The Dorper is a South African meat sheep developed in the 1930s by crossing Dorset Horn with the Blackhead Persian sheep. The objective was to breed a fast-growing, hardy meat sheep suitable for the arid parts of the country, particularly the bluebush-dominated, semi-arid Karoo. The name ‘Dorper’ is the combination of the first syllables of the parent breeds. Dorpers have also been introduced to Australia and are farmed in a wide range of climatic conditions from the tropics to the cooler, wetter southern parts of the continent. The Dorper has a black head and neck and the White Dorper is mostly white with some dark pigmentation under the eyes, under the tail and on the udder and teats. Some Dorpers have black spots. Dorpers are an easy-care breed that produces a short coat that is shed in spring and summer, although these ewes, some with newborn lambs in Western Australia’s Chittering Valley are shedding their coats in Western Australia’s mid-winter!