Babydoll Sheep Registration 
with the Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association (ASSBA)

If you wish to breed and establish an ASSBA registered Babydoll stud, you must:

• Only purchase Babydolls from an ASSBA registered Babydoll stud;
• Check the breeder/seller is a registered ASSBA Babydoll by viewing a list of Babydoll studs on the ASSBA website or contact ASSBA directly;
• Obtain pedigrees of all Babydolls under consideration of being purchased and ensure the Babydolls are from ASSBA registered Babydoll studs.  All pedigrees must be traceable;
• Check the Babydolls under consideration meet the Babydoll Breed Standard.

1. Buy from an ASSBA-registered Babydoll flock: The seller submits a Combined Registration & Transfer Form online to ASSBA (or gives a paper copy to you fto give to ASSBA);
2. Join ASSBA: You’ll register your stud prefix (name) and flock. Your sheep will then be transferred to you in the Full Registry;
3. Meet Timelines: Transfers must be submitted within 60 days, and buyers have 60 days to register their stud prefix. While listed as “Pending Registration,” you cannot sell the sheep or their offspring as registered animals. If you don’t join ASSBA, the sheep will lose registered status;
4. Paperwork is essential: If the sire/dam aren’t registered with ASSBA or you don’t receive the correct paperwork, your sheep cannot be registered.

Tip: Always check the ASSBA Babydoll Register before buying. Avoid relying on verbal claims of “purebred” or “registered’ so always ask for documentation.

• Proof of pedigree and breed purity;
• Increases the value of your Babydoll sheep;
• Helps monitor numbers and conserve the Babydoll breed;
• Enhances credibility as a Babydoll stud breeder;
• Maintains records to reduce inbreeding risk;
• ASSBA is Australia’s oldest purebred sheep registry for English breeds of sheep, with records dating back to 1897. 

Owning an ASSBA-registered Babydoll flock is owning a living piece of Australian agricultural history.

Registering Babydoll sheep with the Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association (ASSBA) offers breeders a wide range of benefits and tt provides both practical support and long-term security for Babydoll sheep.

One of the key advantages is formal breed recognition. ASSBA maintains a dedicated Babydoll section in its Flock Registry, ensuring that the Babydoll sheep is preserved and clearly distinguished from modern Southdowns or crossbreeds. This recognition safeguards the integrity of true Babydolls in Australia and helps protect their heritage value.

Registration also gives each Babydoll sheep a verified pedigree, with ancestry tracked across generations. This documentation supports careful breeding practices by helping to avoid inbreeding and maintain strong lineage integrity. It also allows breeders to prove genetic authenticity when selling or showing stock, adding real value to their Babydoll sheep.

By enforcing the official Babydoll standard, ASSBA ensures that registered sheep consistently meet expectations for size, type, and conformation. This prevents the “Babydoll” name from being applied to unsuitable crossbreeds, helping preserve the breed’s distinct identity.

Market credibility is another major benefit. Buyers looking for genuine Babydolls have greater confidence when purchasing registered Babydoll sheep, whether they are commercial breeders, lifestyle farmers, or hobbyists. Registration strengthens trust and often increases demand.

Breeders also gain access to ASSBA’s flock book and community resources, which include pedigrees of other registered Babydoll sheep. This provides valuable opportunities to network, exchange genetics, and share advice with fellow breeders who are equally dedicated to conserving the breed.

Perhaps most importantly, registration contributes to the preservation of genetic diversity. By keeping accurate records, breeders can monitor effective population size and avoid overuse of particular Babydoll rams, helping maintain a healthy, sustainable gene pool.

Finally, registration opens the door to wider recognition. Only registered Babydolls can participate in ASSBA-sanctioned shows and competitions, where quality sheep are rewarded. It also strengthens marketing opportunities and supports participation in heritage conservation programs.

• ASSBA considers Babydoll and Southdown sheep to be different breeds of sheep;
• Babydoll sheep and Southdowns have separate registries: they are not interchangeable in the ASSBA Flock Registry;
• Southdown × Babydoll sheep progeny enter the Appendix Program;
• Coloured Babydoll sheep are not recognised by ASSBA. Grading-up of coloured wool sheep is not permitted.

Breeding a registered Babydoll ram or ewe to another breed, then breeding the progeny back to purebred Babydolls over four generations is called Grading-Up and they can be registered in the Appendix of the ASSBA Flock Registry.