Dorper sheep

[Tim W]

Hi Tim

I totally agree with you about the feet .the first bloodlines that arrived in Europe was very bad .I am pretty sure they weren't from South Africa .I currently run over 300 dorpers and some f2 ,f3 dorpers
In Cambridge on the heavy clay .
In the end it all comes down to genetics and good bloodlines. The bloodlines I use is Mickey Phillips and John Dell lines some of the best breeders in the world .I don't even touch their feet lambs no scald.
We scanned for muscle depth and with zero input the breeds from the continent will struggle to compete .we as a dorper society now have more new blood coming in than before and that is crucial for any breed.tell you what my mules and Suffolks are more lame now.

The Dorpers we tried came from NZ (via Northampton ) & i think embryos that originated from SA
Have you got them shedding? Most i have used/seen seem to be poor shedders?

 

[Springboks]

The Dorpers we tried came from NZ (via Northampton ) & i think embryos that originated from SA
Have you got them shedding? Most i have used/seen seem to be poor shedders?

I get mine from Australia cause can't get them direct from South Africa. The first line very bad new lines good shedders but also good size

 

[Springboks]

 

[Springboks]

 

[Springboks]

 

[Springboks]

My new embrio ram from Australia

 

[Bones]

My new embrio ram from Australia

Great looking sheep

 

[Nithsdale]

View attachment 734214

I like him, a lot

 

[hendrebc]

I can't see the relative merit in concentrating on wool shedding in terminal sires. You would always lose something that would be more important. I would prefer to concentrate on true terminal traits. Shearing half a dozen sheep each year is not the end of the world.

Maybe wool shedding is of more use in maternal sires though!

I think a wool shedding terminal sire would be potentially more useful than a maternal line. Almost all the trouble I have with maggots is in the lambs. Pour on costs money (but does solve the problem but £££) imagine if you could have a terminal sire that had the same growth and confirmation as a good texel/charollais/whatever that also lost all its wool (even lambs from wooly ewes if that is possible?). Lambs would be much easier to keep over summer with no wool.
Not sure if shedding is dominant enough for lambs to shed especially first crosses in their first year? Don't really know enough about it all to be honest. But the first shedding ram lamb has gone with 25 ewes here as a trial so will soon find out a bit more
Could shear the lambs I suppose. Still ££

 

[royjacobs]

Greetings to all from sunny SA,

Interesting reading about your experience with SA Dorpers.

I am in SA and quite new to farming myself, hence being part of various forums to learn.

So far my preferred choice will be a newish breed, Dormer, cross between a Dorper and Mutton Merino.

Roy

 

[Tim W]

I think a wool shedding terminal sire would be potentially more useful than a maternal line. Almost all the trouble I have with maggots is in the lambs. Pour on costs money (but does solve the problem but £££) imagine if you could have a terminal sire that had the same growth and confirmation as a good texel/charollais/whatever that also lost all its wool (even lambs from wooly ewes if that is possible?). Lambs would be much easier to keep over summer with no wool.
Not sure if shedding is dominant enough for lambs to shed especially first crosses in their first year? Don't really know enough about it all to be honest. But the first shedding ram lamb has gone with 25 ewes here as a trial so will soon find out a bit more
Could shear the lambs I suppose. Still ££

1st cross lambs won't shed ---especially from the Dorpers i have seen in UK , AUS, NZ & USA
Shedding lambs can incur a penalty at mart (uneducated buyers ) hence most people using a woolly terminal sire on maternal shedders in UK to produce a fat lamb

 

[Tim W]

I get mine from Australia cause can't get them direct from South Africa. The first line very bad new lines good shedders but also good size

What's a good size? Mature ewe weight?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Some of my halfbreds shed fine, others mostly shed, and some only lose a part of the fleece.

These wethers about a year old, best eating sheep ever IMO, they mostly shed eventually, having chain-link gates they'll rub it off... but it is too felty to just drop.

I use a dorper over my ewe lambs, nice and easy first lambs for them. They've weaned 100% both years we've tried, with quite good survival. Ideal.

 

[Springboks]

1st cross lambs won't shed ---especially from the Dorpers i have seen in UK , AUS, NZ & USA
Shedding lambs can incur a penalty at mart (uneducated buyers ) hence most people using a woolly terminal sire on maternal shedders in UK to produce a fat lamb

I agree Tim only from f2 onwards.

 

[Springboks]

Greetings to all from sunny SA,

Interesting reading about your experience with SA Dorpers.

I am in SA and quite new to farming myself, hence being part of various forums to learn.

So far my preferred choice will be a newish breed, Dormer, cross between a Dorper and Mutton Merino.

Roy

Hi Roy .I know the the dormer very good breed .with the current drought there is still dorper farmers who in the northern cape gets a good fat lamb from the ewes same in Australia.The dorper as a terminal sire with double muscle high meat to bone ratio quick growing hardy lambs .The dorper for is just a good all rounder for turning most of the world's unproductive land into meat.

 

[Springboks]

The Dorpers we tried came from NZ (via Northampton ) & i think embryos that originated from SA
Have you got them shedding? Most i have used/seen seem to be poor shedders?

Hi Tim some of mine don't shed fully aswell but they do in the right places which cuts out dagging good for lambing outside.you know the problems ewes with loads of wool cause under belly around the bags.for me halfshed is still better than not.

 

[Springboks]

The Dorpers we tried came from NZ (via Northampton ) & i think embryos that originated from SA
Have you got them shedding? Most i have used/seen seem to be poor shedders?

What's a good size? Mature ewe weight?

My new ewes as shearlings around 90kgs with rams of same age at 130 kgs

 

[Springboks]

Hi Tim some of mine don't shed fully aswell but they do in the right places which cuts out dagging good for lambing outside.you know the problems ewes with loads of wool cause under belly around the bags.for me halfshed is still better than not.

 

[Springboks]

one of my young ewes 15month old .perfect for lambing outdoors they usually rubb tops off on pannels .win win

 

[hendrebc]

1st cross lambs won't shed ---especially from the Dorpers i have seen in UK , AUS, NZ & USA
Shedding lambs can incur a penalty at mart (uneducated buyers ) hence most people using a woolly terminal sire on maternal shedders in UK to produce a fat lamb

I didn't think they would but a terminal sire that would make first cross lambs shed would be great for using on wooly ewes