Mission Statement
The purpose of the Texas Hill Country Dorper Group is to work
together to promote the positive attributes of Dorper and White
Dorper sheep in the Texas Hill Country Region while educating
ourselves, providing information for new potential growers and
working toward profitability for producers and the
American Dorper
Sheep Breeders’ Society.
Officers and Committees
-
 Vince Kirchner - President,
830-997-8103
-
Brad Roeder - Vice President, 830-889-4512
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Dennis Bernhard - Treasurer,
830-864-4695
-
Rita Pearson - Secretary,
830-997-9133
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Alan
McAnelly - Sales Chairman, 254-372-3112
-
Mike Sudderth - Webmaster, 830-990-8486
-
Charles Pearson - Guest speakers, 830-997-9133
-
Lloyd Wendel & Brad Roeder - Explore show opportunities,
830-889-4512 (R) 830-864-4917 (W)
-
Peggy Schmidt - Refreshments, 830-997-3083
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Tina Wilson - Promotional, 325-378-2789
Dorper History and
Background
The Dorper breed was developed in South Africa during the 1930s by
crossing the Dorset ram to the Black Headed Persian ewe, which was
indigenous to Africa. This new breed was born out of a necessity to
have sheep that would have good meat qualities, yet be able to
thrive in the arid conditions of South Africa. Selection was pursued
to produce top carcass characteristics as well as having high
fertility and lambs that would grow out quickly. Dorpers were
imported into North America in the mid 1990s. The Dorper and White
Dorper are maintained as separate breeds, but they only differ in
color. Bred for its lean, tender meat, its broad frame and ideal
muscling, the Dorper is a very good forager, tolerant to a broad
range of conditions, capable of breeding year-round with increased
lambing percentages as compared to wool-type sheep in studies at the
Texas A&M University. The breed is particularly well suited for
small growers since there is not a need to shear the sheep. Some
growers are using these sheep to help maintain their properties
rather than mowing grass and spraying weeds.
Dorper & White Dorper Breed Characteristics
Intelligence:
The Dorper is a smart, intelligent sheep that is easy to work. It is
generally easy to handle, free moving and usually not aggressive.
Dorpers definitely have their own unique personalities.
Hardiness:
Able to adapt to the environment, either hot or cold climate. Does
well under harsh, extensive conditions, as in more intensive
operations.
Grazing Habits:
Dorpers are non-selective grazers. They browse in a similar manner
to a goat and have the ability to graze at a higher level than
traditional sheep. They are productive in areas where other breeds
could not survive.
Non-Seasonal Breeding:
Will breed at any time of year with the ability to produce lambs
three times in two years.
Fertility and Mothering:
Excellent mothers who produce good quantities of milk. They are very
fertile, generally a primipara (first ‘lamber’) will have one lamb,
but twins and triplets are common in older, experienced ewes. Ewe
lambs can be bred at 8-10 months of age.
Growth Rates:
The growth rate in this breed is exceptional. Lambs are vigorous and
have high survivability. Under good conditions lambs are able to
reach 80 lb live weight in 3.5 to 4 months. The lambs are excellent
feed converters; they put all their energy into meat production.
Mature rams average 240-275 lbs. Mature ewes reach 155-200 lbs.
Conformation:
Well put-together carcasses with good fat distribution.
Early Maturity:
Dorpers mature early sexually, some ram lambs can begin to work at
four to five months, and ewes can begin cycling at 5 months of age.
Normal breeding age for ewes is eight to 10 months.
Parasite Tolerance:
The Dorper is not resistant to parasites, but appears to have a
higher tolerance to internal parasites than most other breeds. This
allows for less drenching and also makes the Dorper a good
proposition for organic farming.
Cross breeding:
This breed crosses well with commercial sheep of other breeds. In
Texas, Dorpers are often crossed with Rambouillet or Katahdin.
Breed Standards
A
well-balanced sheep with strong, deep, wide body and correct legs
and feet. Rams must be well muscled and strong from the front to the
back. Ewes must be lighter in front and getting bigger and heavier
to the back (a wedge shape). A ewe needs to look feminine with a
feminine head, and a long graceful neck.
Head:
Strong and long with triangle shape. Eyes widely spaced, strong nose
and strong mouth with well-fitted jaw. Long ears are preferable and
are usually indicative of calmer sheep. A developed horn base or
small horns are the ideal on a ram. Heavy horns are undesirable. The
head must be covered with short, dullish black hair in the Dorper
and white hair in the White Dorper.
Neck:
Medium length, well fleshed, broad and well coupled in the
ram...long and graceful in the ewe.
Shoulders and
Chest:
Shoulders firm, broad and strong with
good muscling on the forearm for rams. A moderate protrusion of the
brisket with correct foreleg placement and moderate width between
the legs. Shoulders, which appear loose, a brisket that protrude too
much or too little, are faulty.
Barrel:
Long, deep and wide body. The sheep must have a long straight back
and not a 'devil's grip'. A slight dip behind the shoulders is
permissible. Ribs must be well sprung.
Hindquarter:
Long and wide rump. The inner and outer twist is to be well-fleshed
and deep in rams.
