The South African breed standard of excellence declares that ‘The ideal dorper sheep is an animal,which can maintain itself, produce meat and reproduce under sub-optimal conditions.’

The poly oestrus, self replacing dorper herd, with its thriftiness, low maintenance and self shedding characteristics, coupled with high feed conversion and fertility, facilitates the production and turn off of more lambs in a shorter time frame, from the same acerage.

There are approximately 30 million sheep in South Africa of which half are dorpers.(70 to 80% dorper(black head) and the balance white dorper.

Black pigment on the head and reproductive organs of the dorper is selected for as protection against cancer and skin problems.

In South Africa, where the dorper skin forms a lucrative export into the European fashion trade, the black pigment is used as a “point of difference’ a guarantee of dorper, as the skin trade has been jeopardised in the past by unscrupulous operators selling unpigmented pelts from other breeds as white dorper skins.

The integrity of the dorper breed is maintained through rigorous selection based on the 5 tiered South African classing system.

Sheep are scored out of 5 for conformation, size, distribution of fat, colour pattern and covering and are given a type. South African assessors travel regularly to Australia to educate, judge and class stud flocks

For more information please visit www.dorper.com or www.dorper.com.au