The Ultimate Guide to the Dorper Sheep Breed
Thinking about raising your own sheep?
You may have never heard of them, but Dorper sheep are an amazing breed. Made from the combination of the Dorset Horn ram and the Blackheaded Persian ewe, they feature either a black or white head with their white bodies.
The parent breeds involved in creating these hardy animals means that they are excellent for meat production, particularly if you are interested in raising organic meat in harsh climatic conditions.
They offer many great benefits, including the need for minimal shearing, the ability to mature very quickly, and being very even-tempered. Their meat is exquisite without the gamey taste one usually finds with mutton.
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.
They’re also very easy to care for.
In this week’s guest post from Jessica R, we’re going to discuss the various characteristics of Dorper sheep as well as some of what makes raising them so successful and easy.
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What Are Dorper Sheep Good For?
Dorper sheep have a lot of good aspects, including the following:
Mutton production but with a lack of mutton taste
Long breeding season
Early maturation
Hardiness to environment
Minimal shearing needed
Very fertile
Good mothering qualities
Non-selective grazing
Fast-growing
Market potential
Favorable for organic production
What Are Dorper Sheep?
The Dorper sheep was created in the 1930s and is native to South Africa. The Dorset Horn was successfully crossed with the Blackheaded Persian to create the breed. It’s hornless with a relatively long body length and has a short and light wool covering, requiring little shearing.
The South African Department of Agriculture bred this sheep because they wanted a meat sheep that was better able to stand up to the area’s arid climate.
While it’s one of the most popular breeds in South Africa, it is now commonly raised in several other countries.
When they bred the sheep to be hardy in South Africa, they created a breed that is sustainable in nearly any climate. Due to its hardiness, the Dorper can feed on almost any pasture, making it extremely versatile.
What Are the Characteristics of Dorper Sheep Breed?
The Dorper sheep breed is the second most commonly bred sheep in South Africa. It is a medium-sized animal that is thick and well-muscled. The breed also features an extended breeding period.
Their bodies are covered in both short hair and coarse wool. Wool predominantly covers their forequarter. However, the breed is a meat breed, not a wool breed.
They are barrel-shaped and typically have black feet. Their skin is of such high quality that it is sought after in the leather-making industry. Additionally, this thick skin protects the Dorper in tough weather conditions.
While developed for arid environments, they are well adapted to a variety of climatic and grazing conditions, even arid extensive regions. They are non-selective grazers and can benefit you by grazing where other livestock will not.
They start grazing at an early age and can tolerate just about any kind of grazing conditions, which sheep farmers will not find with most other common sheep breed options out there.
What Breeds Make a Dorper?
Dorper sheep are made by crossing a Dorset Horn ram with a Blackheaded Persian ewe. It is also believed that the Van Rooy among other sheep breeds were involved with the creation of the Dorper sheep breed.
What Color Are Dorper Sheep?
Dorper sheep come in two varieties. Regular Dorper sheep have white bodies and dull black heads. White Dorper sheep have white bodies and white heads.
What is the Temperament of a Dorper Sheep Breed?
They are considered to be very even-tempered sheep. Easy to work with, Dorpers adapt well to people, characters, and conditions. They make a good breed for beginners as well as advanced handlers.
Are Dorper Sheep Easy to Raise?
Dorper sheep are considered to be an easy breed to raise. They are very resilient when it comes to parasite resistance and they grow very quickly with the food at hand. The breed is also very hardy when it comes to living in different climates.
They can find food in a variety of climates that other sheep cannot. Because of their hardiness, they can adapt to situations that allow them to live virtually anywhere and require little to no shelter, unlike many other breeds of sheep.
What to Feed Dorper Sheep
They should be allowed to graze during the spring, summer, and fall months on the green, growing pasture. This diet should be supplemented with clean grass hay. Provide a trough with a layer of cracked corn which will allow the sheep to really add on the weight.
You also need to ensure that they are well-hydrated as they are heavy eaters. Also, do not feed them grain as it will cause them to become too fat and it is not economical.
Dorpers are great because they can be fed regular pasture but they will also eat browse, very similarly to goats. What this translates to is that your Dorper sheep can be raised on less than ideal plots of land that other sheep will refuse to graze on.
Housing Dorper Sheep
You will need to provide shade during the summer and protection from the rain or snow during the winter. This can either be in the form of trees or a more stable shed. The general rule is that each adult sheep requires 20 square feet of space in a shed.
For the most part, Dorper sheep can be kept to pasture for nearly the whole year, depending on the location you are raising them in.
Can Dorper Sheep Handle Cold Weather?
Dorper sheep have been successfully bred and raised in sub-zero temperatures. Despite originating in the warmer temperatures of South Africa, they will grow a thicker coat in colder temperatures.
This coat combined with their thicker-than-average skin allows the Dorper to be kept outside throughout the year. Over time this adds to their hardiness.
How Fast Do Dorper Sheep Grow?
This breed grows very quickly when compared to other breeds. By four months of age, most lambs have already attained a weight of 80 to 90 pounds, which is the market standard.
