The South African Meat Board took on the challenge of producing a meat sheep breed that would produce a higher quality carcass and yet, thrive under arid to semi-arid conditions. One of the biggest hassles with Dorpers are leg and feet problems, so try to avoid that by buying rams with good structure in their legs and shoulders. The name Dorper is an amalgamation of these two breeds. Although the breed was created in the 1930s, it is still fairly new to the US. Member Details. In winter, it is better to heat the water, because sheep can catch a cold due to the use of cold liquid. Box 246, Upington 8800, South Africa, [Sheep Breeds || Breeds of Livestock || Animal Science Home Page || Comment ]. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. You can expect to pay anywhere between $200 and $500 per sheep. The oestrus cycle can last from 15 to 20 days. Can be safely used to improve other breeds. They do, however, require the same care and maintenance as other breeds of sheep, to ensure they remain healthy and disease-free. It is useful to lay out lumps of salt in stalls (or in one specific place), from which your wards can get all the minerals they need in the process of licking. The breed has a thick, well muscled carcass and extended period of fertility. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. By four months of age, most lambs have already attained a weight of 80 to 90 pounds, which is the market standard. Problems with the amount of milk are more often observed in older individuals, after the age of eight. The Dorper sheep put on wool in cold climates and shed in warm weather. Dorper has gained much popularity mainly because of its resiliency and hardiness. It also contains conjugated linoleic acid which has been shown in some studies to reduce inflammation and body fat. Dorper sheep are made by crossing a Dorset Horn ram with a Blackheaded Persian ewe. This is associated with the inherent growth potential of the Dorper lamb and its ability to graze at an early age. Its hornless with a relatively long body length and has a short and light wool covering, requiring little shearing. By the age of two months, the weight of the lamb reaches 40 kg, and at four months, small burly men weigh about 55 kg. Katum smooth-haired sheep: description, advantages and disadvantages of the breed, Average weight of a sheep: a live adult, how much does a lamb carcass weigh, Who is considered the ancestor of domestic sheep: theories of origin, Fine-wool sheep breeding: the most famous breeds, breeding, Sheep milk cheese: types of cheese, how to make at home, Sheep breeding in the countries of the world, Areas of application of lamb fat, how to choose when buying, benefits and harms. They typically produce single lambs with each pregnancy. In addition, the meat of representatives of this breed does not have a specific mutton taste, and the level of cholesterol in such products is minimized, so it is recommended to use it for children and people suffering from problems with the digestive system or cardiovascular ailments. It was developed in South Africa and is now the second most popular breed in that country. Project initiated April, 1994 - Initial web site opened February 22, 1995. It also means that you can combine Dorpers with other breeds that are more selective, leaving the Dorper to feed on what is left. The African origin of dorpers does not in the least prevent them from breeding them in Europe and Russia, after all, despite the absence of a warm fur covering of the body, animals perfectly adapt even to sub-zero temperaturesthat scientists still cannot explain scientifically. Again, wool. Katum smooth-haired sheep: description, advantages and disadvantages of the breed . She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes (and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship) and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' know, Ram vs Sheep: Whats the Difference? They are non-selective grazers and can benefit you by grazing where other livestock will not. The main reason this hybrid was created was for its meat, not its wool. The breed was developed for the arid extensive regions of South Africa. The lambs grow quickly, reaching a weight of 80 to 90 pounds in four months. This means that they will usually get along with people and other animals, although it also means that they have sensible respect for some animals. It also brings remarkable fertility, with the ability to breed every eight months and to produce a high number of twins. The Dorset Horn rams crossed with Blackhead Persian ewes produced fast growing and heavily muscled lambs yielding very satisfactory economic returns under a variety of environmental conditions. disadvantages. Fortunately, there are a few sheep breeds that don't need shearing, collectively known as "hair sheep.". White Muscle Disease in Lambs: What Is It and How to Prevent