Breed Features

Low maintenance: They are aggressive grazers with rapid growth and weight gain (can gain up to 1 pound per day on grass alone).
Will breed year around: They are one of the most fertile breeds. Lambing rates of 180% are possible.
Shed their fleeces: They maintain a kemp covering along top of back for sun protection. Shearing is not necessary unless campaigning on the show circuit.
Have unique eating habits: They prefer to graze on grass or browse depending on forage available.
A hardy breed: Dorper’s thrive under conditions where other breeds barely exist, even while raising a lamb. Known to do well outdoors during winter with temperatures down to 0 degrees and in the summer with a high of 100+ degrees.
Calm disposition and naturally gentle: The breed is easy to work with.
Most often a hornless breed although “scurs” (a small horn) sometimes develop.
Excellent mothers: Dorper ewes give birth to singles, twins, triplets, and occasional quads. Most ewes lamb by themselves with no assistance—moms just show up with little ones at their side.
Dorper rams are used on many sheep breeds: This “half-blood” offspring, also called “F1”, exhibit outstanding growth and weight gains.
Dorper genetics are unique: Dorper sheep are so far removed genetically from other sheep breeds in North America that offspring often exhibit “hybrid vigor” not found in other crosses.