Sheep : DORSET HORN

Origin: Dorset, country of Devon, England.

Australian Status:

International Status:

Arrived in Australia: 1895

Australian Population: Ewes: 614     Rams: 30 (2018)

Distribution:

History:

Breed traits: Good looking white faced breed with face free of wool. As their name proclaims, they are horned, the rams having handsome curled horns which grow to a impressive size but which must never restrict vision - the head of the rams is most handsome. The ewes also have horns, but far smaller and more delicate. One of the oldest British breeds, the legs are woolled to the knees and hocks. Dorset Horns have a big robust frame, that is muscular, and ideal for carcass production. The wool is short and dense. It was found they would breed, and conceive, at any time of year so the breed became popular for raising "house lambs" - lambs born in time to be raised indoors and hand fed a rich diet, then sold to the early prime lamb market in spring. They have a good fertility rare and mature early. Early lambing means they are a popular prime lamb producer. Kept a little longer, they get heavier and weigh out as very big lambs and hefty hoggets.

Adaptable to a wide range of climate, they are a hardy breed. W.J. Dawkins of South Australia improved the breed in the early twentieth century, adding muscle and stockiness, and exported rams back to England. However he was one of those aiming to eliminate the horns too. The Dorset Horn was immensely popular in England and Australia - once our major prime lamb producer. These days the polled Dorset breed, carefully developed from the Dorset Horn in Australia, has taken over in popularity.

They remain a good first cross ram to get prime lambs from wool breeds, valuable as a genetic resource for the polled version of the breed. The ability to breed and conceive at any time of year is still a feature of the Dorset Horn. Wool is the fine downs type, of about 27 - 33 microns, staple about 3 to 4 inches and they cut about a 3 kilo fleece without kemp. Great eating they put on loads of condition on basic pasture but a bit of time on crops too, such as canola, or other supplementary feed, makes them top weight on the scales.

Uses: meat, short wool

Breed Organisation: The Australian Dorset Horn Breeders Association, Secretary: Mrs Janet MacDonald, Porcupine Ridge, Victoria

Additional Notes:

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