Babydoll sheep

NOTICE: The grading system for Babydoll Southdowns is currently under review. AABMGS advise that we will not be accepting any new registration until the review is finalised.

Breed standard

The Babydoll Southdown breed is based on the Southdown with a focus on a short, well-muscled body that makes it suitable for use in vineyards and orchards, as a dual purpose meat and wool sheep and as a terminal sire for maiden ewes. The breed is known for its easy going temperament, attractive appearance including the Babydoll smile, efficient use of feed and good eating with smaller cuts suited to home butchering. The goals of this breed are to produce a short, stocky, easy care, easy to handle sheep with good fertility, easy lambing, good mothering, good lamb survival and good resistance to worms that is a dual purpose meat and wool sheep.

A good Babydoll Southdown should catch the eye with its alertness and balanced appearance, displaying the following characteristics:

HEAD AND FACE

Wide, with no sign of a horn.
Not too long from eyes to nose.
Strong, wide lower jaw. Teeth fitting well up on the pad.
Nostrils, full and wide with dark skin preferred.
Eyes large and bright.
Ears of medium size and thickness with soft hair or short wool of similar colour to face and level with poll.
Fleece on cheeks, forehead and around the eyes not so long as to obstruct vision.

NECK AND SHOULDERS

Neck wide at base, strong, short and well set on the shoulder with as few wrinkles as possible.
Shoulders well set, level with the back, well covered, not too heavy and allowing free movement, no depression behind the blades.

CHEST AND RIBS

Ample width and sufficient depth
Ribs well sprung.
Fore and hind flanks fully developed

BACK

Back long, level and firm with a deep, wide and firm well muscled loin.

HIND QUARTERS (THIGHS AND TWIST)

Full, well let down, well-muscled hind saddle.
Deep, wide muscling through the twist giving strength to the back legs and freedom of movement.

TAIL

Broad, almost level with the spine.

LEGS AND FEET

Short length legs, thick with strong bone.
Pasterns well sprung but not sagging.
Knees square with the body when viewed from the front.
Forearms strong and thick with meat.
Hind legs with a slightly forward setting from the vertical line of the pin bone.

SCROTUM

Good size, well hung, carrying two normal, well developed testicles.
One or two testicles not descended or split testicles are a breed disqualification.

UDDER

Wide and well attached with two functioning teats.
Extra functioning teats are discriminated against. Supernumerary (extra non-functioning) teats are not discriminated against.

SKIN

Delicate grey to bright pink on off-white sheep.
Dark tones on black sheep.
Should not have wrinkles over the body.

FLESH

Even and firm handling all over.

FLEECE

Wool short, dense and fine texture.
Covering the whole of the body down to the hocks and knees.

CARRIAGE

Free and active, head well carried.

HEIGHT AT SHOULDER

Height below 61cm is preferred.
Not above 61cm at one year old (breed disqualification).
Not above 62cm in older sheep (breed disqualification).

COLOURS AND MARKINGS

Acceptable fleece colours: off-white, black, greys and Moorits.
Black preferred for nose leather and hooves.
Colour of the hair or wool on the muzzle should be:
- light tan to brown to cinnamon to mousy grey with even colours preferred for an off-white fleeced sheep
- Black for black, grey or chocolate fleeced sheep (greying with age is acceptable).
- Not lacking pigmentation (breed disqualification)
- Not black faced on off-white fleeced sheep (breed disqualification).
Lower leg colour similar to muzzle colour.
Sheep should be registered with their birth colour.
Colour loss is acceptable.
Patches and spotted are acceptable except as listed below.
Unacceptable fleece colours and markings (breed disqualifications):
- Off-white fleeced sheep with a black muzzle and/or legs.
- Off-white sheep where both the muzzle and the legs are bright white (lacking pigmentation).
- Black-fleeced sheep with an off-white muzzle and/or legs.
- Predominately bright white (lacking pigmentation) on body.

