Dohne Merino sheep raised mainly for wool and meat. A South African breed weighs on an average of 80 kg and a fleece production of 3.5 to 5 kg.
Dohne Merino breed information
The mature Dohne Merino ram weighs around 100 kg(220 lb) and ewe weighs 65 kg(145 lb).
The fleece production per year is around 3.5 kg to 5 kg with an avg diameter of 17 to 21 microns.
Lean and high yielding carcasses with even fat distribution.
The lambs grow faster with an average weight of 25 to 35 kg in 100 days.
Lambing ease with excellent milk production.
Self-replacing mules-free flock with high meat and wool productivity.
Non-seasonal breeders can breed all year round and high lambing percentage.
The breed is resilient especially during dry periods and is excellent breeders.
Things to know
The Interbreeding of German Mutton Merino rams and Peppin-style Merino ewes resulted in the Dohne Merino breed.
In the 1930s the breed is developed in the South African Department of Agriculture.
The Dohne Merino breed is South Africa’s leading wool breeds.
The breed is found in Australia and New Zealand.
Brief characteristics of Dohne Merino sheep
| Breed Name | Dohne Merino sheep |
| Other Name | El Dhone Merino |
| Country/Place of Origin | South Africa |
| Breed Purpose | meat and wool |
| Breed Size | medium |
| Weight Ram(Male) | 100 kg(220 lb) |
| Ewe(Female) | 65 kg(145 lb) |
| Kidding | single |
| Good for Stall Fed | open grazing |
| Climate Tolerance | All 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.
I am interested in rearring Dohne merino sheep. Need advice
Yes Please Ntai. What advice do you need?
Hello, Mr. Siddartha Reddy
Very interesting article about this dual-purpose breed. In Peru we are very interested in having this breed to enhance the economical situation of the Andean farmers specifically in the rainfed agricultural areas. There are about four leading farmers that have bought embryos of this breed to establish a seedstock farm to provide Dohne genetic material(semen, embryos and rams) to commercial farmers.
Regards from Peru.
Mario Narro