<![CDATA[Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia - Babydoll information]]>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:51:14 +1000Weebly<![CDATA[BSBA purebred Babydolls]]>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/registering-bsba-purebred-babydollsHow can sheep be registered as BSBA Purebred Babydolls?
A sheep breed is not created instantly. It needs a vision for what the breed will be (the breed standard), choice of the genetics to be used as a base and then careful, selective breeding to produce sheep that fulfill the vision. Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia (BSBA) records this process in our registry.  You can be sure that sheep registered as BSBA Purebred Babydolls have been through a rigorous process to achieve that status.

Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia has a two tier registration system: EM Babydolls (EM is for Emerging) and Purebred Babydolls. Sheep can only move from EM Babydoll to Purebred Babydoll registration after a rigorous inspection process.
Grading up
Purebred Babydolls in the BSBA registry are produced by breeders who employ a technique known as "grading up". Grading up is a systematic breeding process used to enhance a flock's quality by selecting and breeding with animals possessing superior qualities or particular genetic backgrounds. It allows for introduction of new traits that are permitted by the breed standard such as coloured wool. Through careful selection and continuous improvement, this method gradually transforms the flock, making it more uniform in terms of desired traits, and aligning it with the characteristics of the desired purebred sheep breed.

Grading up is sometimes referred to as "appendix flock breeding” with progress measured in grades (D, C, B, A or similar), generations (F1, F2...) or percentages. It is useful for introducing new traits such as coloured and patterned wool that are permitted by the breed standard. It is not as useful for increasing genetic diversity unless done on a huge scale.

Getting started with the first BSBA Purebred Babydolls
The Babydoll breed was first named, described and registered in North America. Due to quarantine restrictions and conditions, importing North American Babydoll genetics into Australia would be complicated and expensive. We have wonderful Southdown genetics to use in Australia to develop a Babydoll breed, just as Babydoll sheep in North America were based on Southdown genetics.

For the BSBA system, a sheep with Southdown genetics in the pedigree can be introduced into the BSBA registry and registered as EM Babydoll. This includes sheep that have been registered in other registries (ASSBA Babydoll, AABMGS Babydoll or ASSBA Southdown). We trace their pedigrees back to their Southdown ancestors to calculate a Breed Percentage.  A purebred Southdown would be 100%.

Upon the breeder's request, a BSBA inspection team conducts formal inspections to determine if a sheep can be upgraded from EM Babydoll to Purebred Babydoll registration. To be considered, the sheep must have a Breed Percentage over 93% and already be registered as EM Babydoll. The sheep can only pass inspection if, overall, their traits match the BSBA Babydoll breed standard as outlined in the BSBA Babydoll Breed Type Matrix.

A sheep that passes inspection becomes part of the BSBA Purebred Babydoll population and is reallocated a Breed Percentage of 100%. The first BSBA Purebred Babydolls were registered in 2024.

Offspring from two parents that are registered as BSBA Purebred Babydoll are automatically registered as purebred. Through this transparent and inclusive process, our BSBA Purebred Babydoll population has been established and is growing.

What happens to the sheep that can't be BSBA Purebred Babydoll?
Sheep that do not meet the criteria for upgrade to Purebred Babydoll registration retain their EM Babydoll status. We recognise that they can still be useful in a Babydoll grading up program. Their Breed Percentage  tracks where they are in the breeding up process.
 
We eagerly anticipate the results of the outstanding efforts of our breeders in developing this remarkable breed.
]]><![CDATA[Ovine Brucellosis]]>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:45:53 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/ovine-brucellosisOvine Brucellosis is a sexually transmitted disease of sheep spread quickly between rams. There is no treatment for infected rams. The effects can be devastating for a flock, with sudden loss of fertility and the infected rams needing to be culled. 

Best practice when buying any breed of ram is to only buy rams from Brucellosis Accredited flocks. An accredited breeder is able to provided a copy of their Brucellosis Accreditation certificate. Alternatively, new rams can be tested (twice) by a vet for Brucellosis before they are allowed into your flock.
Ovine Brucellosis accreditation is expected for BSBA Babydoll studs selling rams.

More information
]]><![CDATA[Frequently asked questions]]>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/popular-questionsOur breeders put their heads together to make a list of questions about Babydoll sheep that are often asked...
Q. Do they need shearing and what is their wool used for?
A. Babydoll sheep need to be shorn once a year. Their wool is a dense, springy Downs-type fleece, typically around 22-24 micron and 3-5cm staple length. It can be used for spinning by experienced spinners who can manage the sort staple, for stuffing and garden mulch. Some of our breeders also use the raw fleece on a peg loom to weave floor rugs.

