Dorper/White Dorper
Jean McCumber
339 Abe Boice Road
Sidney Center, NY 13839
Phone: Â 607/865-5150
Data Coordinator
Stephen Shafer
Meat Sheep for the Modern Producer
Dorper sheep are fast-growing meat producers. The highly adaptable breed was developed for the arid extensive regions of South Africa. Both Dorper and White Dorper sheep thrive under range conditions where other breeds barely survive. As a strong and non-selective grazer the Dorper can advantageously be incorporated into a well planned range management system. It is one of the most fertile of sheep breeds that is hornless with good body length and a short light covering of hair and wool. Dorpers are non-seasonal or have an extended breeding season. They can easily be managed to produce three lamb crops in two years. Reproductive Efficiency-Dorpers are very fertile and prolific. Lambing rates of 180% can be achieved per lambing. They are early maturing and will produce a lamb crop at one year of age. The Dorper lamb, being a meat sheep, grows rapidly, usually reaching a weaning weight of 80 pounds in 12 to 14 weeks.
Dorper and White Dorper sheep thrive under range conditions where other breeds barely survive.
The American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society was organized in December of 1995. The Society is a non-profit corporation governed by a volunteer board of directors committed to serving the best interest of members and the Dorper breeds. The registry maintained by the Society is the foundation of the breed in the United States. Purity of bloodlines are maintained through rigorous checks and balances built into the registry database. Members may depend on the records in the database to accurately document the bloodlines of their sheep.
History
The Dorper breed was developed out of necessity. During the early 1930’s, South African farmers exported a surplus of mutton and lamb, from the fat tailed indigenous breeds, to London’s prestigious Smithfield Market. The carcasses were rejected because the European consumers were accustomed to the high quality New Zealand Canterbury lamb.
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. A breeding project was finalized in 1946 and the Dorper earned a prominent place in the history of South African agriculture.
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. The Dorper ewes from this cross were excellent mothers that could be bred in any season.
In the early 1950’s, a controversy arose concerning black markings vs. a pure white sheep. Some breeders preferred a white sheep, called the Dorsian, while others chose to select for confirmation rather than color and use the black markings as their trademark. In 1964, the controversy was settled when the blackhead and white Dorper breeders united into one association calling the black head sheep Dorpers and with the unmarked being called White Dorpers.