Description of Dorper Sheep

The Dorper sheep breed quickly won the hearts of farmers. The unusually cute appearance of the representatives of this species came to the liking of many. These lambs have curly white hair.

Dorper sheep

Even though the price of sheep of this breed is quite high, they are extremely popular. also include the fact that one Dorper weighs an average of 140 kg. Moreover, these animals do not require extra care and close attention.

The history of the breed’s origin

Around 1930, the government seriously considered the creation and breeding of a sheep breed in South Africa, which will quickly adapt to the climate of this continent, because until that time, farmers involved in sheep farming suffered from hot weather. In such living conditions, even the strongest and most healthy sheep could not stand it. As a result, its productivity sharply decreased.

To breed the Dorper breed, it was decided to cross 2 species of sheep. The first species was called Dorsent Horn, and the second breed was Persian rams. The peculiarity of the Persians was that they had black heads.After a successful crossing and the appearance of a new breed, they did not think about the name for a long time. To do this, they simply took the first 3 letters of the names of the species of sheep that participated in the creation of the Dorper.

Thanks to perseverance and long work, the breeders achieved what they wanted. Dorper sheep can not only do without a balanced and healthy diet, but also without water for 2-3 days. At the same time, the breed does not lose its productivity.

Characteristic indicators of Dorperov

Sheep of pure breed Dorper belong to hairless subspecies of animals. In the spring, this breed is exposed to spring molting. Sheep sheds old wool from itself, allowing the young undercoat to germinate. Due to this, the sheep do not need to be sheared. But there are still areas of the hoist where you can see coarsened small patches of hair.

Shaginess can mainly be observed on the neck and side of the body. Wool is often shown in gray shades. In rare cases, there are sharp transitions in black tones. In the lower part of the body, rams do not have a coat at all. The limbs of the sheep are short and also without a nap.

The head, neck and ears are black. The ears are standard medium size. In the neck, the skin gathers in folds. There is another subspecies of this breed. His coat is white and his ears are pinkish. Curls curl behind the ears and forehead.But at the same time, the muzzle remains bald (more details can be seen in the video).

Dorper sheep productivity

Basically, the weight of the sheep is associated with a proper and balanced diet. If the animal receives few nutrients, it immediately begins to lose weight. With Dorper, everything is simple. This breed, despite the hot climate, is easily gaining the necessary weight. Sheep on average gain from 50 to 90 kg, sheep – 90 kg; with a healthy diet, their weight can reach 140 kg.

Dorper babies are born with a weight of 3-5 kg. Every day, eating a mother’s milk, the lamb gains about 700 g. After a month, the baby’s weight is 12 kg, and with good nutrition – 25 kg. If we compare the kids of Dorper and lambs of other breeds, we can see that Dorper animals are 2 and sometimes 3 times faster in development. After 9 months, the weight of the strong fellow reaches a mark of 70 kg.

Cubs Dorper

After slaughter at least 90% of the total mass falls onto the container. The meat evenly envelops the bone. An integral advantage of the product is the fact that it does not trace a natural smell. There is a thin layer of fat in the carcass of a lamb, but despite this, nutritionists consider meat to be dietary.

The fruitiness of Dorper sheep exceeds 100%. A young female is able to bear one baby.Over time, when she grows up and gets stronger, she can bear up to 4, in rare cases, up to 5 lambs.

Dorper rams are also valued by farmers for their exquisite skin. It is great for making purses and bags. Due to its strength and smooth surface, Dorper skins are often used to tighten furniture.

Nowadays, I sell sheep skin ads on popular sales and purchase sites. There you can view photos and appreciate the appearance of wool and sheep skin. Due to the quality and durability of the products, the price of Dorper skins is slightly more expensive than the skins of sheep of other breeds.

Breeding rules

Nowadays, it is rare to see Dorper sheep in Africa. Gradually, year after year, they were all imported into the lands of North America. Dorper can also be found in Australia.

In their homeland, in Africa, the Dorper had the freedom to choose a partner, so breeding was not a problem. The young generation reached puberty at the age of 5 months. As mentioned earlier, a young female at the age of 7 months could already bear the lamb. Birth activity in the animal proceeds painlessly.

As a mother, Dorper females are very attentive and caring. A healthy lamb approximately 10 minutes after birth becomes on its not fully stable limbs, behaves briskly and actively, constantly located near its mother.

The content of the Dorper is simple. This is due to the fact that this species of sheep is able to live in the fresh air year-round. Sheep quickly adapt to the surrounding climate. They find a way out of any difficult situation. In the summer, they are able to survive up to 2 days without water, and in winter, even under the snow they will find something to feast on. For good digestion, the animal organism of Dorper requires much less grass than the organism of another species of sheep.

Positive qualities

A representative of the Dorper breed is a rather expensive acquisition, because import due to the ocean is worth a fortune. But if you set a goal, you can build a good business on this. The main thing is not to spare time and energy. In order to maximize the use of the productive abilities of animals, you can watch special videos.

You also need to remember the advantages of this breed:

1. Dorper breed sheep are unpretentious. They adapt quickly to the climate, they can easily tolerate extreme heat and incredible cold. Sheep can do without water and proper food for a long time. At the same time, the animal will gain weight.
2. If there is no grass, the sheep do not disdain and eat the fallen leaves and leaves from shrubs.
3. Even despite the lack of vitamins in the body, animals are able to breed healthy offspring: up to 5 lambs at a time.
4. Dorpers have strong immunity. Thanks to this, they are not afraid of either poisoning or any other diseases of the stomach, which cannot be said about the other sheep breeds.

There are still quite a few pluses.It is worth noting that parasites do not cling to the skin of this animal. Thanks to spring molting, these sheep do not need to be sheared.

It should also be noted that the Dorper sheep are considered excellent mothers. They raise offspring with care and caution. They allow both their own and others’ cubs to come in.

Conclusion

Dorper breeding is a very profitable business. Having acquired several pairs of these animals, you can safely start your own business. Since breeding is not problematic and the animals themselves are not picky.

A huge plus is that these sheep are considered meat. They give a considerable amount of milk, although they are not considered dairy. Females once every 8 months bring offspring up to 4-5 lambs. Animals quickly adapt to any climatic conditions and, in the absence of enough food, do not lose body weight.