Sugargum Farm

Sugargum Farm Sugargum Farm is home to two breeds of Stud sheep.....Babydolls and Rare Breed Elliottdales.

The three breeds of sheep you will find on our Farm are Olde English Babydoll Southdowns, Classic Cheviots and Elliottdale sheep. The Babydolls and Cheviots are not actually miniaturised sheep but the heritage or original type of today's modern Southdown and Cheviot, before their sizes were increased for greater meat production. The Elliottdale is Australia's carpet wool breed and is a specialty c

arpet wool sheep, developed in Tasmania, so the Australian carpet wool industry could manufacture carpets without having to rely on imported wool.

Happy Winter Solstice, from All at the Farm. ❄️🐑❄️🐶❄️
20/06/2025

Happy Winter Solstice, from All at the Farm. ❄️🐑❄️🐶❄️

The girls, both Elliott and Babydoll have access to both the paddocks and house yard at the moment, so I never know who ...
19/06/2025

The girls, both Elliott and Babydoll have access to both the paddocks and house yard at the moment, so I never know who I’m going to have stay with me for breakfast. I can pretty much count on Dottie and Cal, but the “extras” change depending on who wants to run down the laneway for Breakfast and who can’t be bothered!😂
For two days now I have had the pleasure of the gorgeous Muffin staying in the yard. She’s not silly! Why run down the laneway with the flock when I can stay here, where the Brekkie Buffet is not as busy! 😊🩷 Plus, I get more scratches and cuddles. 🩷🥰🤗

“I’m watching you through the fence, Mum. Are you picking Roses? Are they for me? YES!!! YAYYY! No, go away, Hoochie, or...
18/06/2025

“I’m watching you through the fence, Mum. Are you picking Roses? Are they for me? YES!!! YAYYY!
No, go away, Hoochie, or I’ll butt you.
I LOVE Roses and I need Vitamin C ‘cos it’s Winter.” 👑🩷🌹

And suddenly, all I was left with was a stem with leaves and then that, too, disappeared. 😂🩷👑

Well, the “Meals on Quad Wheels” escalated quickly! 😂😂 It doesn’t take long for sheep to catch on. What have you started...
18/06/2025

Well, the “Meals on Quad Wheels” escalated quickly! 😂😂 It doesn’t take long for sheep to catch on. What have you started, Dottie?!! 😳😂🩷👑

I just went over to the Elliott paddock to help Geoff collect some firewood. I’m sure he was thrilled as you know what t...
16/06/2025

I just went over to the Elliott paddock to help Geoff collect some firewood. I’m sure he was thrilled as you know what that means. If I go, we ALL go!!😳😬😂😂
Yep! Blinky Bill, Mulga, Kodie Bear, Bambi the English Leicester, and most of the flock. He is sooo lucky to have us all helping him!! 😉😂😂

I’m usually very careful feeding the rams that my head is never down at their head level, as I think it could be conside...
15/06/2025

I’m usually very careful feeding the rams that my head is never down at their head level, as I think it could be considered a sign of combat. The girls will often bow and touch heads as a sign of greeting, but with the boys “head to head” has an entirely different meaning.

This day, I forgot, and I was emptying the rainwater out of the feeder, with my head and shoulder through the stranded wire fence, I felt the gentlest touch on my hair, and as I moved back, this was my view. Luckily, he’s a gentle boy, with a lovely temperament, but it was still a reminder. 😬

At some level, rams will always be rams. 🐏
Point taken, Kushie! Point taken. 🩵

Oh Dottie! You shouldn’t have boasted about your clever plan! Now you have to share with not only Cal, but all these oth...
13/06/2025

Oh Dottie! You shouldn’t have boasted about your clever plan! Now you have to share with not only Cal, but all these other girls! You didn’t see that coming, did you? 😬
Oops! At least they know what an enterprising and benevolent Queen you are! 😬😂😂🩷👑

“What’ya doin’, Shepherdess?”😳🤔Sherbet and Kush left their brekkie this morning to watch me break the ice on their water...
12/06/2025

“What’ya doin’, Shepherdess?”😳🤔Sherbet and Kush left their brekkie this morning to watch me break the ice on their water trough. 😬🥶❄️😊🩵

Some sheep are just too smart for their own good! 🙄 Yes, you know who I mean. 🤦‍♀️👑We currently have the top of the lane...
12/06/2025

Some sheep are just too smart for their own good! 🙄 Yes, you know who I mean. 🤦‍♀️👑

We currently have the top of the laneway open, so the girls can wander back up to the yard at night and sleep in the shelter, if they choose. Geoff puts hay in the yard for the early ones before he heads down to the paddock for those who have stayed there.

