Sheep

Sheep LIVESTOCK Exotic Animals 15-4-15 Baby Doll Southdown rams are no more than 26 in. high without wool and ewes no more than 24 in. high. Neither sex has horns. Robert Mock, breeder, found the sheep mentioned in old English sheep literature. They were the ancestors of today's Large Southdown sheep breed. "Up through the Depression years Baby Dolls were a popular breed," says Mock. "In those years, before refrigeration, meat wouldn't stay fresh for more than a couple meals so small animals were in demand. The animals were extremely docile and easy for the housewife or children to care for, providing both meat and wool. When commercial refrigeration was introduced, demand grew for a larger meat carcass and the little sheep began to disappear." Mock started his search for the sheep five years ago. At first he thought they had become extinct but then he finally found two small remaining flocks. Both had been in the same families and on the same farms for over 50 years, maintained as a labor of love and because the owners could still easily care for them in their advanced years. There are less than 80 in the U.S. Mock's female lambs sell for $1,500 and rams for $1,000. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert Mock, Hapsburg Kennel & Juinglesong Cattery, 14043 24th Ave. S., Seattle, Wash. 98168 (ph 206 243-2160).

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