About Dorset Sheep

Our Dorsets are the "Old Style" or "Traditional" Dorsets, which compliment our hardy, old-breed Highland Cattle and Tamworth Hogs.

Physical Appearance

The traditional Dorset is a medium-sized breed with heavy curling horns. It is the only major breed in which both rams and ewes are horned. In 1970, breeders began creating a "show" version of Dorsets, which are a bit taller and leaner than "production" breeds. Today, traditional Dorsets are known as the Horned Dorset (or "Dorset Horn") and are differentiated from the hornless Polled Dorset (or "Poll Dorset"), which are said to have been a mutation from a flock at North Carolina State College, Raleigh, NC in the mid-1950s. (However, Australians claim to have found a hornless breed of Dorsets in Tasmania in the mid-1900s which are now the Poll Dorset.)

Both horned and polled Dorsets are an all white sheep of medium size having good body length and muscle conformation to produce a desirable carcass.

History

Dorset Sheep are a medium-sized breed. Archeologists claim have found them as far back as late Roman era in England, but other theories of their origin place them as a cross breed between the old English breed and a Spainish breed in the 16th century. Dorset Sheep were introduced into many areas of the United States beginning in Oregon in the 1880s (as noted in a publication called Sheep Industry in the United States, written by Ezra Carmen, H, A. Heath, and John Minton, all of whom were Oregon pioneers living in the Salem, OR area) and the East Coast a decade later.

The Dorset Horn, now a minor breed, is like our cattle and sheep breeds, in danger of extinction. The Dorset Horn Sheep's official status is listed as WATCH, meaning the numbers need to be closely monitored but are not as limited as the Highland Cattle and Tamworth Hogs. It is very important that current reproductive traits remain as they are for this breed to survive.

Character Traits

Known for a high percentage of twin births, Dorsets, will bear young year-round with easy lambing, unlike breeds that reproduce just once a year in "lambing season". They are easy to care for—they don't need a lot of attention and enable us to still maintain our regular jobs until we can afford to work full time on the farm.

Dorsets have medium-length fine-textured wool. The fleece is very white, strong, close and free from dark fiber. Dorset fleeces average five to nine pounds (2.25-4 kg) in the ewes with a yield of between 50% and 70%.  The staple length ranges from 2.5 to 4 inches (6-10 cm) with a numeric count of 46's-58's.  The fiber diameter will range from 33.0 to 27.0 microns.

Hardiness

They easily adjusts to wide range of conditions including altitude, temperature and rainfall.

Dorsets are well suited to organic farming, providing year-round lamb supply and a self-perpetuating flock. Our Dorsets are raised on rich, organic pastures where they get plenty of sun, fresh air, and exercise. They are never confined in a barn or feedlot, andd they are given NO supplementary grain.

Size

Dorset ewes weigh from 150 to 200 pounds at maturity, Dorset rams weigh from 225 to 275 pounds at maturity.