Q. Can you eat them?
A. Well bred Babydolls weigh heavy and have a well muscled carcase. They are suited to home butchery for small cuts but are unlikely to be competitive in a commercial meat production scenario. The meat is succulent and finely marbled. A Babydoll ram can also be used over other sheep breeds in small flocks to produce meaty crossbred lambs.

Q. Are they miniature, a heritage breed, a rare breed?
A. Babydoll sheep are more accurately described as small sheep rather than miniature. The breed standard allows for them to be between 45 and 61cm in height at the shoulder. Babydolls are not a heritage breed but they are based on Southdowns which are a heritage breed.

Babydolls in Australia are a relatively new breed and numbers are increasing rapidly. If you look at the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia's definition of a rare breed, Babydolls would be unlikely to be considered a rare breed. In the BSBA Babydoll registry alone there are around 1400 Babydolls registered and this number is increasing rapidly. There are also two other Babydoll registries. The breed is relatively new with very few, if any, Babydolls having more than 6 generations of registered Babydolls in their pedigree. At the time of writing, BSBA had 64 registered Babydoll flocks.

Of course Babydoll sheep don't need to be miniature, rare or a heritage breed to be an attractive breed to keep!

Q. What are the commercial uses for Babydoll sheep?
A. Commercial uses for Babydolls are grazing and sucker pruning in vineyards, orchards and solar farms where their short stature naturally limits how high they can reach. Because of their easy going temperament, small size and easy handling, Babydoll sheep are also used on small farms, for agritourism and animal therapy.

Q. What are the routine health management tasks?
A. Generally, accepted practice is
  • annual vaccination with 5in1 or 6in1 vaccine (lambs need two doses one month apart)
  • drenching for parasitic worms as needed (worm egg count tests help you to identify when drenching is needed)
  • trimming of hooves as needed
  • shearing once a year
  • crutching (shear wool from around tail) and wigging (shear wool from face) to reduce problems with flystrike and grass seeds
  • provide fresh, clean drinking water
  • provide suitable feed (pasture).

Q. What do you feed Babydoll sheep?
A. Like all sheep, Babydoll sheep do well on pasture. They are efficient feeders and generally do not need supplementary feeding except when there is insufficient grass (eg drought) or in late pregnancy and early lactation. Supplementary feed could be hay, grain or sheep pellets. Any new feed should be introduced slowly. If your Babydoll sheep are lying around for most of the day looking a bit like beached whales, they are eating too much. Refer to information from your State agriculture department about suitable feeds for sheep and calculating rations.

Q. What lick blocks do my sheep need?
A. General information from state agricultural departments suggests ensuring that your sheep are getting adequate levels of energy and protein before worrying about minerals and vitamins. A loose lick of equal parts of agricultural lime, coarse salt and Causemag is relatively inexpensive, easy to make and commonly recommended for use with sheep by these departments and other research bodies such as Australian Wool Innovation. There are also many commercially-made lick blocks and loose licks available.

Q. Do I need to have a shed for my Babydoll sheep?
A. Not really. As long as they have trees and shrubs providing shelter from hot sun and cold winds, Babydoll sheep will be fine out in the paddock day and night. Some Babydoll owners have a predator proof enclosure to protect their sheep where wild dogs are a problem. Some Babydoll owners will use a shed during lambing to protect lambs (but lambing can also be done in the paddock with vegetation as shelter).

Q. Should I get ewes, rams or wethers?
A. This depends on your goals. See Buying Babydoll Sheep - Choices. To state the obvious, if you don't want to breed sheep then don't get a ram.

Q. Do Babydoll Sheep make good pets?
A. Generally Babydoll sheep are fairly docile and easy to tame and train. Typical behaviours that can be learned are running up to greet people, following a bucket around the farm, accepting chin scratches and patting and walking on a halter and lead. Small amounts of hay and pellets are a powerful incentive! Ewes and wethers are the best option if you want Babydoll pets. Some rams that are encouraged to get overly familiar can become dangerous when they reach maturity. Even though they are short, Babydoll sheep can weigh up to 90kg and that is not funny if it is a ram running towards your knees.

Q. What fences do I need?
A. Babydoll sheep are generally fairly easy on fences. A well strained hinge-joint wire fence is generally adequate where wild dogs are not present. Babydoll sheep can also be trained to respect electric fences. A small pen is useful for doing sheep management tasks like injections, drenching and vet visits. This can be as simple as four temporary sheep panels joined together in a square with one side opening as a gate.