It? If, after half an hour, the baby did not get up and did not get drunk on the mothers colostrum, then after a maximum of two hours the uterus will have to be milked and the lamb will be artificially watered (in an hour he should drink at least 50 ml of colostrum). In this case, the basis of the daily diet are hay and straw, grain, bran, silage and root crops, which are usually harvested for feeding animals in the cold season. The breed does require the same care as other sheep to remain healthy and disease-free but is not known for getting ill. Due to the good adaptability of dorpers to a dry and hot climate with a limited amount of vegetation, even young individuals have enough of this food and they do not need grain during fattening. Dorper sheep are a self-shedding sheep breed, meaning they do not require any manual . Try to ensure some shade for the sheep during summer months, and protection from the rain during winter. On Leaning Cedar Ranch Dorpers co-graze with the cattle. Dorper sheep can be a great option for those wanting to raise mutton as they fetch a great price at the market. Ewes have been running with Dorper ram. In females, horns are completely absent, in rams they rarely grow and usually are two or three centimeter tubercles. A Dorper lamb will reach a high weaning weight quite easily. It has high fertility and maternal instinct, combined with high growth rates and hardiness. (With Pictures), Lamb vs Sheep: Whats the Difference? Dorper sheep are considered to be an easy breed to raise. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Sheep Breeds. KJH Dorper Sheep is located in North Texas 26 miles northwest of Fort Worth, in Azle, TX. The Dorper is a domesticated breed of sheep that is reared for meat. A wonderful breed, wool of the highest quality. American Sheep Industry Association The NZ Dorper Sheep Breeders Society was formed in January 2002. From an American point of view (the point is located precisely in the state of Texas). It is a hardy animal, does not require shearing or crutching, and is less prone to suffer from flystrike. The breed is also very hardy when it comes to living in different climates. Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . Dorper Hardiness. Consequently under good forage conditions and with good management the Dorper ewe can lamb three times in two years. Also, varieties are not on record due to being bred in countries without official sheep breed registries. The Dorper skin is the most sought after sheepskin in the world and is marketed under the name of Cape Glovers. A breed society was established in 1950 in the Republic of South Africa. The Dorper sheds its fleece during the warmer months late Spring/Summer. You also need to ensure that they are well-hydrated as they are heavy eaters. SUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/c/HighMountainHomestead?sub_confirmation=1 Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep https://amzn.to/3EhO3gO The Backyard S. However, people don't often. History: In the early 1930s, meat-sheep raisers in South Africa set out to create a mutton breed that didn't require shearing and could produce high-quality, fast-growing lambs under harsh conditions. The meat produced from a Dorper flock seems very popular. No uniform pattern in the walking distance of Dorpers was observed when compared to other sheep breeds. I managed Nonning for 20 years, and we also own 'Kilmory' - a commercial cattle and White Dorper stud property - north of Lucindale, SA, that I have managed for the last 5 years. Dorset Horn Uses. White Dorper genetics have also contributed to the development of the Australian White sheep breed.[4]. With all of the benefits available like their hardiness to the environment, neutral grazing, and shedding, they make an excellent breed that practically cares for itself. Fertility, great feed conversion, and adaptability to weather conditions have helped the Dorper sheep breed rise in popularity among sheep farmers. Dorper is a sheep breed with a short and extremely clear history of origin. Roughly 40% of the fat in Dorper meat is from oleic acid, which is largely associated with a decreased risk for heart disease. Overall, this breed is considered a good choice for any breeder or farmer, regardless of experience, that is looking for a hardy and resilient meat stock. Due to the multiple pregnancy of females with the reproduction of dorpers, there are no difficulties, Moreover, sheep themselves do an excellent job with labor and rarely require human intervention. It may also have some additional white coloring on the body. You will have to perform regular worming control maintenance. The breed was bred in the 30s of the last century in South Africa. The breed was created through the efforts of the South African Department of Agriculture to breed a meat sheep suitable to the more arid regions of the country. The name 'Dorper' is