What are emerging babydolls?

Emerging 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.

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.

Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia 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 Babydoll in the other registry.
• 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. Our experience is that the lambs bred from these EM Babydolls by knowledgeable breeders will often pass inspection to become Purebred Babydolls. These EM Babydolls 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 percentage of Southdown genetics (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 from other breeds. When they have been bred through enough generations to have a percentage of Southdown genetics 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.

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 at least 93% Southdown genetics in their extended pedigree 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 percentage upgraded to 100% for future calculations of % for their lambs.

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

Many other 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.

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.