DISQUALIFICATIONS

Height at shoulder above 61cm at one year old
Height at shoulder above 62cm at two or more years old
Solid 2.5cm or larger scurs or horns
Roman nose
Bright solid pink nose and lips or nose and lips without any pigmentation (pale pink/white)

Severe under or overbite, with distinct space between teeth and edge of dental pad

Solid white hooves
One or both testicles not descended
Split testicles
Udder with more than two functioning teats
Off-white fleeced sheep with a black muzzle and/or legs
Off-white fleeced sheep with muzzle and legs both bright white
Black-fleeced sheep with an off-white muzzle and/or legs
Muzzle lacking pigmentation
Predominantly bright white fleece

Tanjar Little Spot – Babydoll Southdown ram and AABMGS Australian Champion (photo used with permission)

Hillgrove Pocket Rocket – Babydoll Southdown ram (Roogulli Stud)

Tanjar Sherlock – Babydoll Southdown ram (Tanjar Stud)

Tanjar Jarrah – Babydoll Southdown ram (Tanjar Stud, at Eversley Stud)

The Hillgrove Queens – Babydoll Southdown ewes (Roogulli Stud and Tanjar Stud)

Tanjar Tangarine – Babydoll Southdown ewe (Tanjar Stud, at Pukerangi Stud)

Tanjar Little Bear – Babydoll Southdown ewe (Tanjar Stud)

Tanjar Micky – Babydoll Southdown ram (Tanjar Stud)

Tanjar Rocky – Babydoll Southdown wether (photo Sonia Tribe)

Tanjar Babydoll Southdown lambs (Tanjar Stud)

Examples of grades of Babydoll Southdown

Tanjar purebred Babydoll Southdown and crossbred lambs (Tanjar Stud)

Registration and grading requirements

General
Sheep accepted into the Australian All Breeds Miniature Goat Society Inc (AABMGS) Miniature Sheep Branch under Babydoll Southdown shall be graded and registered as outlined below.

An AABMGS member selling Babydoll Southdown sheep shall declare the percentage of each breed and grading involved.

The height of the animal is to be recorded when the sheep is at least one year old. The owner can measure the height of the sheep themselves. Height is measured from the top of the shoulders to the ground below.

Inspections against the breed standard will be undertaken by Babydoll Southdown breed representatives. At all times AABMGS reserves the right to nominate the percentage and grade a sheep may represent.

Breeders wanting to register lambs under one year old have the following options:

Wait until the lamb is over one year old and then apply for a grade registration certificate or purebred registration as appropriate.
Apply for a grade registration certificate with the height not shown for the lamb under one year old. In this case the owner must provide the height to the Registrar when the sheep is over one year old. Sheep cannot be registered as purebred Babydoll until they are one year old and have passed inspection against the breed standard.

Owners of sheep who did not breed the sheep can only register the sheep or apply to upgrade to purebred registration if the breeder or previous owner has transferred the registration to them.

Registry start-up phase
During the registry start-up phase, sheep registered in an Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association (ASSBA) Southdown flock as purebred Southdown can be registered as purebred Babydolls if they meet the AABMGS Babydoll breed standard including the height requirements.

Purebred Southdown ewes from an ASSBA flock that do not meet the AABMGS Babydoll breed standard and are 65cm or less in height can be registered as Grade A Babydoll at the discretion of the Registrar. In this case they will be considered 93.75% Babydoll.

Purebred Southdown rams registered with ASSBA that do not meet the AABMGS Babydoll breed standard and purebred Southdown ewes from an ASSBA flock that are over 65cm in height can be registered as Foundation. In this case they will be considered 0% Babydoll.

Sheep bred in an ASSBA Southdown appendix flock are not able to be transferred across to the Babydoll grades. Grade A sheep in an ASSBA Southdown appendix flock can be considered for Babydoll registration after passing ASSBA Southdown inspection.

To register a sheep with AABMGS that was bred under the ASSBA registration system, the owner must provide evidence that the sheep was bred in an ASSBA registered Southdown flock and that the owner has the right to register the sheep with ASSBA. AABMGS will only register Southdown sheep as Babydoll if the sire and dam are recorded with ASSBA. The evidence provided can be:

ASSBA registration certificate for ram or ewe in name of owner and pedigree showing at least parents and grandparents with percentages and registration numbers
breeder's ASSBA flock registration number and certificate along with pedigree showing registration details for sire and sire of dam
ASSBA transfer document showing individually identified purebred Southdowns being transferred to owner.

Sheep already registered in the AABMGS Babydoll registry before the commencement of these rules will be recognised as having the equivalent grade registration to those listed below.

Foundation sheep
Sheep of any breed can be recorded as foundation sheep. This includes sheep registered in an Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association (ASSBA) Southdown flock as purebred Southdown that do not meet the AABMGS Babydoll Southdown breed standard. A foundation sheep is rated as 0% Babydoll Southdown.

Information to be provided: photo of sheep. No proof of height is required.

Grade D: 50% Babydoll Southdown Cross
To be registered as a 50% Babydoll Southdown Cross (1st cross or ½ bred), the sheep must have one registered purebred Babydoll Southdown parent or another combination of AABMGS registered parents that delivers the minimum 50% Babydoll Southdown parentage.

