Book A Daily Checker, Not Just A Neighbourly Glance
A named daily checker is the first arrangement because a Dorper sheep left to a casual promise can go a whole week with nobody noticing a worsening limp or a trough problem. Agree the visit time, what the checker does on each visit, and how they reach you. Walk the field with them before you leave so they see the water point, the mineral feeder and the gate routine in person. Pay or thank them properly, and confirm a backup person in case they fall ill. A week is long enough for small problems to compound, so the visit needs to be a commitment, not a favour that can slide.
Set Up Grazing, Hay And Water For The Full Week
Feed and water arrangements come next because a Dorper sheep on good grazing mostly needs the checker to confirm supplies rather than deliver them. Walk the paddock and judge honestly whether the grass genuinely lasts the week with the number of sheep on it; if not, put out hay in a rack or ring before you go rather than leaving the checker to source it. Fill and test every trough, show the checker how the supply is turned on, and leave a spare bucket. Dorpers put on condition readily, so the instruction should be steady forage, not extra hard feed offered out of kindness.
Leave Sheep-Specific Mineral, And Say What Not To Offer
Mineral is a Dorper detail worth spelling out because sheep are harmed by the copper levels found in cattle and goat minerals, and a helpful checker topping up the wrong tub can cause real damage. Leave the sheep mineral the flock already uses, clearly labelled, and write down plainly that no other livestock mineral or feed from another species' store is to be offered. Show the checker where it sits under cover so rain does not spoil it. This is the kind of quiet, specific instruction that generic sheep-sitting notes miss, and it protects the flock from the most avoidable mistake of the week.
Check Fencing And Night Security Before You Leave
Fencing deserves a pre-trip walk because a Dorper sheep is a determined grazer that will test a weak corner, and local dogs or predators decide whether a small breach becomes a disaster. Walk the whole boundary, tension loose wire, clear branches leaning on the fence, and confirm every gate latches and chains. If the flock comes into a yard or barn at night, leave that routine exactly as the sheep know it, with the checker shown how the yard is secured. Photograph the boundary's known weak spots so the checker can compare rather than guess whether a strand has moved.
Tell The Checker Which Sheep To Watch, And Leave The Vet's Number
Individual warnings complete the arrangement because a Dorper flock looks uniform to a newcomer, and the sheep that matters this week is the one already carrying a small problem. Point out any ewe being watched for a limp, any animal that was treated recently, and any sheep that hangs back at feeding, describing each by position, markings or tag colour so the checker can find her again. Leave the vet's number, your number, and permission to call the vet first and you second if an animal is found down or badly hurt. KinsLe's Care Pass holds those watch-notes and contacts as temporary access for your checker, ending cleanly when you are home.