Q. I love these sheep, where can I buy some?
A. The good news is that we have a growing number of registered Babydoll breeders in Australia and numbers of Babydoll sheep are increasing. You can contact breeders listed on our stud profiles page, join our Babydoll Sheep - Increase or Decrease Your Flock Facebook Goup or talk to Babydoll breeders at field days and shows. Have a look at our post about Buying Babydoll sheep for tips about what to look for. Buying registered Babydolls is the best way to make sure that the sheep that you buy really are Babydolls.

Q. Is there a look/type of Babydoll that everyone is aiming for, like they do in dog breeding?
A. The Babydoll breed is still being developed in Australia. BSBA has a Babydoll breed standard that our members aim for. Even working to a breed standard, there is quite a bit of variation. Individual studs will tend to develop a look or type depending on their breeding goals and preferences. It's good to know that just like other animals, Babydoll lambs look different from Babydoll adults. It is worth having a look at the adult sheep in a Babydoll flock (preferably shorn) before deciding to buy the lambs.

Q. What about coloured Babydolls?
A. The BSBA Babydoll breed standard includes white, coloured, patterned, striped and spotted sheep based on mainly on Southdown genetics. We are really excited with the great variety of colours that our breeders are achieving in their Babydolls. Some coloured Babydolls have their colour entirely from recessive colour genetics found in purebred Southdowns. Others have their colour from crossbreeding with other breeds and then breeding up through four generations or more to increase the Breed Percentage and eventually pass inspection to be registered as BSBA Purebred Babydoll. 

Q. Are there any genetic faults in the breed?
A. There are genetic faults in all breeds.

A recessive genetic disorder to be aware of for Babydolls is Gaucher. If you are buying Babydolls to breed, it is always worth asking about the Gaucher status of the sheep that you are considering. It is easy and relatively inexpensive to DNA test for Gaucher. It is much better to avoid introducing this fatal gene into your flock than to have to eradicate it after it has silently spread through your flock.

The BSBA Babydoll registry has the option for breeders to record where sheep have been DNA tested for Gaucher. This makes it easy to trace cases where Babydolls are Gaucher Free by pedigree when testing was done in earlier generations. Gaucher status is also shown on BSBA registration certificates. If you are in any doubt, it is possible to test again to make extra sure.

Q. I'm new to sheep, where can I learn more?
A. In Australia we are lucky to have state agriculture departments who publish well researched information about sheep health and husbandry. Their websites are a good place to look for information. You can also ask questions on our Facebook group Australian Babydoll Sheep Enthusiasts or join Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia for more support. Your vet can also be a good source of information.

BSBA runs stud tours where our breeders visit a Babydoll stud and spend time learning about breeding and keeping Babydolls. They are lots of fun.
]]><![CDATA[Buying Babydoll Sheep - choices]]>Tue, 04 Nov 2025 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/buying-babydoll-sheep-goalsWhat are your goals?
You might choose to keep Babydoll Sheep for all sorts of reasons. For example, you might decide that you want them for meat or fibre, to breed and sell, to keep as pets or as lawn mowers in the orchard or vineyard.
When you decide what your goals are, that will help you to work out what are the best Babydoll Sheep for you to buy. It is easy to get sucked in by cute Babydoll lambs but it is the adult sheep that you will live with longest.

To move sheep onto any property in Australia (including pet sheep), each sheep must have a EID ear tag, you need a Property Identification Code (PIC) and by law the seller must provide you with a National Vendor Declaration.

