A wonderful breed, wool of the highest quality. Dorper Studs - Victoria. You may have never heard of them, but Dorper sheep are an amazing breed. The coats of wild sheep, like that of most animals, does not grow continuously. If conditions allow, forage oats are grown for grazing by the lactating ewes and their lambs. A post shared by Rebanho Matuto (@rebanhomatuto). The meat is considered milder than other breeds. Until the age of three months, feeding with mothers milk is mandatory for them, after which the young can be taken away from the uterus and transferred to a separate pen. The Dorper sheds its fleece during the warmer months late Spring/Summer. It has been exported to other countries, including the USA, where it can survive in semi-arid conditions and has minimal care requirements. Nutritional Effects on Parasites American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control Dorset sheep can be used for both wool and meat. These lambs tend to be healthy, self-sufficient, and fast-growing. The White Dorpers seem to have a slightly better temperament at an early age, however the difference between the two resolves when the sheep are handled quietly. The excessive milk production of the ewe helps ensure early growth for your lambs. A wonderful breed, wool of the highest quality. I, with your permission, will name two more breeds. A Dorper is a fast-growing meat-producing sheep. document.write(''); A Dorper lamb will reach a high weaning weight quite easily. Dorpers easily gain weight, and a few bites of corn with each meal adds the extra weight necessary for heavy market sheep. Let us help you get started raising Dorper sheep. Search our database of over 11517 posts with up-to-date information from our experts and veterinarians. It does not store any personal data. Much more important is proper postpartum care for lambs and their further rearing. The Dorper breed is now numerically the second largest breed in South Africa and has spread to many countries throughout the world. As a strong and non-selective grazer the Dorper can advantageously be incorporated into a well planned range management system. with the obligatory consideration of the characteristics of the diet. Member Name: ADATAR DORPERS Phone Number: 0421 466 345 Email Address: adam.taree@bigpond.com. Dorper sheep are considered to be an easy breed to raise. Needs to check the rams bi-annually. Muscles are clearly visible on the hips and back of the back, which is largely due to the short and sparse coat (for the most part it consists of outer hair and undercoat). Like other sheep breeds, Dorper has its advantages and disadvantages, although the latter are not so significant. Wool predominantly covers their forequarter. 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. If you are raising organic meat, the Dorper is a good choice because they are more tolerantofintestinal parasites than some other breeds. Mid-South Regional Dorper Breeders Association A lambing percentage of 150% can be reached under good conditions while in exceptional cases even 180% can be attained. Online FAMCHA certification, American Dorper Sheep Breeders Society The Dorper skin is the most sought after sheepskin in the world and is marketed under the name of Cape Glovers. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. They are a good breed for beginners as well as experienced handlers, but they are a stocky breed and can be challenging to set up. Copyright 1995-2015 Oklahoma State University Board of Regents. Dorset fleece is light in color, dense, and free of dark fibers. They are considered to be very even-tempered sheep. This can be eliminated by breeding with White Dorpers and will also better create the shedding characteristic. Starter flocks are available and are an affordable way to get started with the Dorper sheep breed. Additionally, you will need to know how many heads you want to buy. This is one reason, in addition to a high lambing percentage and the fact that the Dorper sheep shed of hair makes maintenance easy, that this is one of the top breeds for meat production. **J&R Pierce Family Farm is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to allow sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. At specific times of higher nutritional needs, especially in the month before lambing, during lambing and lactation and at weaning, cereal hay may be provided if little quality paddock roughage is available. During 1957, this aspect received a lot of attention and discussion. The lambs grow quickly, reaching a weight of 80 to 90 pounds in four months. For example, due to untimely cleaning of manure, they may develop hoof rot, not to mention the possible fractures or dislocations of the limbs with an inconvenient layout of the stall design. The breed has the characteristic black head (Dorper) as well as white heads (White Dorper). It will also produce up to 9 pounds of medium-grade wool annually. On the very rare occasion, a Dorper ewe will produce twins. Hallsville, MO 65255-0259, Telephone: 573-696-2550 Tried vet, dewormer, feed dewormer, all the vet can say is something is whiping out their liver. SUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/c/HighMountainHomestead?sub_confirmation=1 Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep https://amzn.to/3EhO3gO The Backyard S. This study was designed to evaluate breed differences in resistance to Haemonchus contortus in lambs. Well, the second is Border Leicester, a serious breed. Their skin is of such high quality that it is sought after in the leather-making industry. Defining and Maintaining quality standards. The Dorper sheep can grow 110 pounds in five months. E-mail: office@dorpersheep.org, Copyright 2023 American Dorper Sheep Breeders' Society, Application for Registering Ewes & Rams fillable, National Dorper and White Dorper Show & Sale, Mid-South Regional Dorper Breeders Association, Dorper Sheep Breeders' Society of South Africa, National Sheep Industry Improvement Program, Nutritional Effects on Parasites American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control, Tools for Managing Internal Parasites in Small Ruminants: Copper Wire Particles. Two varieties of Dorper Sheep were created: the black headed Dorper and an all white variety, the White Dorper sheep. Box 246, Upington 8800, South Africa, [Sheep Breeds || Breeds of Livestock || Animal Science Home Page || Comment ]. They can even be combined with Merinos in one herd. The Blackhead Persian sheep, a hardy, fat-tailed desert breed from Arabia, brings to the Dorper its hardiness, thriftiness, adaptability, pigmentation and hair covering. