Dorper Sheep. The Dorset Horn sheep is a meat sheep breed. We typically maintain a single guard animal in each pasture that contains sheep. There is a great divide between show animals and production animals. They are noted for their ability to breed more than once per year and are usually used in crossbreeding for producing females for out-of-season breeding. Rambouillets, Merinos, Columbians, Debouillets, Polypays, and Dorpers may be good choices for grazing sheep in open range. We handle each new lamb, ear-tagging and banding each of them, and recording their birth dates and types and the mothers’ numbers. Special Notes. The sheep are avid grazers and use feed well. As part of our breeding program, we take notes on how each ewe fares as a mother. We still check the pasture/barn often to handle any significant problems and, in the case of barn lambing, to assure the welfare of the animals while they cannot graze for themselves. Ranging sheep need to be hearty and efficient, and require minimal care. The sheep are given as much pasture time as the seasons allow us. Log in, « How To Get Rid Of Black Mold: Ultimate Guide, How To Grow Avocado Tree: Ultimate Guide ». This philosophy has fallen by the wayside lately, as many owners value their animals for their ability to win blue ribbons, rather than their ability to thrive with little care or produce a healthy lamb crop. Your email address will not be published. sheep grazing. We intervene as little as possible because our sheep have been bred to handle all the work of caring for their lambs. They called their sheep ‘Dorsets’ even though they lacked the traits that set Dorsets apart. Breeders of Traditional Production Dorsets. It is raised mainly for meat production. Dorset The exact history of the Dorset sheep is found wanting for some positive record of origin. However, this system is highly impractical and generally unproductive and therefore unprofitable. The sheep are given as much pasture time as the seasons allow us. Our flock of production Dorset sheep is the most important part of our farm. Ewes weigh 150200 pounds, and rams weigh 225275 pounds. They are mostly grass fed and we choose to raise them in the most natural way possible. That’s why we’ve utilized llamas and great Pyrenees dogs as guard animals for our flock. It is documented from the seventeenth century, and is highly prolific, sometimes producing two lambing seasons per year. When selecting breeds to use for an operation, production goals and resources should be at the forefront of the decision process. The Dorset Horn is an endangered British breed of domestic sheep. All of the sheep breeds on this list offer either wool or meat. The additional noise purportedly frightens away wild animals that would otherwise pose a threat to the sheep. In the Horn variety, both ewes and rams carry horns. We have approximately 300 ewes. When our sheep are out grazing, they are vulnerable to predators such as coyotes. As the show-ring trend escalated, some breeders crossed their Dorsets with other breeds to compete for those blue ribbons, and in turn lost the traits that Dorsets were known for. This is why we call our animals ‘true’ or ‘Production Dorsets’, because they still do what Dorsets were first bred to do: produce. Among British sheep, it is the only breed capable of breeding throughout the winter. For now, if you have any questions please contact us. Careful attention is given to how protective and nurturing each ewe is with her lambs. They are mostly grass fed and we choose to raise them in the most natural way possible. Our emphasis for over 25 years has been on what we call ‘true’ or ‘Production Dorsets’: prolific animals with excellent maternal instincts whose offspring wean at a profitable weight when raised on as much forage as our Ohio seasons allow. Regardless of the breed, proper selection of desirable traits and removal of defects through stringent cu… We have approximately 300 ewes. Our flock of production Dorset sheep is the most important part of our farm. Our lambing operation differs based on the time of year. We have been hoof-rot free for over 24 years and are part of the Scrapie eradication program. Some sheep breeds lend themselves to provide the whole range of products, Rambouillet sheep, Dorset sheep, and some other sheep breeds are good providers of wool fiber, lambs, milk, and eventually, meat. They are raised mainly for meat production. Also, we do not use medication except when absolutely necessary to keep the flock healthy, and we never use growth … Ewes are heavy milkers, easily able to raise their own lambs. Dorsets, known for their mothering ability, milk production, and ability to lamb out of season, are production animals. History does tell us that centuries ago, Spain wished to conquer England, and possibly during this time, the Merino sheep were brought into Southwest England and were crossed with the Horned Sheep of Wales, which produced a desirable all-purpose sheep which met the needs of that time. Dorset sheep produce between five and nine pounds of medium grade wool per year. The Polled Dorset sheep are a meat sheep breed. So far we have had great success with this method of predator control. Dorsets, Hampshires, and Suffolks have proven exceptional for small family flocks. However, the incredibly … Years ago animals were valued for their ability to survive and produce. From March to October we typically lamb outside, but November to January will find us in the barn. They have also been used in dairying. We strive to produce sheep that maintain the breed character and mothering ability for which Dorsets are known, creating the best stock for the commercial and purebred breeder. Another strategy we’ve used for predator control is to attach bells to several animals in the flock. Starting a New Homestead: What You Need to Know. A true Dorset thrives on grass, and is profitable when grazing in the pasture on the home farm. Spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting, and felting are ways to use the wool fleece for making garments, cloth, and bags. In a show ring, the trend is to award the biggest, tallest animal with first place. The Dorset Horn sheep have been dubbed as “the breed for all seasons and for all reasons”. Dorsets are white sheep with open faces and long bodies. Ewes horns are light, curving forward neatly; rams horns are heavy and spiral out as well as curving forward. Also, we do not use medication except when absolutely necessary to keep the flock healthy, and we never use growth hormones, steroids, or other likewise unnatural products on our sheep. Lambing can take place practically any time of the year, and we lamb three times every two years. We will update this page as time allows, and eventually you may be able to preview each of our rams here and get an idea of what our ewes are like. They are highly adaptable and can be used in most sheep enterprises such as that of the full-time commercial farming enterprises to that smaller farm flock operations.