Here are some suggestions about what you might look for.
If you are new to sheep...
Every sheep owner has to start somewhere but these suggestions might give you time to learn
  • consider starting with less expensive crossbred Babydoll Sheep or older sheep
  • consider starting with wethers (castrated males) to learn how to keep sheep before tackling breeding
  • think about how you are going to manage your sheep so that the rams and ewes can be kept separate at certain times but still have the company of other sheep - buying a 'breeding pair' can make this hard to manage if they are your only sheep
  • it helps to see the sheep in real life and involve someone more experienced in assessing them
  • ask what after sales service is offered by vendor
  • ask what registrations, pedigrees and health records are available for the sheep (so you can make decisions accordingly).
If you are planning to breed purebred Babydolls, it is often faster overall to wait a little longer to get the right sheep for your breeding flock.
Buying Babydoll Sheep as pets
Babydoll Sheep can be great pets. If you are buying sheep for this purpose you might look for
  • sheep from a small flock that are already friendly and relaxed around people
  • if you are a novice shepherd, sheep that are old enough to be easier to look after (poddies and newly weaned lambs can be a challenge)
  • ewes or wethers (castrated males) - rams generally do not make good pets and can become dangerous if allowed to become overly familiar
  • individual sheep that you like
  • sheep that are not necessarily registered but do have evidence that they are Babydoll Sheep (cross bred sheep may also be an option)
  • a mix of coloured and white sheep to make it easier to tell them apart
  • older ewes in need of a good home
Even pet sheep need EID ear tags and you need to get a National Vendor Declaration from the seller.
Buying Babydoll Sheep as workers
Babydoll Sheep are known as handy lawn mowers both because of their calm temperament and their short height. You might look for
  • adult ewes or wethers that have been bred to have good feet, resistance to worms and a cleaner face - all these traits will make them easier to look after
  • sheep that have been bred in your region - they may be better adapted to the local climate
  • sheep that are shorter - so they can't reach as high when grazing around trees and vines (the height of adult Babydoll Sheep seems to depend a good deal on the amount and quality of feed available in the two years so final height is fairly uncertain when buying lambs)
  • sheep that have been trained to respect electric fences (but you can also train them)
  • sheep that are not necessarily registered but do have evidence that they are Babydoll Sheep (cross bred sheep may also be an option)
Four legged lawn mowers should still have EID tags, a National Vendor Declaration and a National Sheep Health Declaration from the seller.
Buying Babydoll Sheep to produce meat and fibre
The Southdown breed that Babydolls are based on, is renown for its tasty meat and a springy Downs style fleece in the medium micron range. Babydolls are a viable option for home butchering for smaller cuts. You might look for
  • breeding ewes and rams with good conformation and well muscled bodies
  • easy keeping qualities such as resistance to worms and low maintenance feet
  • sheep from a breeder who lambs in the paddock rather than in the shed
  • sheep with a history of producing twin lambs
  • sheep with a softer and longer fleece
  • Gaucher Free
  • Brucellosis accreditation held by breeder
  • National Sheep Health Declaration from seller.
Buying Babydoll Sheep as stud stock
Registered Babydoll Sheep are used to breed lambs with known pedigrees that can be sold with registration papers. Registered purebred sheep can compete in sheep shows. You might look for
  • sheep from a breeder whose breeding goals align with yours
  • sheep with good conformation
  • sheep that are true to type (meet the breed standard)
  • sheep with a Breed Percentage higher than 93%
  • ewes that are not closely related to the ram (ask to see extended pedigrees)
  • sheep that are old enough for you to be able to assess their quality
  • Gaucher Free status
  • pedigrees provided breeder
  • transfer of registration by breeder
  • Brucellosis accreditation held by breeder
  • National Sheep Health Declaration from seller.

Make sure to buy registered sheep if you want to breed and sell Babydoll sheep with registration papers. Remember that you generally can't turn unregistered sheep into registered sheep.

Buyers are encouraged to check carefully about what sheep registry they are buying from so that they don’t accidentally end up with sheep that can only be used in an appendix breeding program or not at all. For example, some registries do not allow coloured Babydolls and some registries to not recognise and register sheep from other registries. Buyers are also encouraged to ask for full pedigrees and registration details for the sheep at the time of sale.
See also Finding Babydoll Sheep breeders
]]><![CDATA[Babydolls in orchards]]>Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/babydolls-in-orchardsTony and Belinda Somers from Somersrust Babydoll Sheep Stud have shared their experience of keeping Babydoll sheep in their organic pear and apple cider orchard in Elands NSW.
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Orchards are a lot more diverse in the types of trees that are grown when compared to vineyards. There is increasing interest in sustainable organic orchard management integrating Babydoll sheep as is being done with the Somersrust flock.
 
Babydoll sheep can be used to control orchard floor pasture, tree suckers and to reduce herbicides and soil compaction in deciduous orchards growing pome fruit (Apple, Pear, Quince, Medlar), stone fruit (Peach, Nectarine, Apricot) or nut trees (Almonds, Walnuts). Short term intensive grazing, cover crop management, seasonal orchard requirements and food safety risks need to be considered.
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Human interaction creates calm, easy to handle sheep and adds value to farm tourism experiences
Protecting trees
 
Young establishing orchards have different management considerations compared to older established orchards. Young trees can be seriously damaged by sheep and tree guards are essential for their protection. Babydoll sheep can reach up trees to a height of about 1.2m. They may also push and rub against young trees to eat leaves.