Legs:
Strong, well placed with strong pasterns and hooves not too widely
split. The hocks must be strong without a tendency to turn in or
out. X-legs, sickle, cow, or strait hocks are culling faults.
Reproductive
Organs:
Scrotum of the ram should not be too
long and the testicles of equal size and not too small…reaching
about half way to the ground. Well-shaped udder and reproductive
organs in ewe.
Cover:
The ideal is a short, loose, light mixture of hair and wool and with
a natural clean kemp (hair) underline in adult sheep.
Color and
Pigmentation:
Good color and pigmentation.
•
Dorpers:
A white sheep with black confined to the head and neck is the ideal.
Black spots, to a limited extent on the underline of the body and on
the legs are permissible. Brown hair around the eyes, unpigmented
teats, white under the tail or white hoofs are undesirable.
• White
Dorpers: A white sheep, fully pigmented around the eyes, under
the tail, on the udder and the teats is the ideal. A limited number
of other colored spots are permissible on the ears and underline.
General
Appearance:
The sheep should be symmetrical and
well proportioned. A calm temperament with a vigorous appearance is
the ideal.
Current Members
News and Upcoming Events
Midwest Stud Ram Sale
June, 2008, Sedalia,
Missouri
National Dorper Junior
Show June 23-28, 2008
Gillespie County Fair August
23-24, 2008, Fredericksburg, Texas
A dorper sheep show will take place during the gillespie county fair on
August 11, 2007, at the Gillespie county fair grounds in Fredericksburg.
Both dorpers and white dorpers can be showed and the show is open to the
State of Texas. Check in by 3:00 pm, show at 6:00 pm. There will be a
fitting clinic held around 4:00 pm. Warren Cude will judge the entries.
There is a fee of $5.00 per entry, non refundable. For a Gillespie County Fair catalog
please call the Fair Grounds at 830-997-2359. For other information please
call Brad Roeder at 830-889-4512.
Texas Hill Country
Dorper Association Show and Sale
September 13, 2008, Fredericksburg, Texas
North American International Livestock
Exposition
November 8-21, 2008, Louisville, Kentucky
Links
www.dorperamerica.org/
American Dorper Sheep Breeders’
Society
http://www.sheepusa.org/
American Sheep Industry
Association
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/dorper/index.htm
OSU Breeds of livestock, sheep
and Dorpers
http://www.dorper.com.au/
Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society of
Australia, Inc.
http://www.dorper.com/index.html
Dolf Lategans’ Dorper Sheep Page
http://www.americanlambboard.org/
American Lamb Board
http://www.attra.org/
National Sustainable Agriculture
Information Service
http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/
Texas Animal Health Commission
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/articles/index.html
Purdue University Sheep Extension
http://stephenville.tamu.edu/taes.html
Texas Agricultural Experiment
Station
http://www.genecheck.com/
Gene Check, Inc.
Contact Us
We hope you've
enjoyed visiting our site. Your questions may have already been
answered. If not, please contact us and we will be happy to help you
the best we can.
Isabelle Lauzière and Mike Sudderth built this site. We hope that
the information provided herein is useful to you and invite your
constructive comments. We can be reached by e-mail at
suddereth@beecreek.net,
kirchnerweb@ctesc.net, or
dgdb@starband.net.
Please do not hesitate to contact us
to
update any of your personal information.
CONTACT US !!
|
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COME VISIT !! |
E-mail a Friend
http://www.thcdorperassociation.com
Join Us
The annual membership to the Texas Hill Country Dorper Association
is $25.00. Please contact Dennis Bernhard (830-864-4695) or Vince Kirchner
(830-997-8103) for
additional information. The year begins in April. To join,
make checks payable to: THC Dorper Assn. Mail to:
Dennis Bernhard
1030 Weatherby Road
Harper TX 78631
Publications and Resources
Lategan,
Dolf. 2006. Dorpers into the new century. Brochure and Training
Manual. Dorper sheep breeder’s society of South Africa. 3rd
edition. 104 p.
Ranch &
Rural Living Magazine
http://www.ranchmagazine.com/
The
Shepherd
shepmag@bright.net
The
Banner Sheep Magazine
http://www.bannersheepmagazine.com/
Sheep !
Magazine
http://www.sheepmagazine.com/
The Texas Hill Country Dorper Association is pleased to announce
their second annual Show and Sale. Numerous breeders will offer some
of their best animals for this sale. This show and sale is open to
any breeder in the State of Texas. Preston Faris will judge and
place all the sale animals, giving comments on each one and lining
up the sale order. We are expecting around 100-140 full blood,
purebred, and percentage Dorpers and White Dorpers. Breeders from
around the state will be present to answer your question and address
your concerns. A brief overview of the Dorper industry will also be
given. If you are new to the sheep industry or you already own some
sheep and wish to improve your herd, we invite you to attend this
event. Come join the fastest growing livestock industry in the
United States. Dorpers will be shown in almost every major livestock
show in Texas next year and the rest will soon follow.