The height must be above 43cm and can be above 61cm. No proof of height is required. Information to be provided:

photo of sheep
percentage Babydoll Southdown
AABMGS purebred sire or dam registration number; or AABMGS registration numbers and grades for both sire and dam if neither is AABMGS purebred.

Grade C: 75% Babydoll Southdown Cross
To be registered as a 75% Babydoll Southdown Cross (2nd cross or ¾ bred), the sheep must have a registered purebred Babydoll Southdown parent and a registered Grade D parent or another combination of AABMGS registered parents that delivers the minimum 75% Babydoll Southdown parentage.

The height must be above 43cm and can be above 61cm. No proof of height is required. Information to be provided:

photo of sheep
percentage Babydoll Southdown
AABMGS sire and dam registration numbers and grades.

Grade B: 87.5% Babydoll Southdown Cross
To be registered as a 87.5% Babydoll Southdown Cross (3rd cross or 7/8 bred), the sheep must have a registered purebred Babydoll Southdown parent and a registered Grade C parent or another combination of AABMGS registered parents that delivers the minimum 87.5% Babydoll Southdown parentage.

The height must be above 43cm and can be above 61cm. No proof of height is required. Information to be provided:

photo of sheep
percentage Babydoll Southdown
AABMGS sire and dam registration numbers and grades.

Grade A: 93.75% Babydoll Southdown Cross
To be registered as a 93.75% Babydoll Southdown Cross (4th cross or 15/16 bred), the sheep must have a registered purebred Babydoll parent and a registered Grade B parent or another combination of AABMGS registered parents that delivers the minimum 93.75% Babydoll Southdown parentage.

Some purebred Southdown ewes from ASSBA flocks may also be registered as Grade A Babydoll Southdown.

The height must be above 43cm and can be above 61cm. Information to be provided:

photo of full sheep
photo showing height of sheep at shoulders
percentage Babydoll Southdown
AABMGS sire and dam registration numbers and grades.

Grade AA: 100% Babydoll Southdown
To be registered as Grade AA the sheep must have two registered purebred Babydoll Southdown parents. This grade is used for lambs pending inspection as purebred Babydoll Southdowns and sheep that have not passed inspection as purebred Babydoll Southdowns but may still be useful in a breeding program.

Information to be provided for registration is the same as for Grade A

Purebred Babydoll Southdown
Once a sheep is over one year old it can be inspected for full purebred Babydoll Southdown registration.

To be registered as purebred Babydoll Southdown, the sheep must satisfy the requirements for Grade A or Grade AA and meet the AABMGS Babydoll Southdown breed standard.

The height at the time of registration must be above 43cm and below 61cm for a one-year-old sheep or above 43cm and below 62cm for a sheep two or more years old.

To be registered as a coloured Purebred Babydoll Southdown the Grade A Babydoll Southdown must have one registered coloured parent per generation back to and including the great-great-grandparents.

To be registered as an off-white Purebred Babydoll Southdown, the Grade A Babydoll Southdown must have a pedigree back to and including the great-great-grandparents that consists entirely of off-white sheep.

The following information is required for inspection when applying for purebred registration at one year old (or older):

photos showing full sheep in full wool for front, back and each side (see example below)
date of birth
photo showing the whole sheep with measuring stick in place over the shoulders with the scale on the measuring stick clearly legible (see example below)
percentage Babydoll Southdown
pedigree back to great-great-grandparents showing AABMGS sire and dam registration numbers, grades and colours
during the registry start-up phase where the sheep is not registered with AABMGS but is part of an ASSBA Southdown flock, the additional documentation specified in the Registry Start-up Phase section above.

A sheep accepted for registration as purebred Babydoll Southdown will be considered 100% Babydoll Southdown for the purposes of calculating percentage Babydoll Southdown parentage of its offspring.

Calculating percentages
The estimated percentage of purebred genetics in an offspring is the average of the percentage of purebred Babydoll Southdown genetics of the parents.

Where the percentage is not even to the grades above, the percentage will be rounded down to the nearest grade percentage.

Examples:

A registered purebred Babydoll Southdown ram is weighted at 100% and a Foundation ewe is weighted at 0%. The average of the parents is (100% + 0%) divided by 2 which gives 50%, meeting the requirement for registration as Grade D.

For a Grade C ewe (75%) and a Grade B ram (87.5%), the average of the parents is (75% + 87.5%) divided by 2 which gives 81.25%. This is rounded down to 75%, meeting the requirement for registration as Grade C.