Coopworth
The Coopworth is a New Zealand sheep breed developed from Border Leicester and Romney ancestry, then selected under commercial pasture conditions for ewe performance. It is a large-framed, open-faced sheep with strong mothering, milk, lamb survival, and a useful longwool-type fleece. The breed became important where easy-care lambing and productive grassland systems were more valuable than ornate show traits.
Coopworth management rewards selection for feet, udders, lambing ease, fleece quality, parasite resilience, and calm handling. Many flocks use objective recording because practical productivity is the breed's main strength. Coopworths can fit commercial ewe systems, fiber flocks that want long wool, and crossbreeding programs, but buyers should compare lines for belly wool, rainfall tolerance, lamb survival, and performance under local feed conditions. The best programs keep easy-care traits honest by measuring them.
Colors: Badgerface, Black, Blackbelly, Brown, Gray, Gulmoget, Katmoget, Moorit, Occasionally Natural Colors, Piebald, Red, Silver, Spotted, Tan, White, White with Black Points, White with Brown Points