Texas Hill Country Dorper Association Sale
September 13, 2008
Gillespie County Fair Grounds
Fredericksburg, TX
Judge and Auctioneer - Preston Faris
Show & Sale Secretary - Lori Titsworth
Committee Chairs:
Show--- Brad Roeder 830.889.4512
Sale ---Alan McAnelly 254.372.3112
Tina Wilson 325.378.2789
Vince Kirchner 830.997.8103
Show Rules:
1. Show will start at 8:00 am on Saturday. Sale is at 1 pm or
following lunch break.
2. $10 Entry fee per head (prepaid)
3. All American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society (ADSBS) registration
papers will be presented and collected at time of check-in
4. Sellers must be members of the ADSBS and Texas Hill Country Dorper
Association. May attach Texas Hill Country Dorper Association $25
membership fee with entry.
5. Seller must be resident Texas breeder.
6. Sheep must have scrapie tag
7. All sheep must be shorn within two weeks of the show.
8. Substitution within sex will be allowed after the closing date.
9. No limit on ewe entries. Seller may enter two rams. The seller’s
third ram and each ram thereafter requires two ewes.
Example:
| Rams |
Ewes Required |
| 2 |
0 |
| 3 |
2 |
| 4 |
4 |
| 5 |
6 |
10. Registered 75% Dorper or greater may be entered in the show and
sale. No percentage rams.
11. The Fullblood/Purebred Ewe Class will be judged loose in ring.
12. The Percentage Ewe Class (individually shown Percentage ewes)
will be judged loose in their own separate class in the ring.
13. The Pen of Three Class (a group of three ewes shown/sold
together) will be shown in their pens in the barn. Judge’s placing
will determined the sale order.
14. Fullblood and Purebred rams will be shown by hand to prevent
fighting.
15. Show order will be (classes will be broken by registration
papers):
i. Aged rams – (born prior to September 2006)
ii. Yearling rams – (September 1, 2006-August 30, 2007)
iii. Fall ram lambs (September 1 – December 31, 2007)
iv. Early spring ram lambs (January & February 2008)
v. Late spring ram lambs (March 1, 2008 or later)
vi. Aged ewes (same as ram division)
vii. Yearling ewes
viii. Fall ewe lambs
ix. Early Spring ewe lambs
x. Late spring ewe lambs
16. White Dorpers and Dorpers will show separately, but one class
after the other (ex. aged Dorper rams will be followed by aged White
Dorper rams)
17. The judge will look for cull faults and eliminate sheep from the
show and sale based on breed standards. The judge has the discretion
to cull any sheep not meeting quality standards. The judge’s
decision will be final. No refund of fees to sheep sifted by the
judge. Considerations for sifting include:
Unsound feet and legs (crippled, coon footed, sickle-hocked)
Unsound mouth (overbite, under bite)
Unsound reproductive organs
Poor breed character, health, or serious conformation fault
Sale Rules:
18. Sale will collect 10% commission per lot. If seller pulls out a
lot, seller pays 10% commission on lots at price reached at the time
of PO.
19. Age Limits
-Percentage ewes – 2 yrs-old
-Purebred ewes – 5 yrs-old
-FB ewes – 5 yrs-olds
-FB/Purebred Rams – No age limit
20. Sheep not eligible to sell through ring can be sold by private
treaty from the pens.
21. Exhibitors are responsible for getting their sheep to the sale
ring and back to their pens.
22. If cared for properly, all rams will be guaranteed as sound
breeders for two months by the seller.
23. Health certificates are not required for entry, but a
veterinarian will be available for buyers who need certificates for
transport.
24. All sheep brought to show and sale MUST sell. (If PO’d seller
pays 10% commission on PO’d price).
Recommended Buyer Protection Guidelines:
Ewes presented as bred should have sonogram results posted at the
pen.
Ewes presented as “exposed” do not have a breeding guarantee.
Sellers should post any other guarantee or warranty terms at the
pens prior to the sale.
Texas Hill Country Dorper Association is in no way liable nor does
it guarantee animals. Warranties whether expressed or implied are
between seller and buyer.
THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY DORPER
ASSOCIATION
will have a
Show and Sale on Saturday, the 6th
of September at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds in
Fredericksburg, Texas. All classes of sheep from lambs to aged
rams and ewes will be available in both Dorpers and White Dorpers.
Sale animals will be checked in after noon on the 5th of September
and the Show will begin at 8AM, followed by lunch and the Sale at
1PM. Preston Faris will be the judge and auctioneer. All sheep
will be registered through the ADSBS. All animals will be sifted and
then placed in sale order based on the show results.
The American Dorper Sheep Breeders' Society will have an instruction course from September 3-5 at the
Fairgrounds to teach breeders the Breed Standards and how to evaluate and show Dorper sheep. Information is available at
www.dorperamerica.org .
COME TO
FREDERICKSBURG AND ENJOY GREAT HOSPITALITY
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THESE WILL BE QUALITY SHEEP!
WWW.THCDORPERASSOCIATION.COM
For Show or Sale information call Brad Roeder… 830/889 4512 or
Alan McAnelly…254/372 4512
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