The Queen has worked out if she waits in the laneway, she gets her own private feed, otherwise she stands in the way of the Quad bike! 😂😂 Then she plenty of eating time on her own, until Geoff has finished feeding down the laneway, before the other girls are allowed back out.

While they all crowd around the “leftovers” Dottie trots back down to the paddock. 😂😂🩷👑

It must be pretty good hay too, as I couldn’t even tempt her away with an Oat cookie!! 😂🤷‍♀️

“Work smarter, not harder.” 👑

When you have been breeding Babydolls for generations, you begin to understand what certain sheep and lines will produce...
10/06/2025

When you have been breeding Babydolls for generations, you begin to understand what certain sheep and lines will produce. Those who have been following us for some time know Miss Minnie is one of my favourite girls. Since birth she has been the calmest sheep with the most beautiful nature. Min always produces the most beautiful lambs regardless of the ram, and there is always a definite “look” about her offspring. 🥰😍🥰 The four profiles photo shows Min (top left), her daughter, Moocher (top right), Min’s last son, Moose, (under Min)
and Moocher’s last son, Mocha, ( under Moocher). I’m sure you too, can see the resemblance. They are all gorgeous. Minnie’s sire was Tanjar Sherlock and her dam was Hillgrove Martha.

The second photo was taken by photographer and friend, Dale Webster, when she was both journalist/photographer for The Weekly Times. Dale and another photographer were here doing a story on the Elliottdales, and I lost her for a while. I soon found her, lay in the yard taking photos of Minnie when she was a lamb. Min was not bottle raised, just a lovely natured little girl. It is one of my favourite photos. 😍

We salute you, Miss Minnie, for your contribution to our breeding program and for just being you. We love you to bits and hope you are with us for many years to come. 🩷🥰🩷

Today’s little ram lamb is the very handsome and very full of himself, Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is pretty much his own fan c...
09/06/2025

Today’s little ram lamb is the very handsome and very full of himself, Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is pretty much his own fan club and thinks he is the Bee’s knees. He was one of the smallest lambs and I would say he is still the smallest ram lamb. We had him marked as a Stud prospect at a couple of days of age. He just had that “something” about him. Always first up for anything, he loves treats, and is not afraid to give a little nudge for attention. He has Dad, Freddie’s attitude, but rarely gets involved with the head butting episodes of young rams. He has those looks to protect! 😉😂 Mum is the lovely Hillgrove Bilberry. 🩷

We have had 40mm of rain since Saturday and it’s still pouring. Geoff and I came back inside looking like drowned rats, ...
09/06/2025

We have had 40mm of rain since Saturday and it’s still pouring. Geoff and I came back inside looking like drowned rats, despite wearing coats and hats. There are puddles everywhere and muddy ground, yet The Queen is as fresh as a Daisy, as are her mates! 🩷 👑
That fleece is amazing. It’s very similar to llama fleece, soft underneath but strong on the outer, perfect for repelling rain and dirt.
The top is damp but underneath, at skin level, the sheep are quite dry. 🩷🐑
Photos 1 & 2 are Dottie
Photo 3 is Splodge, who was shorn later than Dottie and Callie.
Photo 4 is Callie’s fleece close up
Photos 5 & 6 are Dottie close up

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Elaine, VIC
3334

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+61407048864

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The three breeds of sheep you will find on our Farm are Olde English Babydoll Southdowns, Classic Cheviots and Elliottdale sheep. The Babydolls and Cheviots are not actually miniaturised sheep but the heritage or original type of today's modern Southdown and Cheviot, before their sizes were increased for greater meat production. The Elliottdale is a rare breed sheep developed in Tasmania, Australia for the carpet wool industry. Although they numbered in the tens of thousands in the 1980’s the breed is now listed as Critical with there being less than one hundred purebred breeding ewes left.