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Each owner is interested in the rapid weight gain of his sheep, so a properly balanced diet is considered one of the most important aspects of animal care. Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . Easy to work with, Dorpers adapt well to people, characters, and conditions. The outflow of this was the even colour distribution of today Dorpers. It is noteworthy that keeping sheep in unheated pens during the cold season will not cause serious problems with their health. Katum smooth-haired sheep: description, advantages and disadvantages of the breed . Dorpers are ideal for those farmers who appreciate the high dietary properties of lamb and cannot afford to spend a lot of time caring for livestock: with a minimum of labor, you will always get enough meat products. However, breeding the Dorper with woolier breeds will result in this characteristic if you require it. You may be able to get lower prices if you buy an entire flock at one time or any large number of Dorpers. By Darlene Polachic Issue #75 May/June, 2002 If Henry Soderberg's predictions are right, Dorper sheep could revolutionize the meat sheep industry. There are a lot of advantages to keeping Dorper sheep in the US. AMHERST. The Dorper sheep breed is the second most commonly bred sheep in South Africa. The small head and fragile structure of the skeleton of the newborn allows him to pass through the birth canal without hindrance, and if there are no health problems, a small sheep will show increased activity in 10 minutes, constantly being close to the mother. 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. Providing a information network for breeders. It has been exported to the US as well as around Europe, thanks to its unique combination of beneficial features. The stud ewes are mated in single-sire groups from late February to late March. Beginning in the 1930s, a group of South African sheepmen set out to create a breed of easy-care, shedding sheep capable of thriving in South Africa's harsh, arid climate while still producing fine-grained, succulent meat. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Upon reaching one month, young animals already weigh about 12 kg, and especially well-fed 25 kg. This means that a good manager can have his flock lambing throughout the year. Lameness and foot lesions in Dorper sheep | Posted June 2011 Written by: Jillian Lawrence, University of Sydney Intern and Libby Read, District Veterinarian . Inherent characteristics of the breed such as, The average daily gain of Dorpers under extensive conditions is around. Keep the water trough filled with clean, fresh water. 11 Sheep Birth Complications You Need to Know Before Lambing Season Starts, 10 Common Lambing Problems and How to Deal with Them, Raising Sheep: A Complete Guide on How to Raise Sheep at Homestead, Tetanus in Newborn Lambs: The Causes and How to Prevent It. Females are always very caring, and they usually have enough milk for the normal feeding of all born cubs. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The Dorper is an easy-care animal that produces a short, light coat of wool and hair that is shed in late spring and summer. All representatives of dorpers are large, harmoniously built animals with a massive and slightly elongated body. Learn Natural Farming is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Some breeders spend around $15 (1000 rupees) ahead to bring a lamb from 35 kg to 45 kg, but get much more when they sell back. Drawbacks of the Dorper Sheep Breed. Dorper sheep keep dying. For any other inquiries on how to place your order, price per livestock or shipment cost, do not hesitate to contact us. How to Feed Sheep, What Not to Feed, Cutting Costs, and More, 7 Sheep Companion Animals as Livestock Guardians, Merino Sheep Breed Information: A Good Forager and Producer of High-Quality Wool, Pasteurella in Sheep: Tips to Help You Identify, Treat, and Prevent It, How to Prevent and Treat Life-Threatening Bloat in Sheep, Katahdin Sheep: Low-Maintenance Meat and Milk Producer, All You Should Know About Bottle-Feeding Lambs. Empty the trough if the corn gets rained on to prevent digestive issues from moldy corn. Lambing percentages in South Africa of 150% are not uncommon, as well as an average fecundity of 160%. DSSA members are supported by regular bulletins that . In winter, it is better to heat the water, because sheep can catch a cold due to the use of cold liquid. A young ram can service around 25 ewes while a mature ram can manage as many as 50 in 55 days. To do so, they crossed British Dorset Horn rams with fat-tailed Blackhead . Breeding these sheep is extremely easy and raising the young is even easier. Other breeds, including the Van Rooy, also played a part in developing the current breed. Black spots, to a limited extent on the body and legs are permissible, but an entirely white sheep or a sheep predominantly black is undesirable. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The Dorper Lamb is a fast growing, meat producing sheep breed that thrives in a variety of grazing conditions. Home; Editions. Both rams and ewes have beautiful horns, the horned dorset rams . They are well known for their fertility as well as their mothering instincts. This is important when raising a breed for the market.