Blog #9

Babydoll Southdowns

So …, A recent Saturday morning found Dede and I driving up highways northeast of Macon on our way to Jackson.  We’ve sheared here before, and this particular morning we had 9 Babydoll Southdowns to make ready for summer.

Babydoll Southdowns really are cute, little sheep from England, and they have a lot going for them to endear them to owners.  Their small size means they don’t require the acreage or feed that a full-size Hampshire or Shropshire needs, and they are generally fairly easy-going, but they can have natural or learned behavior issues.  This particular flock is mildly tempered, but there were a few ewe lambs, which meant those were skittish when they were being shorn, since that was a new thing.

  

These sheep have wool EVERYWHERE!  It grows down their hocks to their hooves, it grows into their ears, and all the way down their muzzles to their noses.  They also are fully wooled under their legs and through the crutch, so every place has to be sheared.  This would be a bit more straight-forward on a full-sized sheep, since shearing gear is made for that.  Larger sheep may require two-to three passes to clear all the wool between their back legs, while babydolls barely have room for the cutter to pass through once, with care.  Thankfully, they nearly have the facial structure of a full-sized sheep.  This does make shearing near the eyes and ears easier, and that wide neck is also easier to shear up. 

I’ve sheared at this farm on several occasions, and I’ve learned that the owner’s father was a shepherd earlier in life.  At first, I thought I’d be judged for every move I made.  Instead, I quickly learned that he was keeping busy moving the animals, trimming hooves, and generally being happy that he wasn’t shearing them.  The owner was right there keeping an eye on her animals, making sure Dede and I had what we needed, and then spent a fair amount of time chatting with Dede while I was shearing.  She was great at anticipating what was coming up and kept the process moving well.

Since we were on the east side of I-75 coming home we didn’t find ice cream, but Dede did find a few more “Sean of the South” columns to read as we came home around lunchtime.  Along the way we saw deer, hawks, and cardinals in the wild, along with goats and cattle on other farms in middle Georgia. 

What a great morning!

C-Ya!