A NEW DIRECTION FOR THE OLD RAM

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day BM,most of our pastures are of Native sp origin except where previous owners have tried to introduce improved sp with varying degrees of success.The tussocks are a local sp Poa Labillardierei,it produces a heavy thatch and will shade out other sps ,when in the Spring it flowers the sheep will consume the new growth ,but that's all ,so we have taken to "burning" it in the winter to promote the maximum of new growth and to let the light in on the other sps surrounding it.It's great cover for lambing ewes and provides protection for young lambs from the freezing winds we experience...T.O.R.

 

[Eteda]

very softly, gently and kindly I say.... Their are bracelets that adults can wear, that can not be taken off, to give away their location if they go astray.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day, we have had to new groups enter the flock,last week at the sale we were able to purchase some B H stud ewe lambs ,they were consigned in a group of wethers ,but I asked the agent to separate them and to sell separately. We got them for $100.00 ea.I will post a pic or two next week.The second are a group of W H Dorpers,made up of a ram, 4 ewes and some wethers (which are off to the sale Wednesday),12 in all they were too big to all fit in out trailer so the rest are coming next weekend.The photos are as they arrived and the girls and the ram "cleaned up",note because its "way" colder down here as compared to where the came from I just took off the "rough".....T.O.R.

 

[Bossroo]

Your transformation flock is well on its way. Are the Dorpers in your area more of the range ewe type that I see in our Western US Stares ? The Dorpers comming from the US back yard breeders look similar to yours from the sale yard. Here the Dorpers from the large farms appear more meaty, more square and well sprung ribs, and have shorter legs. On the most meaty type purebred Dorpers that I see here , their body structure is somewhat reminesent of the original South sheep of 50+ years ago but larger . The Dorper sired lambs are taller, more active and vigorous on the range and as such they put on meat and finish that is much superior to the range Suffolk x wool bred ewes' lambs. (Google Dorper sheep in the Western US to see some photos of ram sale as well as photos of large ranch Dorper sheep on their ranch flock promos. ) What are the weights of the Dorper sheep comming from the sale yards ?

 

[Baymule]

You got them for a good price. You are getting your flock built up. For a shedding sheep, they drive me nuts with all that wool hanging off of them. My ram is always shaggy looking.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day Bossroo,in the time I have been observing the sales of Dorpers at our markets they range from small store lambs to old mutton sheep.There are in fact only a couple of buyers of these type of sheep at our sale and as with all the stock they "manage" the prices paid,that is unless a "new" buyer appears who is not part of the gang.Prior to us entering the market for ewes there was almost "no" interest in ewe lines.

I think the longer whites are because down here most farmers use the new breed over an existing flock,from memory the Dorpers came to Western Australia first and spread East.Many of the studs locally only run small numbers and they treat it more as a "beauty contest" rather than strive for the most "efficient animal" for the job.It's possible that a little more Van Rooy or starting from a Border Leicester base could account for a "bit more leg".Personally I like a bit of bone under my sheep and an animal that has a decent "stride".

The B H's are to me a "hardier" animal and can convert lower value forage into meat far better than even our own Suffolk's can on our type of country.Some of the wethers we got this weekend are very square in the front(pic's later) and it is something we have "never " aspired to because of the problems in birthing.It's likely we will use an infusion of Suffolk as a terminal sire to keep the lambs manageable at birth and to slightly change the "texture" of the meat (but that is something for the future).

Recently I heard a good piece of advice on the raising of dorpers,"Keep them pregnant,make them forage and don't feed to much protein."The wethers we got seem to be quite happy on being fed Acacia scrub until they go on Wednesday.Another observation on the stud ewe lambs we got, they much prefer to graze on the short open grass rather than the courser pasture the others prefer.....T.O.R.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

B M.those sheep in the first pic had "never" seen a handpeice and the "boys" were 1 X and "strong" as ox's.T.O.R.

 

[Mike CHS]

They are amazingly strong for their size.

 

[Baymule]

Recently I heard a good piece of advice on the raising of dorpers,"Keep them pregnant,make them forage and don't feed to much protein."The wethers we got seem to be quite happy on being fed Acacia scrub until they go on Wednesday.Another observation on the stud ewe lambs we got, they much prefer to graze on the short open grass rather than the courser pasture the others prefer.....T.O.R.

On the "keep them pregnant" would you run the ram with the ewes, or introduce the ram after weaning the lambs?

 

[Bossroo]

Bay, Commercial Dorper breeders strive for 3 lamb crops in 2 years. Keeping a ram with the ewes full time will cause more problems than solutions as in extra labor and lower prices for the constant uneven sizes of the lambs being born out of plan. There are quite a few Dorper producers with large flocks in Texas, just google Dorper sheep to find them.