What do Dorper Sheep Eat?
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- čas přidán 16. 05. 2024
- What do Dorper sheep eat? In this video I'm turning to an abstract from a research paper from Stellenboch University that compares the Dorper sheep to Merino-type sheep and their grazing habits. So what does the Dorper sheep eat? Whatever it wants.
Studies show that Dorpers take less time browsing for grass, they will eat more roughage AND convert that feed into muscle better.
In other words, the Dorper sheep is the best sheep out there at eating and converting that food into muscle. What more could you want?
The paper cited in this video is:
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
Happy homesteading!
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A bit about us:
My wife and I grew up in sunny southern California, 15 minutes away from the beach. As amazing as that was, we both dreamed of a life closer to land and animals. After getting married and moving to Utah, our family slowly grew. We had become a family of 4 living in a townhome with a small backyard filled with potted plants and a swing. In October of 2019 we decided it was time to make the dream a reality and move to a homesteading property. We came here with a 6 month old and a 3 year old and a fish. We now have a 18 month old and 5 year old, 4 pregnant sheep, 30 chickens, 20 (or so) rabbits and a garden that has the potential to sustain us and our animals, and a fish. There's lots of learning to do! And we've been happy to do it as we pursue a more enjoyable and sustainable life here on "the farm."
Music: www.bensound.com
Instagram: / highmountain_homestead
Great informative video! Thank you.
Iam planning to do this sheep especially doper sheep next year thanks for advice
Congrats! They are amazing sheep!
G'day mate,
Newbie Aussie farmer here. When you say that you feed the dorper lambs grain, what grain do you mean?
I have a Dorper lamb that is pretty skinny and I want him to get a bit healthier.
Loved the clip champion, thanks
If you supplement with grain, do whole oats (or rolled oats, or crimped oats). High in fiber, easy to digest, and sheep that are used to grass will think it's a real treat (because it is). But I don't think oats should be the main source of calories for a sheep, just an occasional supplement or treat for special purposes. Best of luck!
@@homesteadingwithPJ Sincerely appreciate your reply mate. Many thanks.
I like sheep very much as a farming
I give mine grain to entice them to come inside at night. One scoop for a dozen of them. I have to lock them up at night because of predators
Yup, you do what you gotta do.
what silage u use ?
The Mountain View is amazing
Yeah, it's pretty great!
Question, I know that you feed hay during winter season, do you feed any during the summer 🤔??
Not if I can help it. Grass and minerals all the way!
@@homesteadingwithPJ I hope that you are enjoying NC, I use to live East of I-95, now I'm in western NC
Awsome video !
Do make Rams meat taste bad also if they are intact like a goat ?
No. At least not when I process them, which is usually around 8-12 months old.
@@homesteadingwithPJ Awsome
Thank you
Hi, love your videos. What should Dorpers NOT eat? What makes them sick if they do eat it? What if build up if certain toxins? Have you already done a video on this?
I don't have a video on it because Dorpers can eat pretty much anything. Pretty much anything they want to eat (found naturally) they can eat. Of course watch grains and stuff like 3rd cut alfalfa (for bloat reasons), but for the most part Dorpers are just like any other sheep, but they are less picky and will put on muscle faster.
@@homesteadingwithPJ Thank you so much for replying to my comment. Love your videos. They are a great help. Cheers!
@@leanneoconnell4660 Thanks that means a lot! Have a great day!
Like it
Please can you advise me what I should do regarding feeding several dorper X Suffolk sheep. I’m buying a property in Western Australia and the sheep will come with the property. There is only 3 black dorper x sheep. The pasture is brown and not sure how much dry grass there is for them to graze on, if that’s suitable for them. I remember several years ago the biggest producer of pecans in Western Australia also had many dorper sheep which I had never seen before. I guess his sheep just grazed on the dried pasture in summer unless he had some grain for them. I’m keen to learn more about these sheep which I will take ownership of once I move to this property. So basically it sounds like dorpers are not fussy eaters. I read where you can also give them apples or carrots, don’t know if just as a supplement.
I wish I knew more about the area, but I do know that Dorper are better at putting on weight on less inputs. So your dry summer grazing may work.
