Sherwood Park Dorper stud principal Ross Cheesewright, Bunyip, said his flock has given him the best job he's ever had.
Formerly an engineer working in Melbourne's CBD, Mr Cheesewright started his pedigree sheep enterprise in 2011 and now has 35 ewes and their followers.
He also runs Sherwood Park Orchard, a hub of over 2000 apple and cherry trees where tourists and families can spend some time in the country.
"This is the best job I've had," he said.
"I've never worked harder but I've never been happier either.
"It's a good balance."
The Dorper flock was run on eight hectares and started with three ewes and a ram.
Over the past decade, it had been built off genetics from the well-known Dell Dorper stud, Tyra, Moama, New South Wales, and the Roslynmead West Dorper stud, Roslynmead.
Mr Cheesewright said the Dorper's shedding ability was one of the main draws to the breed originally.
"Getting shearers in for small flocks can be a bit of a nightmare," he said.
"Obviously, the Dorper carries quite a good meat to fat ratio as well, really quite lean meat as far as lamb goes.
"The butcher end of being a meat breed sheep for me was a no-brainer."
He said a lot of his lambs were grown out and sold for breeding and anything that didn't make the grade was turned off for slaughter at a local abattoir.
Mr Cheesewright said it was predominantly small sheep breeders and hobby farmers who were interested in his stock.
"Not many people want the paperwork to go with them but they want a good quality Dorper," he said.
"The fact that we're a registered stud, they know they're getting the real deal.
"Knowing if you're getting quality bloodlines, even if it's just for a pet, you know your shearing requirements aren't going to be needed."
Rams were sold throughout the year and typically moved on at 12 months, for between $400 and $1000, depending on quality.
"We carry rams of all ages and generally have a paddock of those kicking around," he said.
"We have a lot of people looking for rams all the time.
"We'll sell ewes either weaned or at two or three years old.
"We breed them for a season or two and then turn them over to just keep the flock refreshed."
Mr Cheesewright said the breed's looks often drew in buyers.
"The thing with the Dorper is it's a very pretty looking sheep with the black head on it as well," he said.
"The lambs come out with the little black head on them so they're quite desirable for a small flock.
"They're not complicated with lambing and a fairly robust sort of sheep."
The Dorper breed originated in South Africa and therefore, was adapted to a mainly dry, hot climate.
"They're probably not perfect for the Gippsland climate," Mr Cheesewright said.
"We're really selecting hard on feet down here.
"Some are predisposed to having foot issues and some, it doesn't bother them.
"We're really trying to weed out the ones that have the foot issues and keep the ewes for breeding that hold up better down here in Gippsland.
"Definitely the lambs that are born here, seem to do better."
He explained how his sheep lambed almost throughout the year, except in January, February, June, and July.
"I don't have to intervene too often," he said.
"You can get a big single ram lamb that can sometimes block things up a little bit and they'll need a little help.
"Twins are away seamlessly."
Lambs were weaned at 16 weeks.
Mr Cheesewright previously worked as an engineer in Melbourne's CBD.
He said when he moved to Bunyip, he had 20ac of grass that the family needed to do something with.
"We had no yards or infrastructure to manage animals because this was 100 per cent orchard before we got here," he said.
"Sheep yards are easier to build.
"I was happy to go for the smaller animal because they are a bit more manageable."
He said getting connected with the Dorper Sheep Society of Australia and breeders up north and around the country was beneficial as he started his flock.
He said his engineering background really helped with his change over to farming.
"I was doing engineering and there's a lot of engineering on a farm that people take for granted," he said.
"That public health engineering side, which I've got a good bit of experience in, being on a farm running pumps and water, it's been beneficial."
Mr Cheesewright said when people moved out to the country from cities, locals were a major help.
"A lot of local farmers or neighbours will be really giving with their time," he said.
"They let you know what to do with different seasons.
"The issue is you don't know what you don't know."
He said there was a lot of sharing of resources amongst farmers in his area, particularly the smaller ones.
