Personal Input on Babydoll Southdown Sheep

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...

1. Purebred spots exist in Babydoll Southdown sheep. Read old texts from a couple of centuries ago and spots are mentioned. Review the breed revivor's set standard for his "Babydoll" breed and spots were acknowledged/ accepted/ allowed by him up to his passing. 2. Spots pop up from off-white and black purebred Babydoll Southdown sheep as well. 3. Even if you don’t want spots, that doesn't mean they don't exist/ you can deny them.  4. Don't buy spotted purebred Babydoll sheep, if you don't want them. Should spots pop up from your solid black or off-white sheep unexpectedly, you can breed the lines out and work on your flock's characteristics like you would any other personal dislike ... but that is what it is, a dislike; NOT a breed disqualification. This opinion is based on centuries-old texts, documents, and breed drawings/ renderings.  This opinion is based on Robert Mock, the breed's revivor, set standards.  This opinion is based on countless br...