White Dorper

The White Dorper is the all-white version of the Dorper, developed alongside it in South Africa from Dorset Horn and white Persian sheep, and registered separately.

Everything that applies to the Dorper applies here: fast growth on poor forage, heat and drought tolerance, non-seasonal breeding, hardy low-maintenance ewes, and a coat that sheds rather than needing shearing.

The colour is the reason to choose it. A white hide with no dark hair is preferred by some processors and buyers, and pale skin runs cooler in high-sun country, though it also burns where wool cover is thin.

The trade is the same as the Dorper's. They fatten early and need finishing managed, and the completeness of shedding varies by line, so ask the breeder what their sheep actually do in your climate rather than what the breed is said to do.