Securely staking young trees at planting with strong stakes or metal reo bar rods pushed 500mm to 600mm into the ground provides a strong anchor for attaching tree guards. Plastic or wire mesh guards about 1.5m long can be placed over young trees and secured to the stake.
 
Trees should be trained to a height that the sheep cannot reach. This is fine for standard trees grafted onto vigorous rootstocks but trees on dwarfing rootstocks in high density orchards will require additional barriers such as movable electric fences.
 
Older trees can be protected by more sturdy guards. Here are some examples.
Fencing
 
Electric fencing and cell grazing is effective for keeping Babydoll sheep between orchard rows in young orchards. Larger areas can be used in established mature orchards where the risk of trunk damage is minimal. Electric netting fence or 3-4 strands of poly wire or turbo wire on tread in posts can be used. Please not that netting fencing can present a strangulation risk to small lambs if they get their heads caught.
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The essential requirement is to train the sheep to the electric fence before moving them into the orchard grazing cells. This can be done by placing a temporary electric fence within a securely fenced area so that any sheep that go through the electric fence while learning about it do not escape.
 
Once trained, electric fences provide effective containment since Babydoll sheep are very respectful of them (even when not energized).
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Mineral nutrition and water provided in cells
Food safety
 
Our orchard grows organic heritage cider apples and pears so we are cautious about food safety contamination issues. We have planned a 90 day pre-harvest period where the sheep are removed from the mature orchards where fruit will be harvested. At this stage our orchards are still non bearing so this has not been done.
 
Cover crops
 
Cover crop management is also a consideration. We use cool season pasture mixes of white and red clover, rye grasses, chicory and plantain sown using minimal till techniques during autumn. Sheep grazing is excluded during the early growth stage to allow clovers to establish and set seed. This sequence of no till, cover crop growth, sheep urine and sheep droppings combined with nitrogen fixing legumes works to add nitrogen to the orchard.
 
Agricultural chemicals
 
No fungicides or herbicides are used in our organic orchard but copper-based fungicides are regularly used in conventional vineyards and orchards. Precautions should always be taken when any agricultural chemical is used. Withholding periods for sheep grazing need to be followed to minimise the risk of chemical residues and toxicity hazards for sheep. In particular, British breeds of sheep including Babydolls are especially susceptible to Copper poisoning.
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]]><![CDATA[Gaucher Disease]]>Thu, 31 Jul 2025 14:00:00 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/gaucher-diseaseSheep carrying the fatal gene for Gaucher have been found in many Babydoll flocks in Australia. BSBA encourages all Babydoll breeders to DNA test for the Gaucher gene and eradicate Gaucher from their flock (Gaucher Free).

We also encourage all buyers to ask about the Gaucher status of sheep before buying.
Life for a lamb born with two copies of the Gaucher gene is pretty grim and short. They are unable to stand to feed and die in a few days.
As well as being devastating for lambs, anecdotally, it seems that ewes carrying a copy of the Gaucher gene are less fertile, more likely to have stillborn lambs and more likely to die unexpectedly (especially soon after lambing). None of us need this in our Babydoll flocks.

Fortunately there is a simple, inexpensive DNA test that can be done by breeders collecting a few drops of blood from the sheep on a special test paper and sending it to the Gene-Marker Laboratory at Lincoln University in New Zealand to find out whether a sheep is carrying the recessive Gaucher gene.

If a breeder has not DNA tested their flock they are unlikely to know the Gaucher status of sheep that they are breeding and could be selling you Gaucher carrier sheep. The only way to know for sure is DNA testing and tracking Gaucher pedigrees.

In theory, a ram carrying the Gaucher gene will pass on the gene to approximately half of his lambs so will spread Gaucher through your flock quickly. Ewes carrying the gene will also pass it on to half of their lambs but have less impact because they are not a parent to as many lambs. In cases where Gaucher has been detected in Babydoll flocks, it has often turned out that there are super spreaders who pass the Gaucher gene on to a much higher proportion of lambs than the theory predicts.

Where both parents have been shown to be Gaucher Free, their lambs will also be Gaucher Free by pedigree.

Please ask about the Gaucher status of any Babydoll rams and ewes you are considering before buying. A reputable Babydoll breeder will show you test results and Gaucher pedigrees as evidence that the sheep you are buying are Gaucher free. It is much easier to check before buying and avoid introducing Gaucher into your flock than to try to fix the problem later.

