Raising COOPWORTH SHEEP!

Malik Family Farm Coopworth Sheep

descended from Pine Park and Alford Park Flocks...

Foundation New Zealand CSSNA Registered Ewes and Rams!**  

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Herbal, homeopathic, and essential oil therapies and 'alternative & integrative' methods were and are used in treating all injuries and illnesses.*

*Vaccines and conventional antibiotic therapies are ONLY used if and when

situations dictate "no stone unturned"!  

Coopworth ewes are narrow polled, deep-but not 'broad' chested, and long-bodied. They are built to accommodate ease of lambing. They are heavily muscled and stout. Their bones are thick and substantial and strong. Ewes weigh 130-160 lbs. Rams weigh 200-250 lbs. COOPWORTH rams look like "TANKS". Black noses, hooves, and "eye liner" are the standard. Coopworths may or may not have a top knot of wool on their heads and wool down their legs. It is the breeder's selection process that determines the degree to which their flock exhibits characteristics more like that of the Romney or Border Leicester from which they were derived.

Our sheep have little to no wool on their faces and legs. We have selected for clean faces and clean legs in part because the head and leg wool is short, full of chaff, and dirtier than the primary fleece. It's not particularly fun to shear, skirt, or wash independent of the rest of the fleece...and not as desirable for hand spinning or felting. Also, research has shown that "clean" faces are directly proportional to the "Number of Lambs Born", ewes most likely to produce an average lamb crop over their lifetime >180%. And did I mention I do NOT enjoy blade shearing leg wool! For the spinner & craft market, it's wool I simply skirt and throw aside! For the commercial WHITE wool market, however, it's WEIGHT and that's a good thing if you've 10,000 sheep and hire experienced world champion shearers to do the dirty work of shearing!