The Coopworth is a modern New Zealand breed of

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...

. It was developed by researchers at Lincoln College in the

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

of the South Island between about 1956 and 1968, the result of

cross-breeding A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...

New Zealand Romney The New Zealand Romney is a New Zealand list of sheep breeds, breed of domestic sheep, sheep. It derives from British Romney Marsh (sheep), Romney Marsh stock imported to New Zealand in the nineteenth century, and was established as a separa ...

ewes and

Border Leicester The Border Leicester is a British breed of sheep. It is a polled, long-wool sheep and is considered a dual-purpose breed as it is reared both for meat and for wool. The sheep are large but docile. They have been exported to other sheep-produci ...

rams. It has become the second-most numerous sheep breed in New Zealand, and has been exported to Australia, some European countries, and the United States.

History

The Coopworth was developed between about 1956 and 1968 at Lincoln College (now Lincoln University), near

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

in the

of the South Island by researchers under Ian Coop. The aim of the project was to increase the prolificacy or lambing percentage of ewes. To this end,

ewes were put to

rams; the Border Leicester was at that time the most prolific breed in New Zealand. Successive generations were then

selectively bred Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...

based on strict performance recording for factors including fertility, maternal qualities, rate of growth and fleece weight. Results came fast – by about the fourth generation the cross-bred line was thought better than a direct Romney–Border Leicester cross, despite the benefit of

heterosis Heterosis, hybrid vigor, or outbreeding enhancement is the improved or increased function of any biological quality in a hybrid offspring. An offspring is heterotic if its traits are enhanced as a result of mixing the genetic contributions o ...

in the latter. A

breed association Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members ...

, the Coopworth Sheep Society of New Zealand, was formed in 1968 after a meeting of breeders. The Coopworth soon became widespread. By 1984 it was the second-most numerous breed in New Zealand after the Romney, constituting almost 20% of the national flock and almost half the number of Romneys; in 2000 it represented about 10% of the whole population, while the Romney made up almost 60%. It was soon exported to Australia (from 1975), to the United States (from 1970) and to some European countries.

Characteristics

The Coopworth looks much like the Romney, but is rather larger. It is of medium size: mature ewes weigh about , rams some It is polled, white-faced and white-woolled; the face and legs are free of wool. It is a lowland sheep, more suited to improved lowland pasture than to hill country. The Woodlands Coopworth is a strain within the Coopworth breed, characterised by an X-linked gene which increases

ovulation Ovulation is the release of eggs from the ovaries. In women, this event occurs when the ovarian follicles rupture and release the secondary oocyte ovarian cells. After ovulation, during the luteal phase, the egg will be available to be fertilize ...

by about 40%, and so contributes to greater

fecundity Fecundity is defined in two ways; in human demography, it is the potential for reproduction of a recorded population as opposed to a sole organism, while in population biology, it is considered similar to fertility, the natural capability to pr ...

Use

The Coopworth is reared for both meat and

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

. Fleeces weigh about ; staple length is in the range with a fibre diameter of about ( Bradford count 48/46s). The wool is used for clothing, for hand-spinning, and in carpet blends.

History

Characteristics

Use

References

Further reading