Gaucher Disease

All Babydoll sheep have Southdown genetics and any one of them could be carrying the gene for Gaucher Disease. Life for a lamb born with two copies of the Gaucher gene is pretty grim and short since they are unable to stand and feed. Anecdotally, it also seems that ewes carrying Gaucher 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 to find out whether a sheep is carrying Gaucher.

Gaucher carrier sheep have been found in many Babydoll flocks in Australia. If the breeder has not 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.

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 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.

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