By Roelof Bezuidenhout

Before the Dorper entered the scene, South Africa had no locally developed, well-adapted mutton breed. The focus had been on Merino wool sheep, British mutton sheep and fat-tailed sheep.

After World War I, there was growing interest in in developing a local mutton sheep through crossbreeding. Supported by a group of committed farmers, a breeding trial was undertaken at Grootfontein near Middelburg in the Karoo (today, the Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute). The trial culminated in the crossing of the white-faced Dorset Horn and the Blackhead Persian.

The British Dorset Horn was chosen for its good meat quality, rapid growth, large frame and relatively long breeding season compared to other imported breeds. The Persian was probably an obvious choice for its hardiness under hot, dry conditions. It also had a longer breeding season than the Dorset Horn, which, being from the northern hemisphere, was susceptible to local diseases.

The cross showed promise, even though the first generations were quite mixed in colour, with many showing prominent black spots. The Dorper with its black head is a direct descendant of these original crosses. White lambs were also born, and they formed the foundation of the White Dorper. The breed also has a smattering of Merino, Ronderib Afrikaner and Van Rooy genetics – the latter two contributing to more fat.

There is essentially no genetic difference between the black-headed Dorper and the White Dorper – today, they are considered one breed by the Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society of South Africa.

From controversy to international acclaim

The Dorper became firmly established in the early 1970s, when many wool farmers, disheartened by low wool prices and high marketing costs, switched to mutton production, or using Dorper rams to crossbreed with their Merino ewes. This prompted accusations from the wool industry that the Dorper was responsible for contaminating the national wool clip with foreign fibres.

Even so, the dual-purpose Merino remains South Africa’s most popular breed, while the Dorper has proven itself as a truly easy-to-manage animal with strong mothering ability under the conditions for which it was developed. Its light coat, ranging from hairy to woolly, does not require shearing.

Since 2002, a Dorper and White Dorper World Championship Show has been held every second year, reflecting the breed’s growing international popularity. The Dorper is no farmed in countries such as the USA, Australia and even Sweden, where it is crossed with local breeds to improve skin quality. Dorper hide marketed under the name Cape Glovers is sought-after for its smooth grain and lack of wrinkles. Unfortunately, the hide and skins market is currently depressed and remains notoriously difficult to predict.

Breeding for balance and profit

Originally, the most important characteristics required for the breed were an acceptable carcass, ability to produce a marketable lamb at five months of age, an extended breeding season, and ability to thrive under harsh veld conditions.

Today, Dorper breeders – of which there are several hundred – are known for being highly competitive at shows and auctions. Some have been criticised for overfeeding their rams and focusing too heavily on breeding for excessive muscle. In some cases, rams became overly long and broad, which affected their mobility. And at one point, overly short legs became a fad.

More recently, the focus has shifted to breeding performance-tested, well-balanced animals, neither too large nor too small. Rams should have a distinctly masculine appearance, with well-developed forequarters in proportion to the rest of the body. Many buyers now favour veld-reared rams over stall-fed or show rams, even though they tend to be smaller, believing they perform better on pasture without the need for supplementary feed.

When selecting breeding stock, the focus should be on economic traits such as carcass quality, production rate and weight gain.

With proper care and management, Dorpers can achieve lambing percentages of up to 150% – the cornerstone of a profitable mutton farming enterprise. This level of productivity depends on the ewe’s background, however. Her fertility is directly influenced by her nutritional conditions during the 12-week reproductive cycle. Equally important are the fertility, body condition and libido of the rams. It’s also essential to keep the ewe in good condition while she raises her lamb so that she can be ready for the next mating cycle.

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Efficiency on the veld

Research has shown that Dorpers are less selective feeders than many other breeds. Although they are larger than most wool sheep, they consume less herbage relative to their metabolic size. When managed at appropriate stocking rates, they can even help to improve veld condition.

Dorpers make greater use of shrubs, bushes and lower-quality forage, and rely less on grass than Merino-type sheep. They also tend to walk less when grazing, spending less time and energy searching for food or ideal grazing spots. This leads to shorter overall grazing periods, fewer separate grazing sessions and less trampling. (Animals can be compared using the relative trampling index, which takes into account body weight, resting length, spoor size and distance walked to estimate their potential to disturb the soil surface.)

A reasonable-quality flock ram typically costs between R8 000 and R15 000, whereas ewes, which are in short supply, fetch between R2 000 and R3 000. As a general guideline, a ram is worth about six times the price of an ewe.