Dorset sheep are a common sight at Kuykendall’s Border Collies. In almost every pasture a group of either fresh lambs or more settled yearlings are used for training not only farm dogs but their Canada goose control dogs. American Border Collie Association registered dogs and United States Border Collie Handlers Association champions were trained on this breed of sheep.
One of the most unique characteristics of the breed is that they lamb out of season meaning that they not only breed in the fall to lamb in the spring but also breed in the spring to lamb in the fall. This allows the Kuykendall’s to train some superb dogs, year-round, on fresh livestock.
There are both horned and polled Dorset’s, the Kuykendall’s have a flock of polled, structurally correct ewes and rams showing exceptional breed character. Only those individuals are selected for replacement animals. Virginia Tech rams that have gone through the ram testing program are currently being used.
The flock was started from Dorset’s out of the University of Connecticut’s line. In the 1960’s and 70’s UConn had some of the best animals in the country. Later, when the flock moved to the south some Mississippi State sheep were brought in.
The Dorset breed is a dual-purpose breed, meaning that they can be used for both meat and wool production. The Dorset’s found on this central North Carolina farm are smaller than the modern Dorset’s commonly seen in the show ring. Compact, heavily muscled animals that are worm resistant, heat tolerant, heavy milkers and that exhibit very few hoof issues are staple. Strict culling to ethnic markets is what keeps the standard at exemplary levels, nothing is put back into the flock that isn’t of high quality.
To learn more about Dorset sheep go to Continental Dorset Club
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