Dorper Sheep

Dorper is a hair sheep and is raised to produce prime lamb.  Dorper lamb has a mild flavor; it does not have the strong mutton flavor that many Americans have heard about and caused them to avoid eating lamb.  The Dorper breed was developed in South Africa during the 1940s by crossing Horned Dorset and Van Rooy.  Dorpers are shorter in stature than Katahdins, but are heavily muscled.  Mature rams will typically weigh 230 to 270 pounds, and mature ewes will be 180 to 210 pounds.

Why did we choose Dorpers?

• No shearing!  Dorpers will grow a winter wool coat but shed in the summer.  We find they do not shed completely on their top line; some prefer they keep some wool on their back to prevent sunburns in areas with strong summer sun.
• Low feed requirements.  Dorpers do not need a lot of grain; they can maintain good condition (even get fat) on just grass.
• Heavy muscling (more meat!).