THE DORPER SHEEP BREEDERS' SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA

THE DORPER BREED

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE

With amendments up to July 1988

THIS REPLACES ANY PREVIOUS STANDARDS

OF EXCELLENCE

The purpose of a Standard of Excellence is to indicate the degree of excellence of the animal by means of a description and a score by points according to visual appearance and performance. These values must be recorded in such a way as to give a true reflection of the excellence or deficiencies of the sheep.

For descriptive and comparative purposes sheep may be compared with each other according to a score card, and the following points are allotted, corresponding to the respective terms of the main sections of the standard of excellence.

5 points Very good

4 points Above average

3 points Average

2 points Poor or below average

1 point Very poor with cull points

The following comprises the Standard of Excellence.

1. Conformation: represented by the symbol B.

(a) Head: Strong and long, with large eyes, widely spaced and protectively placed. Strong nose, strong well shaped mouth with well-fitted deep jaws. The forehead must not be dished. The size of the ears must be in relation to the head. A developed horn base or small horns is the ideal, heavy horns are undesirable but permissible. The head must be covered with short, dullish black hair in the Dorper and dull, white hair in the White Dorper. The head must be dry i.e. without indications of fat localisation.

(b) Fore-quarter and Neck: The neck should be of medium length, well-fleshed and broad and well-coupled to the forequarters. Shoulders firm, broad and strong. Chest deep and wide and may slant slightly upwards. A prominent protruding brisket is undesirable. Forelegs strong, straight and well-placed with strong pasterns. Hoofs not too widely split.

(c) Barrel: The ideal is a long, deep wide body, ribs well sprung, loin broad and full. The sheep must have a long straight back and not have "devil's grip". A slight dip behind the shoulders is permissible.

(d) Hind-quarter: A long and wide rump is the ideal. The inner and outer twist to be well fleshed and deep in adult animals The hind legs must be strong and well-placed, with sturdy feet and strong pasterns. Faulty pasterns must be discriminated against according to degree. The hocks must be strong without a tendency to turn in or out. Sickle or perpendicular hocks are undesirable.

(e) Udder and Sex Organs: A well-developed udder and sex organs are essential in the ewe. The scrotum of the ram should not be too long and the testicles should be of equal size and not too small.

(f) General Appearance: The sheep should be symmetrical and well-proportioned. A calm temperament with a vigorous appearance is the ideal.

2. Size or Growth Rate: represented by the symbol G.

A sheep with a good weight for its age is the ideal Discrimination against extremely small or extremely big animals must be exercised.

3. Distribution of Fat: represented by the symbol D.

Too much localisation of fat on any part of the body is undesirable. An even distribution of a thin layer of fat over the carcass and between the muscle-fibres is the ideal. The sheep must be firm and muscular when handled.

4. Colour Pattern: represented by the symbol P.

Dorpers: A white sheep with black confined to the head and neck is the ideal. Black spots, to a limited extent on the body and legs are permissible, but an entirely white sheep or a sheep predominantly black is undesirable. Brown hair around the eyes, white teats, white under the tail and white hoofs are undesirable.

White Dorpers: A white sheep, fully pigmented around the eyes, under the tai I, on the udder and the teats is the ideal. A limited number of other coloured spots is permissible on the ears and underline.

5. Cover or Fleece: represented by the symbol H.

The ideal is a short, loose, light covering of hair and wool with wool predominating on fore quarter and with a natural clean kemp underline. Too much wool or hair is undesirable and exclusively wool or hair is a fault. Manes are a disqualification.

6. Type: represented by the symbol T.

Type is judged according to the degree to which the sheep conforms to the general requirements of the breed. Emphasis is placed on Conformation, Size and Fat distribution when determining type, while Colour and Covering are of secondary importance.

ALLOTMENT OF POINTS

Points are allotted as follows:

1. CONFORMATION:

B5 Very good.

B4 Good.

B3 Average. No cull points.

B2 Poor.

Bl Very poor with cull points.

2. SIZE:

C5 Large sheep.

C4 Average.

C3 Below average.

C2 Small.

Cl Extremely small or extremely big.

3. DISTRIBUTION OF FAT:

D5 Good fat distribution over the whole body. No fat localisation.

D4 An indication of fat distribution. Slight indication of fat localisation.

D3 Reasonable amount of localised fat. Too dry.

D2 Localised fat.

Dl Excessive localised fat.

When judging fat distribution discrimination should be greater against fat in the young animal than in the mature one.

4. COLOUR PATTERN:

For definition of Colour Pattern the division of the Top and Underline is as follows:

(a) On the hock

(b) On the lower point of the knee

(c) With rams to the rear as far as the junction of the scrotum

(d) With ewes it runs up to the sexual organs.

