Christmas came a little bit early to the ranch last month with the December 21st arrival of 100 Dorper Sheep and 2 guardian Great Pyrenees dogs.  Dorper Sheep hail from South Africa, and were originally bred to tolerate arid conditions.  The name Dorper is derived from using the first 3 letters of the parent breeds: Dorset Horn and Blackhead Persian.  Unlike most sheep breeds, the Dorper has an extended breeding season which allows for up to 3 lamb crops in two years.  We expect to have the first babies on the ranch sometime in March. The sheep currently spend their days enjoying the warm Paso Robles sun and eating the grass and weeds growing in the vineyard.  They are kept in 1- to 2-acre, electronically fenced, pens with their companion dogs and moved once they have mowed the grass. No need to worry about damage to the vineyard; the vines are currently dormant and the sheep prefer green grass. We plan to keep the sheep in the vineyard until budbreak (April), and then they will be moved to another part of the ranch to continue mowing.