Appearance
The medium-sized Horned and Polled Dorset sheep have good muscular composition and a decent body length. Their meat is one of the most expensive in the sheep meat industry because of their lean and muscular carcasses.
Rams can weigh up to 275 pounds, while ewes weigh between 150 and 200 pounds.
Origin
One of the oldest varieties of sheep is the Dorset breed. They were first introduced to the United States in 1885 and were descended from a species with a similar appearance in England.
Temperament
The Dorset is often a docile breed. But rams may be aggressive, especially when they want to mate. To lessen that aggression, make sure the ram is used to handling from an early age.
Care of the Dorset Sheep
For starter, dorset needs a good, comfortable spot to rest. This involves building a shelter that defends them against predators as well as bad weather.
Therefore, constructing a barn for your Dorset might be a wise decision. But a shelter with three sides might also suffice. However, because it will enable you to separate them as necessary, experts recommend designing a barn with numerous stalls. You could want to keep sick or pregnant people apart from the rest of the flock, for instance.
Particularly during the cold season, you might want to think about giving them thick bedding made of dry hay to increase their comfort. While some individuals use sawdust as a sheep’s bedding material, you should avoid it because it can damage the wool.
Consider building a shed outside the main shelter so they can get shade when they are grazing outside of the main shelter.
Food
The quality of the feed is the most crucial element in feeding any animal. Although the Dorset can thrive on grass, you must give your pet supplementary feeds.
One of the best meals you can give your Dorset is alfalfa hay because it is rich in nutrients that sheep need. However, because alfalfa hay is a bit expensive, you can give them regular hay and add alfalfa pellets as a supplement.
Additionally, you can feed your Dorset grains. However, you will need to exercise caution, as too much grain can cause bloating in sheep.
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