Sheep are now mowing lawns and attending birthday parties in Washington, D.C.

Of the 80 percent of American residents who actively maintain lawns, dozens are actively ditching those aggressive, exhaust-spewing, noisy mowers and tubs of chemical sprays. In place of the whirring, the residents of Washington have now chosen the pleasant baa-baa bleating of sheep, thanks to a company called Lamb Mowers. This company offers herds of its Babydoll Southdown sheep for rent for residents to carry out their laborious mowing and weed-cutting tasks with ease and entertainment, as per NBC4 Washington's report on May 9, 2026.

From noisy buzz to pleasant baa-baa

Stephanie Brander, a resident of Northern Virginia, first hired Lamb Mowers after she spotted the sheep working in Fairfax City in a July 4 parade. “It was two hours, and they got more done than I could have in a week,” Brander described to NBC4 Washington. “That's pretty awesome. And they were fun to watch.” She needed the sheep to mow her vine-filled ravine. On the day the company released the sheep into her yard, she kept her kids out of school so they could watch the animal nibble away the grass.

Natural lawn transformers

According to the company website, the sheep can quickly munch down and gobble up thousands of pounds of dry, flammable vegetation, including invasive species like poison ivy, kudzu, and knotweed. Ridding overgrown yards of weeds is now a fun, quieter, and eco-friendly process and a greener alternative to herbicides and fume-sputtering machines. Cory Suter, the company founder, said, "These sheep are an heirloom breed that is people-friendly and easy to control. “So, for a suburban environment, they are ideal."

They do more than mow lawns

The idea of Lamb Mowers was conceived in 2015 when Suter and his wife purchased a farm in Fairfax County. In his pasture, he noticed how effectively the sheep mowed the lawn. The sight clapped with his passion for the environment and interest in regenerative agriculture, which led to the start of Lamb Mowers. Starting as a lawn mowing service, the company transitioned into a weed-and-feed service where sheep were used to cut up weeds. Suter affirms that the sheep not only fertilize the soil, but also enhance its water-holding capacity, while pulling out carbon from the air and improving air quality.

Sheeps doing birthday gigs 

Currently, the company serves homeowners, preschools, community groups, and sometimes birthday parties where sheep are eager to entertain curious kids by clearing clusters of dandelions, per Axios DC. The idea isn’t just eco-friendly, but also therapeutic and good for people’s mental health. “We bring joy everywhere we go. Our sheep are just really friendly, sweet animals that like to say hi to people and are just kind of lower your blood pressure when you get to be near them,” said the founder.

Science supports this approach

Science affirms that introducing natural grazers like sheep into cropping systems can reduce weeds and also bring relief to the farmers by eliminating labor-intensive work and radically decreasing brush cutting. Researchers analyzed sheep’s work on orchards and banana plantations and reported that sheep can reduce herbaceous cover by up to 60%, naturally suppressing weeds without interfering with crop yields, according to a study published in Agricultural Systems.

Residents who hired the company are pretty happy with the sheep mowers. An Annadale homeowner said, “The sheep were a delight. I still smile when I see their pictures. People loved it!” On Yelp, Nicole S wrote, “Our experience with lamb mowers was worth at least 10 stars! They were easy to work with, efficient, and so much fun. The kids loved it and getting to chat with Alex about the lambs. It was basically a kids' field trip in our backyard. I would highly recommend!”

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