Babydoll Sheep and Registration

The Babydoll Breed

Babydoll is the name now given to the smaller-sized version of the Southdown sheep breed as it was before the mid-1970s.

At that time, genetics were introduced to Australia from New Zealand where larger-framed Southdown sheep were being bred.  Southdowns continued to evolve so much that the Southdown Breed Standard as laid down with the Australian Stud Sheep Breeders’ Association (ASSBA) no longer fitted the few flocks of remaining Babydoll-sized Southdowns.

The Babydoll Sheep Australia Association Inc (BSAA) spent several years in discussions with ASSBA and with Southdown Australia seeking official recognition of the Babydoll as its own breed.  After a lot of work, the Babydoll Flock History commenced in ASSBA’s 2020 Flock Register and the Babydoll established its own Breed Standard separate to the Southdown.

Consequently, ASSBA is the BSAA’s recommended Registry.  ASSBA is the longest serving purebred sheep Registry in Australia with the records going back to 1897.

Our South Glynde stud is registered with ASSBA.

Buying Babydolls with registered ASSBA

Sheep bought from an ASSBA registered breeder only remain “registered” if they are transferred to another member of ASSBA.

If the purchaser does not belong to ASSBA and has not registered their own Babydoll stud, they cannot sell their purchases or their progeny as “registered” or "can be registered". Therefore, a purchaser must join ASSBA and have a Babydoll stud with their own Prefix to sell their sheep as registered.

• When Babydoll rams or ewes are purchased from an ASSBA registered breeder, the breeder sends a Combined Registration and Transfer Form into ASSBA and pays the Transfer fee.  (See NOTE below.)
• If the purchaser is a member of ASSBA, the sheep will be transferred to their flock.
• If the purchaser is NOT a member of ASSBA, the sheep then sit in the ASSBA database for sixty days following the transfer (see NOTE below), pending the purchaser joining ASSBA and establishing their own Stud. Once they have done this, Karen Bond, the ASSBA Secretary, will transfer the sheep to their Stud name and they will then be registered to the purchaser.
• When the purchaser is not an ASSBA member,  the sheep are NOT registered to them. Also, they are no longer registered to the breeder from whom they were purchased. They are PENDING REGISTRATION until the purchaser joins ASSBA.
• Likewise, any offspring they have are NOT registered either. This means they cannot be sold as registered as they are not from a registered stud. 
  Nor can you sell them as "can be registered", until you create your own Stud by joining the ASSBA.
• For you to sell your Babydolls as registered or "can be registered", you must join ASSBA and have a stud, with your own Prefix. 

NOTE: Transfers should be sent to the ASSBA within sixty days of the sale of the sheep and the new buyer has a further sixty days within which time to register their Stud Prefix and flock. After this time, the re-registration of these sheep is up to the discretion of the ASSBA Board and will at the least require an extra fee. ASSBA is not totally strict with this, but don't expect to be able to keep the sheep for a couple of years before registering a Stud. A registry needs to be able to prove continuity of ownership and breeding details, so timelines are important.

Why register with ASSBA

The ASSBA is the longest serving purebred sheep Registry in Australia with the records going back to 1897.

Registering your sheep with the Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association (ASSBA);

• Provides proof of purity for purchasers and showing.
  Your stud details are included in The Australian Flock Register (Flock Book) published annually and also available on ASSBA’s website.
• Provides a pedigree and lineage of your sheep
• Adds value to your sheep
• Allows the sheep to be counted and monitored as to numbers and rarity
• Enhances your credibility as a stud stock breeder
• Provides a record to lessen the possibility of in-breeding.
• Makes your stud details available on its website 
• Connects you to a stud sheep breeding world with generations of knowledge and experience

NB: ASSBA does not recognise registrations from other sheep registries.

What if the purchaser doesn't intend to sell any Babydolls

Purchasers of a few Babydolls as lawnmowers or companion animals on small acres with no intention of breeding sheep to sell, often ask if they need to join ASSBA and comply with all the requirements of a registered stud (e.g. Ovine Brucellosis accreditation etc).

The answer is “no”, as long as they are aware that if they change their mind at a later stage, ASSBA may not be able to transfer sheep purchased from a registered flock if several years have elapsed (see NOTE above). 

Description of a Babydoll sheep

Every breed registered with the Australian Sheep Stud Breeders Association (ASSBA) has an official breed description.

Thank you to ASSBA for permission to reproduce the Babydoll Breed Description from their Australian Flock Register.

Any sheep entered for showing will be judged according to this description. It should be noted that the official breed description of the Southdown when it was Babydoll-sized pre the 1970s, never stipulated a height to the shoulder.