Pure Bred

Grading up

Grading up is the repeated crossing of ewes and their female progeny to rams of a single breed, with the ultimate objective of creating a flock that is indistinguishable from full blood flocks.

As we have been breeding these sheep over many generations, all of our sheep in this flock can be considered to be pure bred Dorpers. As can be seen from the history below we reached the F4 generation several years ago.

In 1998 we joined a few of our old stud Wiltshire Horn ewes to one of our Full Blood Dorper rams. The cross bred lambs were impressive. In 1998 and 1999 a Cashdown Wiltshire ewe won Champion Wiltshire Ewe at the Melbourne Sheep Show. The 1999 champion Wiltshire ewe was never joined to a Wiltshire ram, she along with the rest of our Stud Wiltshire flock were used as foundation ewes for the Cashdown commercial flock. Since 1999 the commercial flock progeny have been joined to Rams from our Full Blood Dorper flock.

The commercial ewes, like the pure bred Dorper and Wiltshire Horn ewes, have multiple births, are good mothers and excellent milkers.The lambs are very vigorous from the time of birth. The lambs are good doers and mature quickly, which means that they can be turned off at an early age, often without having anything done to them at all (very cost efficient!).

As the Wiltshire Horn Sheep is a shedding meat breed, our foundation flock exhibited good shedding characteristics, conformation and productivity. Beginning from such quality foundation animals, the Cashdown Dorper pure bred flock is of a very high standard, which is confirmed by our happy return customers.

For many years we joined & lambed all maiden commercial ewes and then sold the ewes as two year old animals to other sheep breeders. The maiden commercial ewes were joined to one of our Full Blood stud Dorper rams. The ram chosen being one which must exhibit excellent shedding characteristics as well as excellent conformation and constitution.

2002

Sold the Wiltshire Horn ewe flock after 2001 drop of lambs. Kept all xbred ewes F1 or further, but called them all the F1 base.

Dillidorper W29-00 / 221 registration number V0796 joined with all x bred ewes, progeny F2.

2003

Dillidorper W20-00 / 216 registration number V0799 joined with all x bred ewes. Sold F1 ewes, mated F2 ewes, progeny F3.

2004

Dillidorper W11-00 / 186 registration number V3103 joined with all x bred ewes, sold F2 ewes and mated F3 ewes, progeny F4.

2005

Dillidorper G139-02 /244 registration number X3107 joined with all x bred ewes. Sold F3 ewes, mated F4 ewes, progeny F5.

2006

Dillidorper /282 registration number Y38462 joined with all X bred flock ewes. Sold F4 ewes, mated F5 ewes, progeny F6.

2007

Two generations past the accepted criteria for a pure bred flock, Cashdown considered the flock consistent enough to start a selected breeding program.

Dillidorper /282 registration number Y38462 joined with all purebred flock ewes. Purebreds joined, purebreds sold.

2008

Newstead Mulga Bill tag no 0609, registration number B22853. Joined with all purebred flock ewes. Purebreds joined, purebreds sold.

2009

Newstead Mulga Bill tag no. 0609, registration number B22853. Joined with all purebred flock ewes. Purebreds joined, purebreds sold.

2010

Dillidorper Brutus /568 registration number ???? joined with all purebred flock ewes. Purebreds joined, purebreds sold.

2011

Dillidorper Brutus /568 registration number ???? joined with all older purebred flock ewes. Kaya 080330, registration number D32982 Joined with all 09 &10 drop purebred flock ewes. Purebreds joined, purebreds sold.