By Carol Howe

One of the newest breeds to enter the United States in recent history is the Dorper.It arrived in the U.S.in 1995 and is working its way into becoming an exclusive meat breed.

The Dorper originated in South Africa in the 1930s,a cross between the Dorset Horn and the Blackhead Persian,a fat-tailed Arabian breed.I guarantee that once you see a Dorper,you will not soon forget having done so.They have a very striking black head and neck and the body of a tank.There are also White Dorpers, although the breeder-preferred colored Dorpers prevail.

Dorpers thrive in South Africa due to the breed ʼs ability to produce high-quality carcasses under both arid and semi-arid conditions. It has been said that the Dorper is one of the “most successful crosses of exotic rams bred to adapted ewes.”The Dorper is a very fertile breed,with the ability to produce every eight months and to produce a high percentage of twins.

Both Dorpers and White Dorpers are primarily a mutton breed, with a long breeding season that is not seasonally limited.When the ewes are properly managed,lambs are dropped virtually any time of year.Dorpers are an extremely hardy breed,a trait of their ancestral Blackhead Persians.The Arabian breed also contributed thriftiness,adaptability,pigmentation and hair covering to the Dorper.

The Dorper will adapt to a variety of climatic and grazing conditions.They have non-selective grazing habits and even though they were originally bred for arid conditions,they are presently spread through all the South African provinces.The Dorper does equally well with range feeding and intensive feeding.

Dorper lambs grow extremely fast and have high weaning weights.They are able to graze at an early age.It is not unusual for a Dorper lamb to be 80 pounds by three months of age,giving the breeder a high-quality carcass with their early maturity.

The Dorper is an easy-care breed of sheep,requiring a minimum of labor.If they are not shorn,their mix of hair and wool will drop off.Dorpers have an extremely thick skin which protects the sheep in harsh climates.It is the most prized sheepskin marketed under the “Cape Glovers ”label,and the skin is 20 percent of the carcass ʼ monetary value.

Today ʼs Dorper is number-wise the second-largest breed in South Africa (over 10 million head).The Dorper is found in the Middle East,China,Canada,Australia,South America,Mexico and the United States.

References: Oklahoma State University Website
Crane Creek Dorpers and White Dorpers Website
American Dorper Sheep Breeders ʼ Society