Olde English 'Babydoll' Southdown sheep Olde English 'Babydoll' Southdown sheep The Olde English 'Babydoll' Southdown is a breed of sheep developed in the United States to reflect the original type of Southdown brought over to North America. To meet consumer demand in the early 19th century, farmers in the US and UK began breeding Southdowns that could produce larger cuts of meat. This led to a separate line of sheep that were bigger and leggier, and while flocks of the original type remained, their numbers decreased throughout the 1900s. In 1986, Robert Mock set about searching the United States for sheep that fit this original
Rare breed (agriculture) are catered by the Rare Poultry Society (RPS). The RPS does not look after breeds that count few individuals but have their own breed club. The British Rabbit Council (BRC) notes in its breed standards those rabbit breeds that have been recognized by the affiliated Rare Varieties Rabbit Club, of which there are currently 26 breeds. Major factors causing breeds to become rare are reported to include increased use of exotic breeds, weak policies and institutions in animal genetic resources management, neglect of certain breeds because of a lack of profitability or competitiveness, the intensification of production systems, the effects