Personal Input on Babydoll Southdown Sheep

Recently, there have been some posts and comments that all of North American BABYDOLL Southdown Sheep Association (NABSSAR)'s history is Olde English/ Mock based. This is not the first time NABSSAR has tried to re-write information on the breed and their practices. So, in the spirit of clarity, I thought it was a good idea to share this information. This is an archived version of the NABSSAR website from 2006: The underlined portion reads: "The [North American BABYDOLL Southdown Sheep Association and Registry] stands as an open registration; therefore, all BABYDOLL Southdown Sheep of non-registration status are also welcome provided the sheep meet the breed standard" - It does not detail the process here to include proof of Mock lineage (or any lineage) and the organization's own words outright said that sheep with non-registration status are welcome if they meet the NABSSAR standard. Though the NABSSAR practices have been updated and gone through changes ove...

Q: Can I do DNA testing to proof my sheep is a purebred Babydoll Southdown sheep? Answer: At this time, there is no genetic testing for purebred percentages. The DNA testing available for sheep is more along the lines of just a paternity test.

A comment we see often is: " Why are there multiple Babydoll registries? " Or the comment: " I wish there was just one registry " Guess what? We agree. Why is there not one registry for Babydolls? The short answer is breed standards and business practices that vary. For nearly two decades (1980's when Robert Mock started to re-establish the breed through to the early 2000's) there was one Babydoll Southdown sheep breed registry. Then, some breeders thought they would prefer a different look/ standard for the Babydoll breed and also that a business for Babydolls would be better managed as an organization rather than by an individual/ family. So the 2nd registry was created. Those steadfast in their dedication to the original registry and Babydoll Southdown breed standard were put in a lurch several years ago when the original registry was not communicating with paying members. Then, the first registry was sold - symbolically (and in some cases physical...

Wool blindness is a maintenance issue; NOT a breed structure issue with the Babydoll Southdown breed. Should the wool around the eyes grow too long, you can simply take a pair of safety scissors and trim around the eyes. If you are working on your wool quality, as some do with their flocks/ breeding program with this breed, better quality wool is likely to come hand in hand with some wool blindness. This is in no way something BSRA encourages or endorses, but it is something we agree to acknowledge can happen and will not disqualify your sheep from being registered entirely. There are much more severe issues that can arise in the breed (too tall, too aggressive, severe structural issues like knobby-knees, etc) that we would rather focus your attention on breeding out of your bloodlines and the registry than something like wool blindness, which again, can be maintained with a simple pair of safety scissors. We'd encourage you to read: https://www.pineknollsheepandwool.com/wool-blind...

The Babydoll Southdown sheep breed description is as follows: Head : Carried high. Medium length. Wide and level between the ears with no sign of slug or dark poll in the whites. Not too long from the eyes to the nose. Underjaw or chap fine and thin. Face & Muzzle : Full, not too long from eyes to nose with a wide muzzle which gives the sheep its classic smiling look. Incisor teeth should meet dental pad. Covered with short fuzzy fleece and hair a shade from very light tan to brown to cinnamon to mousy gray color in the off-white fleeced sheep and black color in the black-fleeced sheep. Nose & Lips : Dark; not pink. Speckles are common. Thin. Eyes : Large, bright, but not prominent. Any wool covering in front of the eyes should be short. Tear ducts should be free of wool. Ears : Of medium size, level with head, tolerably wide apart, well covered with wool, full. Forehead : Well covered in wool, especially between the ears. Neck : Should be of proportionate length, thin next to ...

June marks Babydoll Sheep Registry Association's (BSRA) one-year anniversary of official business. Over the last year, I have seen the organization welcome, grow, and educate some of the most amazing breeders in North America and Canada. I'm so proud of the support you have given BSRA and the leadership team behhind it. Together you  have made this all so rewarding! Your support of BSRA has been a wonderful gift during this first year. BSRA has proven its reputation on values, support, and ethics. Our members are examples of that, I truly feel that way. I'm happy to see our members extending themselves freely to assist others. You involve and educate those around you to help improve this breed and those just finding out about it. You complement achievements and support each other as well. You're there with your suggestions on how to make our business more efficient for both other members and the breed its self. We are so fortunate to have the type of members who are gen...