Australian Babydoll Registries
Documenting pedigrees with care and precision.
Babydoll Registries
Of all the topics that confuse prospective Babydoll owners, Babydoll Registries would have to be the main contender.
It’s actually quite simple — there are now three registries in Australia recognised for Babydoll Sheep. Gumbuya Babydolls are registered with the ASSBA and the BSBA. They are eligible for triple registration.
For the Purist
1. The Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association Ltd. (ASSBA)
The ASSBA is the oldest established purebred sheep registry in Australia. Its first Flock Book was published in 1895, meaning pedigrees of purebred Babydolls registered through ASSBA can be traced back well over 120 years — pretty awesome!
The ASSBA maintains a white-only Babydoll registry and does not register coloured Babydolls. It also does not recognise Babydolls registered through other registries for inclusion within its flock book. However, an appendix breeding-up program is available for members who wish to introduce new genetics into their flock.
The Babydoll Sheep Association of Australia (BSAA) serves as the official breed society supporting the ASSBA Babydoll registry. The BSAA is not a registry in its own right; all ASSBA Babydolls are registered directly through the ASSBA.
🔗 ASSBA Website
🔗 Babydoll Sheep Association of Australia (BSAA)
Introducing a Splash of Colour
2. Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia (BSBA)
The BSBA recognises coloured Babydolls alongside the traditional white, and Gumbuya coloured Babydolls are registered with the BSBA.
All three registries accept ASSBA-registered sheep, allowing animals to be dual or even triple registered across the three organisations. However, Babydolls showing colour can only be registered with the BSBA or the AABMGS.
Coloured Babydolls are now becoming well established in Australia, with increasing numbers available each year. They occur in a range of colours and patterns, including black, brown, moorit, and sheep with spots or stripes, with some colours and patterns being rarer than others. Babydolls showing colour remain less common than white sheep and are often in high demand.
The BSBA registry also includes white sheep, some of which carry colour genetics. As a result, a sheep's registry does not necessarily reflect its visible colour.
🔗 Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia (BSBA)
Breed Standard
The breed standard for Babydolls is largely consistent across all three registries, each of which provides a detailed breed description on its website. All registries now use the term Babydoll, with no reference to Southdown. The ASSBA maintains a white-only registry, whereas both the BSBA and the AABMGS accept coloured Babydolls.
Are Babydolls Miniature?
One of the most common questions asked of breeders is whether Babydolls are “miniature” sheep.
Technically, they are not. The term miniature is sometimes used in marketing to describe their smaller stature; however, Babydolls are a naturally small breed rather than a downsized version of a larger sheep. In fact, modern Southdowns have been bred up in size over time to meet market demands, rather than Babydolls being bred down.
Babydolls have a minimum height standard within their breed definition to ensure structural soundness and overall wellbeing.
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