Blanco

White Dorper Stud

Why Dorpers
Sheep-meat and lamb production current and future prospects are positive as opposed to wool production problems with low price and rising costs in wool harvesting, health issues, and associated animal health issues

Many producers are incorporating more sheep meat production with or change to cattle and crop as alternatives to wool.

A non-wool [shedding meat sheep]-DORPER-as a maternal breed for lamb and sheep-meat is the logical solution for a highly profitable alternative for areas and management situations where wool is now not profitable.

We at BLANCO have compared alternative sheep enterprise gross margins, which highlight the Dorpers potential for us.-

Pure White Dorper/Dorper flock per head Gross Margin $45.
F1 [Dorper-Merino]+Dorper or Prime Lamb Sire per head Gross Margin $25.
Merino ewe + Prime Lamb Sire per head Gross Margin $21

Pure Merino Self replacing flock per head Gross Margin $9.
Full details are available from Blanco on request.

The dorpers unique ability to breed all year round and to breed from age six months has extremely positive effects on production on the profits.
1. Makes possible lambing at any selected time of year to target markets, spread marketing and lamb three times in two years
2. Eliminates the dry hogget year, meaning all sheep are breeding ewes and lambing at least once every year
3. By eliminating the dry hogget year, the grade up process from first cross to pure bred or fourth cross takes four years instead of eight years.

The following are positive aspects we have experienced with our Blanco White Dorpers.
Dorpers reduce management, husbandry and feed costs

They shed. No shearing or crutching, no fly-strike and no lice.

They need minimal supplementary feeding and utilize low quality crop residue and pasture efficiently.

They are docile, mob well and have strong maternal traits.

Birth weights are low and lambs vigorous leading to minimal losses at lambing.

Carcass yield is high, carcass quality excellent and demand for dorpers and their crosses by feedlots and meat processors very strong.

Dorpers are ideal for organic meat production because there is no need to use chemicals for fly and lice control.
© Blanco White Dorper Stud
Blanco

White Dorper Stud

Why Dorpers