DORPERS:

(a) A white sheep with an entirely black head or black head and neck.

(b) Complete pigmentation is essential.

The following is permissible:

(a) Black limited to the head and neck, loose black patches on the neck included.

(b) A partial blaze or singe patch limited to the back of the head, extending no further than the horn base.

(d) A patch not exceeding 10 cm in diameter under the tail of the ewe as well as around the opening of the sheath and/or rectum of the ram.

(a) Black limited to the head, neck and forequarters not extending below the knee(s). The knee includes the complete joint.

(b) Loose patches on the forearm and above the knee are regarded as on the forequarter.

(d) An animal with a black forequarter may carry additional black on the forelegs, provided there is a division.

(e) A limited number of black spots on the body and underline.

(f) Black patches limited to the underline, collectively not exceeding 10 cm in diameter.

(g) The black patches around the sexual organs of animals need not be separated from the patches on the underline, provided there are no other patches or spots on the underline. In this case a 10 cm wide by 20 cm long patch is permissible.

(h) White patches on the head and neck except around the eyes where black hair should appear unbroken around both the eyes. The ears should be collectively at least 50% black. A blaze which is not continuous is permitted, as well as a patch on the head which extends over the crown.

In the two lighter lamb classes a lamb must have an indication of pigmentation on each separate part of the body where pigment is required.

(a) Black and white except as allowed in P3 and P4.

(b) Sheep with a continuous blaze and/or more than 50% white on the combined surface of the ears.

(a) Altogether white or altogether black sheep

(b) Sheep with any other colour other than black or white.

To qualify for P3, a Dorper must have pigmentation in excess of 50% on each separate part of the body where pigment is required, except on the sheath of rams where it is not a requirement. No pigment is a cull fault. Discriminate against obvious brown colour around the eyes and on the head.

WHITE DORPERS:

(a) A white sheep with no hair or wool of any other colour in its covering.

(b) Complete brown or black pigmented eyelids.

(d) Brown or red eyelashes are permissible.

(e) Colour may appear on hoofs.

(a) A white sheep with a limited number of black, brown or other coloured speckles confined to the covering of the ears and underline.

(b) At least 50% of the eyelids must be pigmented in both ewes and rams with an indication of pigment on each eyelid.

(a) A white sheep with a limited number of black, brown or other coloured speckles in the covering confined to the head and underline.

(b) Spots on head and underline collectively not to exceed 1 0 cm in diameter.

(d) Brown or red eyelashes are permissible.

(a) A white sheep with black, brown or other coloured speckles and brown or red spots in the covering collectively not to exceed 10 cm in diameter.

(b) Pigment on eyelids not essential.

(a) A white sheep with more and/or bigger black, brown or other coloured speckles or spots as described in P2.

(b) A sheep with one or both eyes blue.

Ram lambs under 60 kg and ewe lambs under 50 kg must have an indication of pigment on the eyelids.

5. COVERING:

H5

Short, loose light covering of hair and wool with wool predominating on forequarter and with a natural clean kemp underline.

H4

Short, loose, light mixture of hair and wool with a natural clean underline.

H3

Short, loose covering of predominantly hair or wool with perceptible kemp on the outer thighs.

H2

(a) Almost exclusively hair with an apron permissible

(b) Almost exclusively wool and very dense

H1

(a) Exclusively hair

(b) Exclusively wool

(c) A mane

With all types of covering a thick skin is preferable.

Discriminate against denseness and length of covering.

Discriminate against long covering on underline of mature sheep.

6. TYPE OR GENERAL/APPEARANCE:

Type is determined by all the above characteristics and the judge must decide to what degree the sheep complies with the breed standards and general appearance of a true type of Dorper sheep. The general impression must be that of a strong, well muscled sheep with femininity in the ewe and masculinity in the ram and which will be adaptable in arid regions. A four-tooth ewe which is not obviously in lamb or which has not already lambed, may not be approved or placed at a show.

T5 Good

T4 Above average

T3 Average type

T2 Poor type

T1 Very poor type with noticeable cull faults.

Any sheep with a symbol below 4 for Conformation, Size, Fat Distribution or Type, or below 3 for Colour Pattern or Covering will not be approved.

When evaluating a sheep the following values must be attached to the different characteristics.

3..........Conformation

2..........Size

1..........Fat Distribution

1..........Colour Pattern

1..........Covering

3..........Type

4..........Selection

15........Total

The breeder, judge or inspector should always remember to accentuate traits with the highest economic values, as the Dorper sheep was bred for the sole purpose or producing meat under varying, even unfavourable, environmental conditions as efficiently as possible.

The AFRIKAANS version is regarded as the authentic interpretation.

The ENGLISH is for your convenience.

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