Excuses we have heard for not testing for Gaucher (none of these are true):
  • We don't have Gaucher in our area
    The Gaucher defective gene is specific to Babydolls and Southdowns, many vets have not heard of it.
  • We don't test because we haven't had any problems with Gaucher lambs
    If a flock has not been tested for Gaucher, it is impossible to know whether lambs that have died had Gaucher unless the deceased lambs have been DNA tested (which generally doesn't happen).
  • We only use Gaucher Free rams
    Use of Gaucher Free rams will slow the spread of Gaucher through the flock but the gene will still be spread by carrier ewes. Their ewe lambs and ram lambs can be Gaucher carriers.
  • Our flock has been closed for decades
    It is not known when the Gaucher mutation occurred. Owners of Babydoll and Southdown flocks that have been closed for decades have found Gaucher carriers in their flocks.
  • Our Babydolls all look fine
    It is only possible to know if a Babydoll is Gaucher Free by DNA testing or where their pedigree can be accurately traced to ancestors that have all tested as Gaucher Free.
  • Gaucher is not a problem
    This is somewhat true until you start having Gaucher lambs born, or sell Gaucher carrier sheep to other people, or finally get around to testing and realise how many of your best Babydolls are carriers and that the quickest strategy for eradicating Gaucher from your flock is culling the Gaucher carriers.
  • The test is slow and relies on the honesty and accuracy of the breeder
    Gaucher is a genetic defect present from birth, not an infectious disease. Test results typically come back within a month. It would be a stupid breeder who lied about test results when it is so easy to retest and catch them out. Once a flock as been fully tested, and is Gaucher Free, there is no need for further testing except for new sheep introduced to the flock so delays due to testing are unlikely.
Gaucher DNA test info
]]><![CDATA[What are emerging babydolls?]]>Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:39:19 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/what-are-emerging-babydollsEmerging Babydoll (or EM Babydoll) is a term used by Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia (BSBA) to describe sheep that are not registered as BSBA Purebred Babydoll.
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Roogulli Toffee (left) and Osborne Ridge Fleetwood (right)
The photos in this post show BSBA Purebred Babydolls that have been recognised for their quality at various sheep shows. They are the result of our Emerging Babydoll system. Many of them have undergone inspection to upgrade their registration from EM Babydoll to BSBA Purebred Babydoll.
Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia allocates a Breed Percentage and registers sheep as EM Babydoll for a few reasons:
  • Babydoll sheep introduced to the BSBA registry from other registries are initially registered as EM Babydolls even if they are considered purebred Babydolls in the other registry until they have been inspected against the BSBA Babydoll breed standard.
  • Sheep that have a high percentage of Southdown genetics (often 100%) that are useful in a Babydoll breeding program but would not pass inspection as BSBA Purebred Babydoll are registered as EM Babydolls to enable tracking of their progeny towards purebred registration. Our experience is that the lambs bred from these EM Babydolls by skillful breeders will often pass inspection to become Purebred Babydolls. Babydolls and Southdowns are closely related and Southdowns of the right type play an important role in broadening out the genetic diversity of the Babydoll breed that we are creating. This is essential for the long term viability of Babydolls*.
  • Sheep that have a lower Breed Percentage (typically 50% to 92%) that are being used in a breeding up program are registered as EM Babydolls. These EM Babydolls are typically being used to introduce new traits such as colour, spots, speckles and stripes. When they have been bred through enough generations to have a Breed Percentage over 93%, they can be inspected for Purebred Babydoll registration.
Many EM Babydolls go on to be inspected against the Babydoll breed standard. If they pass inspection, their registration is upgraded to BSBA Purebred Babydoll.
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Roogulli Spritz (left) and Roogulli Fizz (right)
We spent two years developing and testing a rigorous inspection system to make sure that BSBA Purebred Babydolls are high quality and true to the breed standard. Only sheep with a Breed Percentage over 93% can be inspected. Our inspections are carried out by two or more independent assessors who have not been involved in the buying, selling or breeding of the sheep being inspected.

Sheep that pass inspection have their Breed Percentage upgraded to 100%.

Lambs from two BSBA Purebred Babydoll parents are automatically registered as purebred.

Many registries run a system of appendix registrations to allow for breeding up through four or five generations to purebred. They may refer to percentages, grades or generations as a way of tracking how ‘pure’ the sheep are. Our Emerging Babydoll classification allows for this but also recognises the close relationship between Southdowns and our new Babydoll breed.
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Reo Grande Ruby
* The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia regards a sheep breed as being ‘At Risk’ if there are less than 1500 breeding ewes and less than 375 annual registrations for the breed. There is also concern if there are six or less distinct male lines. It is reasonable to assume that we need to establish a Babydoll breed with better performance than this to be viable in the long term.