a coupling of the first . In addition, sheep have many other interesting features that are directly related to their origin. Sheep need up to 5 gallons of fresh water per day. animal-science-mail-form Rambouillet Sheep. The Dorper sheep was bred in South Africa in the 1930s. The Dorper is a fast-growing meat-producing sheep. The young growth of the new breed is actively growing and developing, quickly gaining weight even in the hot conditions of the African savannah, and a one- or two-day lack of water does not affect the health of these animals. The Dorper is well adapted to a variety of climatic and grazing conditions. My family owns Nonning Station, north of Kimba SA running around 16,000 ewes and turning off around 20,000 Organic Lambs. document.write('animal-science-mail-form'); Rare Breeds livestock of New Zealand. It is shed each spring as the weather warms. The Dorper breed is now numerically the second largest breed in South Africa and has spread to many countries throughout the world. Dorper rams are typically ready to breed at five months. It . A good manager can organize his program so that lambs can be dropped at any time of the year. Although Dorper ewes are known for their ability to lamb several times per year and are not seasonally limited, they, unfortunately, tend to drop only one lamb at a time. The Dorper sheep has a white body and a black head. The Blackhead Persian sheep, a hardy, fat-tailed desert breed from Arabia, brings to the Dorper its hardiness, thriftiness, adaptability, pigmentation and hair covering. Dorper sheep were first bred in South Africa and were bred to cope with the semi-arid climate of the region. Dorper sheep are native to the hot deserts of South Africa. The weight of a sheep reaches 120 kg, the weight of a ram is 180. (US & Worldwide Statistics in 2023). A Canadian expat, Nicole now lives on a lush forest property with her Kiwi husband and new baby daughter in New Zealand. Dorper is a breed of sheep with a short and very clear history of origin. Keep the water trough filled with clean, fresh water. This can be eliminated by breeding with White Dorpers and will also better create the shedding characteristic. They grow really fast. The breed was developed for the arid extensive regions of South Africa. The Dorper is a breed of sheep that originated in the south of Africa in the 1940's. It is the product of cross-breeding between the Dorset Horn and Blackhead Persian breeds. By the age of nine months, young males often reach 70 kg, due to which they are often sought to be crossed with smaller females of other breeds. So replace with few bits of corn or oats. Few dietary requirements. Western States Dorper Association The Dorper Lamb breed was developed in the . Whether you have concerns about your dog, cat, or other pet, trained vets have the answers! The Dorper has a combination of wool and hair, and it sheds every year, which means that it will not need shearing. This can either be in the form of trees or a more stable shed. Dorper ewes can be bred any time of year. Dorper, Damara, Merino and X-Breed Lambs/Sheep 8x Ewes, 11x Wethers & 1x Young Dorper Ram. Important! Starter flocks are available and are an affordable way to get started with the Dorper sheep breed. [2] Other breeds such as the Van Rooy are also believed to have contributed to the development of the White Dorper breed. Well, the second is Border Leicester, a serious breed. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Dorper Sheep sheep for sale Horned Dorsets are listed as an endangered breed with an estimated global population of less than 5,000. Wethers & ram have been used as training sheep to educate working dogs. Their meat is very flavorful and can be very healthy if the animal is raised right. During a phase D2 growth test at Tweedie, the average daily gain was 160 g per day in the test while the average daily gain per day of age was 203 g per day. The grazing behavior and diet selection by Dorper sheep, as well as other related aspects (pasture intake, walking habits and trampling), is reviewed. You may have never heard of them, but Dorper sheep are an amazing breed. The Dorper Sheep Society of Australia inc (DSSA) was established soon after the introduction of Dorpers to Australia in 1996. The outflow of this was the even colour distribution of today Dorpers. A wonderful breed, wool of the highest quality. If you are looking for registered Dorper breeding stock, we provide quality registered Dorper bucks and resgistered Dorper ewes. The Dorper lamb grows rapidly and attains a high weaning weight which again is an economically important characteristic in the breeding of mutton sheep. For now, feel free to continue reading. It will not work to get wool from these sheep, since the breed does not have it at all. Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. 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