Our Babydoll sheep
Our Babydoll flock was established in 2016 with a plan to develop a Babydoll type of Southdown combining the smaller height found in some purebred Southdown sheep with significant benefits achieved in the last few decades of Southdown breeding in Australia.
We wanted a small, neat sheep suited suited to Australian conditions – a type of sheep that is useful for small farms, vineyards and orchards, easy to look after and fun to keep. Of course this can't happen instantly but we are working on it and can try to help you realise this dream too.
We wanted a small, neat sheep suited suited to Australian conditions – a type of sheep that is useful for small farms, vineyards and orchards, easy to look after and fun to keep. Of course this can't happen instantly but we are working on it and can try to help you realise this dream too.
Babydoll sheep are known for their lambs with fluffy faces and knee high 'socks'. However much fun that stage might be, we want the Roogulli Babydolls to grow into strong, robust small sheep with a springy Downs fleece, flavoursome meat and true to the Babydoll breed standard. We mostly breed white Babydolls and just a few with colour.
We find that our Babydolls are resilient and hold their condition well in dry times. They live outdoors all year round (even in our cold winters) and are shorn once a year. They are relatively calm and easy to train.
We don't participate in many sheep shows but have show successes to celebrate.
We find that our Babydolls are resilient and hold their condition well in dry times. They live outdoors all year round (even in our cold winters) and are shorn once a year. They are relatively calm and easy to train.
We don't participate in many sheep shows but have show successes to celebrate.
Babydoll traits
Our Babydoll sheep generally have woolly faces, some more than others. We trim the wool on the faces of our lambs in November to reduce the impact of the many grass seeds in our pastures over summer.
The Babydoll smile comes from the wider jaw of the Southdown. Most sheep with 100% Southdown genetics have it but we have noticed some bloodlines just look a bit cranky instead. You will see the smile best when the sheep is in full wool and you kneel down to look or photograph the sheep from an angle looking upwards to the mouth.
The height of sheep depends on genetics and the environment where the lamb is raised. There are three ways to make sheep small: excessive inbreeding, underfeeding sheep while they are growing and breeding with smaller genetics. We prefer the third option. Our sheep are small, rather than miniature, which makes them useful. The Babydoll breed standard allows for sheep to be up to 61cm high at the shoulder when shorn. Our sheep nearly always meet that requirement. Please note that measuring the height of sheep is a somewhat inexact science and depends on how a sheep is standing at the time.
We aim for a nicely proportioned, smaller body shape with good meat qualities and ease of movement. Rather than a big sheep with short legs, we look for a sheep that is scaled down in size all over. We like a neck free of wrinkles and with some length, thicker boned legs and standing well up on the feet, well muscled hindquarters, depth of body and twist, a straight back and depth and length in the loin.
The Babydoll smile comes from the wider jaw of the Southdown. Most sheep with 100% Southdown genetics have it but we have noticed some bloodlines just look a bit cranky instead. You will see the smile best when the sheep is in full wool and you kneel down to look or photograph the sheep from an angle looking upwards to the mouth.
The height of sheep depends on genetics and the environment where the lamb is raised. There are three ways to make sheep small: excessive inbreeding, underfeeding sheep while they are growing and breeding with smaller genetics. We prefer the third option. Our sheep are small, rather than miniature, which makes them useful. The Babydoll breed standard allows for sheep to be up to 61cm high at the shoulder when shorn. Our sheep nearly always meet that requirement. Please note that measuring the height of sheep is a somewhat inexact science and depends on how a sheep is standing at the time.
We aim for a nicely proportioned, smaller body shape with good meat qualities and ease of movement. Rather than a big sheep with short legs, we look for a sheep that is scaled down in size all over. We like a neck free of wrinkles and with some length, thicker boned legs and standing well up on the feet, well muscled hindquarters, depth of body and twist, a straight back and depth and length in the loin.
Gaucher Disease
Our Babydoll flock has been tested for Gaucher Disease, a recessive generic disorder with fatal consequences for all lambs born with with two copies of the gene. All the Babydoll and Southdown sheep that we now sell are Gaucher Free by test or pedigree to ensure that this genetic defect is not passed on.
Registration and accreditation
Since we first registered our flock with Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association (ASSBA) as Southdown in 2016, there have been various ructions in the Babydoll sheep world resulting in a range of Babydoll registries being created in Australia.
The Roogulli flock remains registered as ASSBA Southdown, giving us access to a wide range of Southdown genetics including semen from decades past. We are proud to continue the tradition of breeding Southdowns - a dual purpose British sheep breed that comes in a range of sizes and has existed for several centuries. Only our white sheep that are 100% Southdown genetics are part of our ASSBA Southdown flock.
We also register our Babydoll flock as Babydolls with Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia. This allows us to register our coloured Babydoll sheep and work alongside other like minded Babydoll breeders on an exciting project to develop a distinct Babydoll breed for Australia.
Our flock is Brucellosis accredited (NSW OB-BR 76998).
The Roogulli flock remains registered as ASSBA Southdown, giving us access to a wide range of Southdown genetics including semen from decades past. We are proud to continue the tradition of breeding Southdowns - a dual purpose British sheep breed that comes in a range of sizes and has existed for several centuries. Only our white sheep that are 100% Southdown genetics are part of our ASSBA Southdown flock.
We also register our Babydoll flock as Babydolls with Babydoll Sheep Breeders Australia. This allows us to register our coloured Babydoll sheep and work alongside other like minded Babydoll breeders on an exciting project to develop a distinct Babydoll breed for Australia.
Our flock is Brucellosis accredited (NSW OB-BR 76998).