Polled Dorset sheep primarily raised for meat. The breed is developed at North Carolina State University in 1956. The breed is a hornless variation of the Horned Dorset breed.
Polled Dorset sheep breed information
Polled Dorsets are medium-sized breed which is white in color.
Adult Polled Dorset ram weighs 115 kg (250 lb) and ewe weighs 90 kg (200 lb).
The Polled Dorset has a thick fleece that is free from dark fibers.
The breed is able to breed out of season and prolific.
Without horns, the sheep are easier to handle and there is much less risk of the rams hurting themselves or others
The Polled Dorset live up to 12 to 14 years.
The Polled Dorset sheep are heavy milkers and prolific.
The lambs are hardy, which mature soon and yield muscled carcass.
Multiple births are common.
The rams are used to sire lambs for slaughter.
The fleece weight is about 2.5 to 4 kg with a staple length of 6 to 10 cm with a fiber diameter of 27 to 33 microns.
Polled Dorset adapts well on small farms where they feedlot and also thrive under grass.
Things to know
The genetic mutation which resulted in the loss of horns created the Polled Dorset sheep.
The Polled Dorset is sometimes confused with the Australian Poll Dorset, but that breed did not start as a genetic mutation but resulted from the introduction of Corriedale and Ryeland blood into the Dorset breeding program.
The Polled Dorset sheep are now spread to Canada and become a major contributor in the commercial lamb industry.
Polled Dorset sheep characteristics
| Breed Name | Polled Dorset sheep |
| Other Name | |
| Country/Place of Origin | North Carolina, the United States |
| Breed Purposeamerica | meat |
| Breed Size | large |
| Weight Ram(Male) | 115 kg (250 lb) |
| Ewe(Female) | 90 kg (200 lb) |
| Kidding | single or twins or triplets |
| Good for Stall Fed | open grazing |
| Climate Tolerance | local conditions |
Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . A fulltime farmer and blogger who love to share all his farming experiences. Also, a strong supporter of sustainable farming practices. Thanks for visiting our site, let’s make this world a better place to live. Say No to Chemicals and plastics.