Most Babydoll flocks in Australia were founded using some or all genetics from the Hillgrove Southdown flock. This flock has had at best four male lines for several decades and was reduced to just 30 breeding ewes in the time before Babydolls became popular. Clearly other Southdown genetics are needed to maintain vigour, fertility and performance in our Babydoll breed.
]]><![CDATA[Training Babydolls to be friendly]]>Sun, 22 Dec 2024 11:40:57 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/training-babydolls-to-be-friendlyThere are as many ways to train sheep as there are trainers. We asked some of our breeders for their tips for getting Babydolls to be super friendly.
First a few principles about what makes a sheep tick:
  • Sheep are a prey animal. Their main option for defence is to run away. There are a few exceptions. Ewes with new lambs may stand their ground. Rams can be aggressive and may charge and headbutt, especially if they don’t routinely have contact with other rams that apply peer pressure or have been made to feel part of the human family.
  • Each sheep has a flight zone. If you are inside their flight zone they will mostly try to move away. The flight zone can be reduced through training.
  • Food is a significant motivator.
  • A sheep can recognise many different people and will remember who treated them well.
  • Patting is best saved for wethers and ewes (not rams).
  • Consistency and kindness can work wonders.
Lupins

Sue Darby says:
I hand feed them lupins. I also halter train them using lupins mostly. Some are very friendly anyway and just want affection. This technique is good for all ages.

I feed out lupins in basins. I take a bowl of lupins and a camp chair and sit with them. They already know the bowl has a treat in it. The friendly ones come to the bowl and the nervous ones want too. I hand feed the friendly ones and the more nervous ones come up and eat out of the bowl that I am holding. The worse thing is getting steamrolled/ swamped in sheep. Eventually even the most nervous check out what I have in my hands.

Be patient with the scaredy cats. Sitting with them in the yards or paddock is important as well. You can take your laptop/tablet/ phone, may play a book or music. The dolls love to listen. They love to come up to you in a shady comfy place and lie down for a nap. They feel safe.

Eventually they come up to you for cuddles whether you havé treats or not.

When you hand out the beans(lupins) you lend to spill and so everyone gets some from off the ground

Guy Trezise says:
I also use cracked lupins which I feed out to all the breeders and rams. I also mix in bioworma with the lupins when using it.

As for getting the lambs and the adults, I will sit in the paddock with them while feeding. Having a bucket with you even when empty is a magnet for them to come milling around for a scratch.

A number of lambs come into the yard each day, led by a poddy and graze and follow us around while we work. They are very curious and will camp in the shade with the dogs.

Patience

Shenelle Macdermid says:
Food and time!
I have x2 bottle fed and x1 not bottle fed and they are all like dogs.

Good role models

Sharon Sparrow says:
Keep them locked up for a week with one quiet one. They learn very quickly to come when called for pellets /hay.
The wild and jumpy ones

Jennie Curtis says::
  • Don’t work with one sheep in isolation – always have other sheep within view.
  • Don’t try to catch sheep by chasing them - it only teaches them to run away. If the sheep are running away, you need a smaller space or more sheep.
  • Food is your secret weapon - set up a pen or small fenced area in the corner of the paddock and feed the sheep in there each day so they get used to going in. Eventually you can shut the gate behind them.
  • Containment is your second secret weapon - once you have sheep in a pen you can work on getting them to feel safe near you. Hang around in the pen with the sheep doing nothing much, sit and read a book, close the pen up tighter so you can touch the sheep without having to chase/grab (be careful of your safety if sheep are jumping around), give them a gentle jaw massage, scratch under the chin (patting on top of head they don’t like much), offer some food from your hand.
  • Halter training can be helpful.
]]><![CDATA[Finding Babydoll breeders]]>Tue, 03 Dec 2024 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/finding-babydoll-breeders
BSBA registered breeders
See our stud profiles for Babydoll breeders registered with Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia (BSBA).

Our breeders can provide you with a detailed registration certificate including an extended pedigree, registration status, % and Gaucher status for their registered rams and ewes. Wethers are not registered by BSBA.
We also run a Facebook group where our registered breeders can post about Babydoll sheep for sale: Babydoll Sheep - Increase or Decrease Your Flock. This can be a good source for buying Babydoll wethers.

