Breed Origin

The Dorper sheep was developed in the 1930s by South Africa's department of agriculture along with a group of sheep breeders. Researchers crossed a Horned Dorset ram and Blackhead Persian ewes. The Persians are desert-hardy fat tailed sheep with good resistance to parasites. The Horned Dorset is a European breed developed when Spanish Merino sheep were brought into Southwest England and crossed with the Horned Sheep of Wales, which produced a desirable all-purpose sheep which met the needs of that time. The new breed spread over Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and most of Wales and were called Horned Dorsets. They are big, meaty animals that have many desirable traits including out of season breeding characteristics.

By 1946 the Dorper breed was well established, and the (South African) Dorper Breeders Society was founded in July 1950 at Grootfontein College of Agriculture. Currently they have more than 600 members.

Although the Dorper was developed in South Africa and thus declared indigenous to that country, it has been adopted and favored as a meat breed all over the world. Farmers and ranchers in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, various countries in the Middle East,China, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, South America, Mexico, the United States, various African countries including Namibia, Israel, and other locations raise this magnificent sheep because of the breed's outstanding qualities.

Dorpers may be white headed or black headed, with the black headed variety the most popular. The difference in color is matter of preference for each breeder. Black-headed breeders constitute about 85 percent of the members of the Dorper Sheep Breeders' Society of South Africa.

High Reproduction Rate

In breeding a meat producing animal, high reproduction rate is among the most important economic factors. Following are some advantages of the Dorper sheep in the area of reproduction, according to the Dorper Sheep Breeders Society of South Africa.

• The Dorper has a long breeding season which is not seasonally limited. With proper management, lambs can be dropped at any time of the year.
• High fertility is a hallmark of the breed for both rams and ewes. This increases the selection potential and the sale of surplus slaughter lambs.
• Lambing intervals can be as short as eight months. Consequently under good pasture conditions and with good management the Dorper ewe can lamb three times in two years.
• Multiple births are common and testify to the high fecundity of Dorper ewes. A lambing percentage of 150 percent can be reached under good conditions while in exceptional cases even 180 percent can be attained. Under extensive conditions a lambing percentage of 100 percent can be expected. In a flock containing a large number of first-lamb ewes, the lambing percentage will be in the region of 120 percent as these ewes usually drop single lambs. If it is assumed that the lambing percentage is 150 percent and that management is at such a level that ewes can lamb about three times in two years, a Dorper ewe will produce 2.25 lambs on an annual basis. Cite 1
  

The Dorper's Advantages

Dorper breeders praise the sheep for its adaptability, hardiness, feed and graze efficiency, mothering qualities, easy care and even temperament.

Easy Care
A big selling point is the Dorper's easy care. When it can be more profitable to run cattle than wooled sheep, an easy care variety of sheep that does not require shearing is a winner. The Dorper sheds its hair and what little wool it produces, thus the nickname "hair sheep" for Dorpers, Katahdins and other breeds of this nature. The Dorper's thick skin helps protect it from harsh conditions.

Adaptability
The Dorper is well adapted to a variety of climatic and grazing conditions. Originally this breed was developed for the more arid areas of the Republic but today they are widely spread throughout all the provinces. The Dorper does well in various veld and feeding conditions and reacts very favourably under intensive feeding conditions. It is indeed a popular breed.

Hardiness
The Dorper is hardy and can thrive under pasture conditions where other breeds can barely exist. Ewes will raise lambs of reasonable quality under fairly severe conditions. Hardiness was one of the aims in the development of the breed. When combined with its non-selective grazing habits, this quality places the Dorper, as a meat breed, virtually in a class of its own.

Feed and Graze Efficiency
Because the Dorper is for the most part a non-selective grazer, it can be incorporated into a well planned pasture management arrangement. The Dorper will accept and graze growth that is rejected by other sheep and thus can be used to the producer's advantage, either alone, or in conjunction with other small stock breeds, to convert lower quality grazing into profit.

Good Mothering Ability
Dorper ewes produce ample milk, and are instinctively fond of their lambs. They display the ability to care for and rear offspring well, whether single or twin lambs.
 
Temperament
U.S. breeders have found Dorpers to be of even or friendly temperament and a pleasure to work with.

To locate Dorper breeders, start with the Ranch & Rural Living Breeder Directory.

Other Dorper Sheep Internet resources: