature cows can be classified in categories that depend on their height at the hip. They often have twins and occasionally triplets. The lamb in the foreground and ewe in the background are both Hog Islands. Miniature Sheep help farmers clean ground in vineyards, high bush fruit fields, and small orchards. Shetland wool is very soft and is produced in a wide range of colors. In comparison, other breeds of sheep tend to grow between 250 and 300 pounds. The Miniature American Shepherd, frequently abbreviated MAS, is a small herding dog breed. Only after the many exhaustive efforts to form a foundation registry to preserve the original miniature sheep, the numbers of sheep have gained resurgence. Miniature Shetland Sheep are one of the smallest of the British sheep. Most respond well to attention and ours all even wag their tails when petted!