Our Sheep
We raise White Dorper sheep here at Northrop Farms. This breed of sheep originated in South Africa in the 1930's. They were created by crossing the horned Dorset and the Black -headed Persian sheep. Using the " Dor" from Dorset and "Per" from Persian is how the new breed got its name. Traditional Dorper coloration was distinguished by a black head and white body, but through selective breeding for all white the White Dorper breed was also created. By combining the fast growth and carcass quality of the Dorset and the fertility and hardiness of the Persian this new breed quickly spread around the world. Dorpers retain the shedding ability of their Persian ancestors and do not require shearing. Created as a meat breed of sheep, they only grow as much wool as is necessary for the climate they are in and are able to devote more of their nutrition toward growth.
We chose the White Dorper breed for many reasons but the top three were meat quality, shedding ability and adaptability to an all-grass diet. As a meat specific breed, selection has never had to compromise meat quality with wool production. Since wool prices often do not cover the cost of having sheep sheared it made little sense for us to raise a breed that would not shed its winter coat naturally. Lastly, we needed a breed that would be productive on an all-grass diet. White Dorper sheep were original bred for this purpose in the arid, sparsely vegetated pastures of South Africa.
