Description of race
The Dorper developed fast and proved that they furnish very good achievements on most diverse production conditions. Today the Dorper is after the Merino the secondly most spread sheep race in South Africa. Dorper were recognized very fast as a very good meat sheep and not only in South Africa well known, also in the middle east, China, America, Canada, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand far spreaded. Dorper are held in areas with few precipitation, or in areas where extensive feeding prevails.
Characteristics of the Dorper
Reproduction rate
The Dorpersheep has a high reproduction rate, which represents a very important economic characteristic of this race. This high reproduction rate is favoured by the following characteristics of the Dorper: Dorper have a long breed season, which is seasonally not limited. The whole year it is possible to produce and set off battle lambs. The Motherlambs are very fruitful. The proportional portion of the mother sheep is high, to become pregnant during the season. This increases the selection potential and the sales of battle lambs by the number of produced lambs. The intervals between two Births under good conditions and good management amounts 8 months. It can be counted thus on three Births in two years. More Births are far common and confirm the high fertility of the Dorper. Under optimal conditions you can count on 2.25 lambs per mother sheep and year. In herds with animals of most diverse age categories can be counted under good conditions on 1.5 lambs / birth. Under outstanding conditions even with 1.8 lambs. Under very extensive conditions a lamb per mother can be expected. In a herd with many first time mothers, the number lies in the region of 1.2, since in the first throw single lambs are mostly born.
Meat quality
The meat from Dorperlambs is distinguished regarding quality and fat portion. The Dorpersheep is primarily a meat sheep, which is characterized by the following outstanding characteristics: The portion muscle meat of the battle body amounts to on average 64.7%, the fat portion only 21.8%. Compared to other races the muscle meat portion is clearly higher, and the fat portion substantially lower.
Adaptability
The Dorper is adapted to most diverse climatic conditions. Different grass qualities hardly affect its outstanding Breeding-Attributes. Originally the race was bred for the arriden areas of South Africa , but it distributed itself rapidly over the whole Republic of South Africa and soon world-wide. The Dorper develops very well under most diverse attitude - and feeding conditions.