They gain weight rapidly at approximately a quarter of a pound per day. A Dorper lamb will reach a high weaning weight quite easily.
How Big Do Dorpers Get?
The Dorper sheep breed will grow into large, muscular, broad sheep. The rams have a weight range from 230 to 275 pounds while the ewes range from 155 to 210 pounds.
Do Dorper Sheep Have to Be Sheared?
In the winter months, Dorper sheep grow light, protective fleeces that shed or mostly shed in the summer. Shedding happens from the bottom up so many breeders will elect to shear their Dorpers’ backs to keep their appearance neater.
Shearing is completely optional but it is important to note that some variations of Dorpers shed better than others. You will have to research the flock that you have to ensure that it’s a dominant characteristic.
There is the possibility with some variations of the breed that some light shearing will be necessary. Some owners have experienced all the problem areas shedding on their own but the main body not shedding, requiring just a minor amount of shearing.
Do Dorper Sheep Have Any Health Problems?
The breed does require the same care as other sheep to remain healthy and disease-free but is not known for getting ill. It is much more tolerant of parasites and is not as prone to fly-strike or fleece rot as other breeds. You will have to perform regular worming control maintenance.
Breeding Dorper Sheep
Dorper ewes can be bred any time of year. However, available nutrition largely affects the conception rates. A Dorper ewe should be able to lamb for a minimum of seven years.
Depending on the time of year, ewe lambs may cycle as early as six to eight months. Better conception rates are achieved at nine to twelve months with later bred ewes growing out better. Dorper rams are typically ready to breed at five months.
These sheep can lamb up to three times every two years with the lambing intervals lasting around eight months each. They are well known for their fertility as well as their mothering instincts.
The breeding cycle lasts from 16 to 59 hours. The oestrus cycle can last from 15 to 20 days. This extended cycle allows for higher reproductive rates.
Cross-breeding with this breed can cause a change in coloring and spots. This can be eliminated by breeding with White Dorpers and will also better create the shedding characteristic.
How Many Lambs Do Dorpers Have?
While Dorpers have many great qualities, the number of lambs they produce can be a negative aspect. They typically produce single lambs with each pregnancy. If you are seeking a breed that produces multiple lambs per breeding cycle, this is not the breed for you.
On the very rare occasion, a Dorper ewe will produce twins. This is not common and should not be expected.
Buying and Selling Dorper Sheep
Dorper sheep can fetch a high value at the market. If you’re selling you can expect to make a decent amount of money off your sheep. Some factors will affect the price, like genetics and quantity.
When buying your sheep, you will have to decide whether you want a purebred or a fullblood. Additionally, you will need to know how many heads you want to buy. Both of these will affect the total you will pay.
How Much Do Dorper Sheep Cost?
The cost of Dorper sheep varies with fullblood Dorpers being less expensive than purebred Dorpers. Fullbloods can trace their lineage all the way back to South Africa. Purebreds have been upgraded from American stock and have at least 93% Dorper genetics.
You can expect to pay anywhere between $200 and $500 per sheep. You may be able to get lower prices if you buy an entire flock at one time or any large number of Dorpers.
Is Dorper Sheep Good to Eat?
Because they are bred for meat, not wool, they do not produce lanolin, which ensures that they do not have a gamey flavor like many other breeds. Instead, the meat offers a mild, delicate, and delicious flavor.
It offers excellent health benefits as well. Because the Dorper is largely a grass-fed animal, its meat is full of Omega-3s. It also contains conjugated linoleic acid which has been shown in some studies to reduce inflammation and body fat.
Roughly 40% of the fat in Dorper meat is from oleic acid, which is largely associated with a decreased risk for heart disease. Grass-fed lamb is also an amazing source of zinc and selenium which protect against oxidative stress.
Dorper sheep’s great taste comes from its grass-fed diet and the fact that it’s not grain-fed grain. The flavor of it is not reminiscent of mutton at all and will surprise even the pickiest of eaters.
Do Dorper Sheep Have Good Wool?
Dorper sheep have a combination of wool and hair. These hair sheep breeds are self-shedding and require minimal effort to maintain. Because of this, they are not categorized as having good wool.
Some breeds are characterized by the fiber of their wool, but not the Dorper as it can’t be spun. However, breeding the Dorper with woolier breeds will result in this characteristic if you require it.
The Dorper will shed around the more difficult-to-reach areas like its legs and groin but if it has any difficulty shedding, it will be on its main body section, which makes it very easy for shearing.
Are Dorper Sheep Right for You?
Dorper sheep can be a great option for those wanting to raise mutton as they fetch a great price at the market. Their meat is very flavorful and can be very healthy if the animal is raised right.
Breeding these sheep is extremely easy and raising the young is even easier. This is because of the natural mothering instincts of the ewes. The lambs grow quickly, reaching a weight of 80 to 90 pounds in four months.
So if you’re looking for a single lamb-producing breed that is easy to raise, the Dorper breed may be right for you. 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.
Ready to get started? Check out my guide to sheep maintenance here and pick up some Dorper lambs today!
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