The Coopworth is a modern New Zealand

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal 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 d ...

. It was developed by researchers at Lincoln College in the

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

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. A domestic animal of unknown ancestry, where the breed status of only one parent or grandparent is known, may also be called a crossbreed though ...

of New Zealand Romney ewes and Border Leicester 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 (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

in the

of the

by researchers under Ian Coop. The aim of the project was to increase the prolificacy or lambing percentage of ewes. To this end, New Zealand Romney ewes were put to Border Leicester 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 ma ...

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 an important part of the menstrual cycle in female vertebrates where the egg cells are released from the ovaries as part of the ovarian cycle. In female humans ovulation typically occurs near the midpoint in the menstrual cycle and ...

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 capability to produc ...

Use

The Coopworth is reared for both

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

and

wool Wool is the textile fiber 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 some properties similar to animal w ...

. 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