Many BSBA breeders keep waitlists so that they can notify people when they have Babydoll sheep available.

Our registered breeders are required to abide by our Code of Ethics which includes how they represent and sell their sheep. 

Other breeders
Please check out the bonafides of any breeder before paying money since unfortunately not all people claiming to have Babydoll Sheep for sale are telling the truth. If the seller won't show you extended pedigrees (four generations) for the sheep before you agree to buy, chances are that the sheep do not have known pedigrees, will not be registered and are only useful as pets.

Don't forget to ask about Gaucher status and Brucellosis accreditation and whether the seller will provide a National Vendor Declaration (this is a legal requirement for anyone selling sheep) and National Sheep Health Statement.

What sheep are right for you?
See Buying Babydoll Sheep - Choices for ideas about what you might look for when buying Babydoll sheep and Registration for ideas about whether registration matters for you.
]]><![CDATA[Registration]]>Sat, 30 Sep 2023 14:00:00 GMThttps://www.babydollsheepbreeders.org.au/babydoll-information/registrationWhy register sheep?
Breeders register sheep as a way of tracking pedigrees, genetics and purity of sheep type.
Buying BSBA registered purebred Babydolls with extended pedigrees lets you know your sheep really are Babydolls
It is essential to know the extended pedigrees of the sheep that are being bred together. Without that information, you cannot know how closely related the sheep are.

Registration is a form of quality control. By registering and tracking our Babydoll sheep, we can build the quality and genetic diversity of our Babydoll breed. We can also minimise the negative impacts of inbreeding across the whole Babydoll population. Registration reduces the chance of valuable genetics being wasted by not being recorded and consequently becoming lost to registered flocks in the future.

Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia makes the registration process easy for Babydoll breeders by using Grassroots for our online registry and keeping registrations simple and inexpensive. BSBA breeders can print registration certificates for their sheep including a four generation pedigree to provide to buyers.
Most sheep shows only allow registered sheep to participate. If you want to show sheep to learn more about breeding good Babydolls, you need to register them.
Buying registered Babydoll sheep
Make sure to buy registered sheep if you want to breed and sell Babydoll sheep with registration papers. Be aware that some Babydoll registries do not accept Babydoll sheep bred in other registries so it is worth checking out your registration options before buying.

It is good practice to ask to see extended pedigrees and registration details for the sheep you are buying before you pay, along with evidence of transfer of registration after you buy.

If you are just getting started and haven't decided whether you want to sell registered sheep, you can keep your options open by buying registered sheep. Many people start off thinking they will just have pet Babydolls and then decide a few years later that they want to breed Babydolls. Remember that you generally can't turn unregistered sheep into registered sheep.

Which registry?
There are three organisations in Australia that register Babydoll sheep. They all have their pros and cons. We suggest having a look at the vision and goals of the breed society associated with each registry and decide which aligns best with your personal philosophy and breeding goals.

In brief:
  • The BSBA Babydoll registry, established in 2020, is run by Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia (BSBA). That's us! We are committed to developing a Babydoll sheep breed for Australia including white, coloured, patterned and spotted Babydolls. Sheep from other registries can be introduced into the registry as Emerging Babydolls (EM) if their extended pedigree includes proven Southdown genetics. A Breed Percentage is assigned by BSBA based on the pedigree. We run a grading up process. Sheep registered with BSBA as EM Babydoll with a Breed Percentage over 93% can be independently inspected against the breed standard by the registry team for upgrade to Purebred Babydoll registration.
  • The ASSBA Babydoll registry is run by the Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association with Babydoll Sheep Association of Australia (BSAA) as the affiliated breed society. The ASSBA Babydoll registry was formed in 2020 by breeders moving ASSBA Southdown sheep to the new registry and renaming them Purebred Babydolls. This registry is only for white Babydolls. To use it you need to buy  sheep from breeders in the ASSBA Babydoll registry and register an ASSBA Babydoll flock. This registry will not register Babydolls from any other registry. ASSBA also runs Babydoll appendix flocks which allow breeding up. 
  • The AABMGSS Babydoll registry is run by the Australian All Breeds of Miniature Goat and Sheep Society. It allows both white and coloured  Babydolls to be registered.
Can Babydoll sheep be dual registered?
It is possible to dual register Babydoll Sheep provided that they comply with the rules for each registry:
  • white  ASSBA Babydolls can be dual registered as BSBA Babydolls (but the reverse is not the case)
  • white and coloured AABMGS Babydolls with full pedigree information can be dual registered as BSBA Babydolls
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