Do you know your medicines for dosing?

Dosing sheep is an exact science, according to a White Dorper breeder.

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“Profitable sheep farming demands careful attention to many details. But there will always be rich rewards for the farmer willing to invest time and effort,” says Joe Oosthuizen, of Oostermoed White Dorper Stud at Hekpoort, Gauteng.

Oosthuizen has not only chalked up a number of show championships in the four years he has been working with Dorpers, he has also become known among buyers for his meticulous healthcare. He not only supplies a full medical history of his animals, but provides buyers with a comprehensive programme of inoculations.

SEVERE DROUGHT

For many years he concentrated on producing vegetables, until the severe drought in the first half of the 1980s forced him to review his programme. Deciding to go for sheep, he studied the available breeds. Not wanting to have to shear, he immediately eliminated the wool and dual-purpose breeds.

His final decision to breed Dorpers, he says, was influenced by the helpfulness of the members of the Transvaal Dorper Club. Although he started producing black-headed sheep, his preference for white animals made him start looking for breeding stock to produce White Dorpers.