I kept Dorset Downs for several years, in addition to my other sheep and had a very good flock. They are the easiest sheep to keep and in my opinion one of the tastiest! Lisas lambs are typical DDs and the growth rate is as would be expected. DD ewes usually have a single at the first lambing and then twins, very rare for more. They do their lambs very very well amd its very possible to get a single away to kill out off grass only at 16 weeks with a dead weight of 22-25kg. twins will take 18-20 weeks. They are proper grazers and thrive on good unimproved grassland...which is what they were bred for!
DDs require little hard feed and tend to fat rather than thinness, this is why they are a rare breed (RBST list!!) as they are not as lean as continentals....however that makes them very economic. They will lamb at any time of year as have the dorset gene for out of season cycling
They are not jumpers, do not like escaping, are easy to move ....I have shifted a flock of 50 with a bucket and a 10 year old! ......and are really nice charecters!......they also have small shoulders so are v easy lambing and DD rams stamp their type on cross breds so excellent for producing x bred lambs. Their wool is superb too and they make fab lambskins....
.......you can see I love em
