Dorpers Get a Haircut

[@KarenSmith-f9t]

So much hard work going on!! Thank you for the update. I still keep hoping for a Lily miracle!

[@norwalfarm]

Thanks, we hope for a Lillie miracle as well but realistically we doubt she will return. We are very busy now with prepping to make hay (weather permitting), continuing to wean the balance of the lambs, and continual work on our new home. We anticipate moving in sometime in October. Lots to do before then!!!

[@craigpacker7171]

Lilly. :( Not giving up hope yet.

[@markstamm272]

To many dorpers dont shed, plus not as hardy as advertised. Im done even trying to cross them in anymore. Angus of sheep breeds😂😂😂😂

[@norwalfarm]

@@markstamm272 These are our first white Dorpers. I would say 85 to 90% are very good to excellent shedders. Only 2 were bad. They do well with forage based program and produce a very nice light market lamb. They are not like the traditional breeds so we had to adjust our expectations. I think they will work well in our program of direct marketing off our farm. We'll keep you posted

[@markstamm272]

@@norwalfarm well I'm probably not in the best farming environment. Steep hills lots of rock never have to trim feet , ive fenced off huge paddocks ,and rotate before needed. Plus I did notice the Wooley ones shivered in extreme cold. My mind couldn't process that and assumed I was imagining it. Till I saw video with lady saying the Wooley ones can't shake off the snow and it melts down into their wool, but the more hairy less Wooley ones just shake it off. I also should admit I culled a lot of katadins, before I tried crossing dorper in. So I have probably already created a breed for my program. Now that I've been in sheep awhile I think that dorpers are not as fluid in there movement as katadin or the breeds they run in idaho, even the Suffolk seem more agile. I'm still thinking and hopefully learning. But seems to me dorpers are a feedlot breed?

[@norwalfarm]

Dorpers are not feedlot sheep. They are ideal for forage-based programs. You can give grain, but they generally get too fat. I recommend you look at White Clover Sheep Farm website, Ulf Kinzel, in New York State. We got our Dorpers from him. He never feeds grain and markets the lambs at 80 to 90 pounds off pasture. Check out his website.

[@markstamm272]

@@norwalfarm well I guess what I meant was if I started with dorpers and culled them as harshly as I have katadins. Maybe I would like them. But at this point not going backwards. To many dorper breeders out there saying they need to be sheared and not parasite restitant.. that being said I just bought 6 1/4 dorper crosses. Part of my disappointment might be that I can see they are not going to thrive in my environment and have way more wool. Bought as 2 mo th old weaned lambs.??I'm done dorpers are false advertising. I'm still creating my katadins but have a line of large framed ones and their lambs are superior to the rest of mine. I guess what I. Trying to suggest is you can create what you desire out of any breed. But pedigree don't mean nothing if been in the wrong hands! Maybe your dorpers are great but I saw in video many that I would cull..

[@markstamm272]

@@norwalfarm watch videos compare fluidity of movement. I'm not a flat lander and I'm not saying mine will have as high a weight gain in your environment. What I am saying is they suck in mine. Trying my 4th different strains of dorper! Cause yeah I like the way they look. Just don't do good here till back down to quarter blood. Hey but maybe why mine are better than the average katadin! IDK just cull what don't thrive here