The sale documents that prove what you bought
Start with a bill of sale that names the seller and buyer, describes the sheep individually rather than as part of an unnamed group, and states whether it is sold as a registered animal with recorded parentage or as an unregistered commercial sheep. That distinction changes both the price and the paperwork you should expect, so settle it in writing before money moves. If the Dorper is registered, its registration certificate should transfer with it, showing its recorded parentage and the flock prefix it was bred under. Keep the seller's full contact details on the sale document too, because questions about a sheep's background rarely arise on the day it arrives.
Identification records that must match the sheep
A Dorper should carry official identification, and the paperwork should quote the exact ear tag or tattoo numbers fitted to that animal. Read the tag in the ear and compare it character by character with the documents before the sheep leaves the seller's yard; mismatches are far easier to resolve standing there than a month later. Note the colour and placement of tags, any second management tag, and distinguishing features such as face colouring or a docked tail, and take a clear photo on arrival. Dorpers are a hair sheep that shed their fleece, so do not expect shearing records to identify or describe this animal the way they might for a wool breed.
Health and flock history to ask for in writing
Request the sheep's health history as a written record rather than a conversation: dates of recent routine health care, hoof trimming, and any treatment it has received, plus notes on its general condition and body score on arrival. Ask which flock it ran with, whether that flock follows a health scheme, and whether the sheep has been kept with rams, because an apparently empty ewe that is actually in lamb changes your feeding and housing plans at once. A seller who keeps good flock records can usually produce a simple printout or notebook page; copy it rather than relying on memory. Avoid accepting vague assurances about an animal you will be responsible for from the day it unloads.
Breeding records for ewes and rams
If you are buying a ewe, ask for her lambing history: how many lambings, how many lambs raised, and any difficulties recorded. Dorpers are valued for mothering and for lambing readily, so a ewe's own track record is one of the most useful documents she can bring. For a ram, ask for his recorded parentage, the flocks he has worked in, and any recorded information about his offspring. Breeding dates matter as much as identities, so record which ram ran with which ewes and when, starting with whatever the seller can tell you about this sheep's current status before it joins your own breeding group.
Filing Dorper records so they stay useful
On arrival, set up the sheep's own record from the paperwork rather than letting it sit in a sale envelope: identity, source flock, health dates, and breeding notes in one place, updated as you trim hooves, give routine care, or move it between groups. Quarantine and settling-in notes belong on the same record, since the first weeks explain a great deal if the sheep later loses condition. Cross-check the tag number at every handling and correct the record the day a tag is replaced. Storing the copies on KinsLe in its Pet Passport keeps a Dorper's sale papers, tag numbers, and health history together in a packet you can show a vet, buyer, or inspector on request.