History of the Breed
T
he exact history of the Dorset sheep is found wanting for some positive record of origin. History does tell us that centuries ago, Spain wished to conquer England, and possibly during this time, the Merino sheep were brought into Southwest of Wales, which produced a desirable all-purpose sheep which met the needs of that time. Thus began a breed of sheep which spread over Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and most of Wales and were called Horned Dorsets. In this country they are called Dorsets. Today, they are different because of different environments and breeding, though by close observation we still find some characteristics which give us some proof that the Dorset and the Merino carry similar bloodlines and this record of origin is as near correct as any. For centuries, other breeds have sought to encroach upon the pastures of Dorsetshire and Somerset, but never have they been able to gain a permanent foothold. Dorsets there hold sway. They are found on nearly every large farm. They lamb in the sheltered valleys; they summer on hills; they are outdoor sheep, folding on the turnpikes or sown pastures in winter; dropping their magnificent lambs in the open field in early wintertime, suckling them well and developing a desirable lamb for early market in London, where they bring top prices. In the old world, they have indeed Scotland and Ireland, the Isle of Wright, and parts of Kent. They have gone to New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, South America, Central America, and South Africa. In fact, in Australia, they are one of the major mutton breeds.
Dorsets in America
In a publication called Sheep Industry in the United States, written by Ezra Carman, H.A. Heath, and John Minton, all of whom were Oregon pioneers living in the Salem, Oregon area, we learn of Dorsets being in Oregon in 1860. Because of poor and slow communication and traveling methods between East and West in the 1800s, it is understandable that knowledge of these early importations was never received on the East Coast. Because of this lack of transportation across the country, the Hudson Bay Shipping Company of those days began shipping sheep into the Oregon Territory as early as 1800. These shipments were brought to the West Coast from England and the first Dorsets were brought over for Mr. Richard Scott of Milwaukee, Oregon, in 1860. The Oregon breeders evidently had little or no contact with the Eastern breeders until the Horned Dorset Sheep Breeders of America was organized on May 21, 1891. The first contact between East and West appears in the Volume 1 of the First Flock Book, which shows transfer of a ram and four ewes to Richard Scott in Oregon from T.S. Cooper, Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. The first Dorsets to be seen on the East Coast were exhibited at the American Fat Stock Show in Chicago in 1885 by an English firm of E&W Stanford. Then in March of 1887, Mr. William Daley of Lockport,
New York imported a few from Canada and in May of that same year, Mr. E.F. Bowditch of Framingham, Massachusetts, made an importation followed closely by Tranquility Farms of Allamuchy, New Jersey. Since that time, many Dorsets have been brought into the country, though there has been a sharp decline in recent years. The past few years have seen a wonderful increase in interest for the Dorset breed. The breed has made a greater gain in the United States in the past 20 years than it did in double any such period in the past. The breed has been tried and proven. In experiments conducted with other breeds, it has proven equal to any others and in many cases superior. Such facts, coupled with the many desirable characteristics which the Dorset maintains over other breeds, makes it a breed that is outstanding in meeting the requirements for lamb production in this country.
Description of the Breed
There was a time, not long ago, (as we count time) when the Dorset ewes were kept for the dairies of Southwest England, hence the breed developed great milking power. Dorset ewes are today the greatest milkers of all species of sheep. They are not sheep used to hard fare and privation; true they were usually without shelter in England, yet they were fed well. The Dorset ewe has a great appetite and a digestion that matches. She will consume a lot of feed; but she will utilize it well. If one desires a sheep that will live on next to nothing, drop a lamb in May, and make it weigh 50 pounds by the next fall, he should select another breed. Dorset ewes are “rustlers” after feed; yet their peculiar ability to give profit comes from their ability to utilize this feed, drop their lambs early, milk well, and produce lambs with a desirable carcass - thus giving their producer a chance for early profits. The Dorset is a medium-sized white sheep by today’s standards, having good body length and muscle conformation to produce the desired carcass for today’s market. The Dorset has a very white, strong, close fleece, free from dark fiber. Horned Dorset ewes and rams both have horns; the ewes are light, curving forward neatly; the rams are heavy, spiraling and curving forward. Polled Dorsets are generally all polled, however, as is explained elsewhere, occasionally scurs of various sizes and types can appear. Dorset ewes weigh from 150 to 200 pounds at maturity, some in show condition may very well exceed this weight. Dorset rams weigh from 225 to 275 pounds at maturity. The body conformation of well-bred Dorsets is hard to excel. They have good body length and muscle conformation. Length of rump and length of loin are of great importance. The rump should be wide and straight over the dock with a full leg showing muscling down toward the hock. Dorset ewes have a sweet feminine character and are among the best mothers found among sheep breeds,far excelling most other breeds in maternal instinct and ability to care for their young. Their lambs grow
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