About

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Dohne Merino Society of South Africa.

The Dohne Merinos were initially developed to be a hardy woolled sheep that are easy care with high reproductivity and growth rate under harsh sourveld Eastern Cape conditions. Initial development took place under the leadership of Mr Koot Kotze, Director, Dohne Research Institute, Stutterheim. The initial cross between German Mutton Merino rams and Merino ewes in 1939 were used to develop the breed by means of strict scientific selection procedures to its current status of an internationally commended dual purpose breed. The Breed Society was formed with a small population of approximately only 2500 ewes in 1966 with the first president Mr. R.O. Le Roux and manager Mr. Noël Geach. Important events on the society’s time line include: Compulsory performance testing for all breeders; Abolishment of shows; Implementation of Sire Referencing and EBV’s. The export of embryos to Australia and the Falkland Islands that led to the establishment of breed societies in Australia and eventually Uruguay, were major milestones in the more recent history of the Dohne Merino.

Dohne Merino Genootskap van Suid Afrika

Die Dohne Merino ras is aanvanklik ontwikkel om ‘n geharde wolskaap te wees met minsorg kenmerke en wat ‘n hoë reproduksie en groeitempo handhaaf onder strawwe suurveld toestande van die Oos Kaap. Die aanvanklike ontwikkeling het plaasgevind onder leiding van Mnr. Koot Kotze, Direkteur, Dohne Navorsing instituut, Stutterheim. Die aanvanklike kruis tussen Duitse Merino ramme en Merino ooie in 1939, is aangewend om deur streng wetenskaplike seleksie die ras tot sy huidige status te ontwikkel as ‘n internasionaal erkende dubbeldoel wolskaap ras van uitnemende gehalte. Die telersgenootskap is in 1966 gestig met ‘n klein ooi populasie van 2 500 ooie in totaal met Mnr. R.O. Le Roux as eerste president en Mnr. Noël Geach as bestuurder. Belangrike gebeurtenisse op die genootskap se tydlyn sluit in: Die instelling van verpligte prestasietoetsing vir alle telers; Afskaffing van skoue; Implementering van ‘n vaarverwysingstelsel en VTW’s. Die uitvoer van embrios na Australië en die Falkland eilande wat gelei het tot die onstaan van telersge-nootskappe in Australië en Uruguay, is mylpale in die meer onlangse verlede van die Dohne Merino.[