Domville Dorpers is a family owned and run farm which breeds and fattens Dorper lambs as well as beef cattle. It is owned by Owen and Karen Betts along with our sons Luke and Jack.
Owen is the owner and manager who does the hard yards. Karen helps with the stock work and the administration. The boys help on weekends when they are not busy with their off-farm jobs.
We are located about 20 kms south of Millmerran on the Darling Downs about 200 kms west of Brisbane at the foothills of Mt Domville.
Domville Dorpers is a family-based business, breeding Dorper sheep and growing lambs for people to enjoy.
We try to replicate nature as much as possible in our farming methods. We are great believers in multi species pastures growing a variety of herbages, salines, legumes, grasses and bushes. A large variety in the Dorpers diet means they are more likely have all their nutritional requirements met, eliminating the need for supplements. It is interesting to note that Dorpers can self-regulate what they eat. If they are lacking in a particular vitamin or mineral, they will seek out and eat plants containing that nutrient.
We have planted a Desmanthus bush called Progardes. It is a summer, perennial legume bush which the sheep seek out and love. As it is a legume it naturally puts nitrogen into the soil. There are studies being carried out by the MLA as they think it may help reduce methane emissions.
We want our sheep to be happy and live in a sheep’s paradise. As well as ensuring they have a plentiful supply and variety in their diet, we also ensure they have plenty of fresh water to drink and plenty of shade. The shade helps with protection for breeding as well as comfort for the sheep, so they are less stressed during a hot day.
We handle our sheep using low stress stock handling methods. We don’t use dogs and Owen is always driving around them and talking to them, so they are used to him and don’t feel threatened. When working in the yards we wear dull natural colours that would appear in nature – never the fluro high vis shirts.
We practice rotational grazing. Our ewes and lambs (mothers and babies) are run in two mobs so they can be rotated through our paddocks.
We don’t use any fertilizer on our paddocks. They are naturally fertilized by the stock and the break down of the basalt stone. We farm in the most environmentally sustainable way possible so the land will be left in a better condition for future generations.