We're in NSW (Eastern Australia) and have some Dorper x Suffolk in with our Dorper. They eat pretty much the same diet. We had NO grass during the drought 2 years ago, and they were literally eating weeds and sticks in between the hay and pellets we were feeding them. This lasted months. They were fine.
Dorper will eat anything! Leaves weeds grass etc I have 3 of them on a acre and they eat tree leaves etc they are true survivors they love cabbage leaves and supplements foods mix crack grains
In Kenya Africa.
Hi how can I get in contact with you guys. I am from TRINIDAD 🇹🇹. I am interested in purchasing.
How many Dorpers per acre of pasture on fertile land , 900mm rain per year and it is almost spread uniformly across 11 months?
I'm not sure, you'd have to ask a local. Also you need to factor in if you rotating them, what kind of grass you have, it's not as straight forward as you would think than.
My suggestion is to start with 2-4 ewes per acre, rotate them on and off of your land, and see if you can do more.
Is it ok to feed alfalfa pellets instead of alfalfa hay during winter?
Yes, but I don't like it to be the sole feed for them. If there's enough roughage or dry grass for them to pick at during winter, pellets make a good supplement. If you don't have any growth for them to eat, I'd feed the sheep hay in the morning and some pellets in the evening.
Do you have to supplement with anything else or just grass
Minerals (I like Redmonds Selenium 90 if you can find it) and Thorvins Icelandic Kelp.
I raise boer goats. A free ranging wether at 8 months might only be 70 pound without grain. What age do you consider a sheep finished (slaughter weight) on grass.
I like to get as close to a year as possible. I seem to average out at 10 months.
I don't know live weights very well. But I'm happy if mine hang at 50lbs or more.
What’s your thoughts on putting a blue berry bush in the pasture
My guess is that the sheep will eat it, haha. You'd have to put some fencing around it to keep the sheep off of it until it's very large.
@@homesteadingwithPJ I want to start farming sheep I also garden what fruits and vegetables are good for them?
Lol the intro music 😆
My wife does all the editing and music selection. We have a good time with it!
@@homesteadingwithPJ it's the same music that's used for a men's "performance" commercial. if you know you know. xD
@@Calumniation Oh man, my wife is gonna die laughing when she hears that!
what is the weight of this sheep?
I don't weight live animals, just because I don't have the equipment. But hanging weight of a year old ram is about 50-60 pounds.
Will they eat spruce trees 🌲🐑🌲
I'm surprised at what sheep will eat. They are similar to goats, but where a goat will eat anything they can reach, sheep are more seasonal. I wouldn't be surprised if sheep ate the green off of a spruce tree for a few weeks of the year. Assuming they can reach it.
Wish my deed restrictions allowed sheep, but a guy in my town raises dorper and sells their meat, so ill have to hit him up.
If you can't raise them, buy the meat. We did the same of years. We appreciate folks like you.
Do You have sheep for sale ?
Not right now.
Can sheep eat vinegar salad?
I'm not sure what that is, but I give mine apple cider vinegar often!
@@homesteadingwithPJ this is good. Thanks for info
So you dock rams tales too 🤔
Better for show sales, and we raise full bloods.
Are u sure they eat dandelions?
Positive, just when they are the yellow flower.
Dorperler hangi ülkede
原产地南非
Has anyone told you the difference between black headed Dorper and white headed Dorper? Btw, have a look at the Australian White sheep, while Dorper are good, Australian White are another hair breed that outperform Dorper.
Yes I have seen those! Very beautiful sheep, id love to get over there someday and see them for myself.
Don't know the difference between black headed and white headed dorper other than looks. Anyone else??
@@homesteadingwithPJ black headed have a genetic modification that allows them to digest various poisonous plants and thrive on country that kills or at least doesn’t support other sheep or cattle.
I have never heard that, but I believe. My Dorpers would eat anything and be fine. With on exception. We have a weed that is similar to milkweed, and their noses and faces blow up like balloons when they eat that. @@anthonyburke5656
Is it true that some sheep are carnivores?
Eh, no. But I sense a dad joke coming.