Detailed Explanation of Key Points in Dorper Sheep Farming Techniques

Dorper sheep farming is favored by farmers for its high production rate. At the same time, how to raise Dorper sheep and how to breed them is a major field of knowledge. So how can Dorper sheep be raised well?

Do a good job of crossbreeding with improved breeds. In Dorper sheep production, using crossbreeding with improved breeds can increase the lambing rate, lamb survival rate and body weight. As the sire of crossbred Dorper sheep (especially the terminal sire line), it must have characteristics such as early maturity and fast growth and development, while the dam should be selected from improved breeds with high fertility and a long estrus season. Breeding and lambing times should be arranged well. In the northern region of our province, the ambient temperature changes greatly every April, and lamb mortality is relatively high. Therefore, in production, lambing should be arranged as much as possible from January to March to avoid lambs being born in April. Do a good job of feeding and management of pregnant ewes. If ewes can obtain sufficient and reasonable nutrition during pregnancy, the lambs born will be heavier, have a strong constitution, strong disease resistance and be easy to manage. Pay attention to training lambs to start eating, that is, at 10 days of age let them freely eat high-quality green hay or green grass, and from 20 days of age let them freely eat a mixed concentrate. The mixed feed should be mainly easily digestible corn (2447,6.00,0.25%) and wheat bran, plus roasted soybeans (4798,17.00,0.36%), salt and trace elements, and avoid using rapeseed cake, cottonseed cake, etc. Clean drinking water should be provided for free drinking, especially in high-temperature seasons. Lambs must not lack water, otherwise it will lead to decreased appetite. Wean at the appropriate time. Lambs' rumens are fully developed at about 7 weeks of age, and they can better digest roughage. Lambs weaned before this cannot obtain enough nutrition by eating roughage alone, so it is best to wean at about 3 months of age. After weaning, special care should still be given, and they should be fattened and bred only after they have fully adapted to grazing or barn feeding conditions.

For Dorper rams kept in barns during the breeding period, the daily ration ratio is 35%-40% grass hay, 20%-25% succulent feed, and 45% concentrate feed, fed 3-4 times a day, with drinking water 3-4 times. Exercise 4-6 hours every day. During the breeding period of Dorper sheep farming, ewes undertake tasks such as mating, pregnancy and lactation, and should maintain a good nutritional level so as to achieve the goals of more fetuses, more births, more survivors and more strong lambs. During pregnancy, ewes should focus on protecting the fetus, and must not be fed moldy, deteriorated or spoiled feed, must not drink ice-cold water, and should avoid jumping, chasing and fright. For lactating ewes, the focus should be on the first 2 months. For ewes with twin lambs, supplement 0.6-0.8 kg of concentrate feed, 1.0 kg of high-quality green hay and 0.5 kg of carrots daily; for ewes with a single lamb, supplement 0.4-0.5 kg of concentrate feed, 0.5 kg of high-quality green hay and 0.5 kg of carrots daily. During Dorper sheep farming, lambs grow and develop fastest and have greater plasticity. The quality of feeding will directly affect their growth and development at this stage. After lambs can eat feed, the feed is required to be diversified, and it is best to feed a compound feed. The recommended reference formula is as follows: corn 50%, wheat bran 20%, rapeseed cake 5%, soybean cake 15%, bone meal 2%, salt 1%, fish meal 4%, white sugar 2.5%, growth promoter 0.5%.