Article One. History of the Coopworth.
Article Two. The Coopworth Standard.
Article Three. Eligibility for Registration.
Article Four. Records.
Article Five. Deregistration or Culling of Ewes and Rams
Article Six. Anyone seeking initial registration of flock should apply to the Society's Secretary.
Article Seven. Inspections.
Article Eight. Deregistration of a Flock.
Article Nine. Presentation of Sheep for Sale.
Article Ten. Transfer.
Article Eleven. Certificate of Service.
Article Twelve. Importation.
Article Thirteen. Artificial Breeding.
Article Fourteen. Embryo Transplants.
Article Fifteen. Showing.
Article Sixteen. Directory of the Society.
Article Seventeen. Fees.


Article One. History of the Coopworth. Back To Top
The Coopworth breed originated in New Zealand in the 1950's and 1960's. Romney ewes were crossed with Border Leicester rams to produce the F1 Border-Romney, and then highly selected F1's were interbred to produce F2 and F3 generation progeny. A select number of F2 and F3 progeny were chosen for registration as foundation ewes and rams, which were to be known as the Coopworth breed of sheep.
In the 1970's the base of the Coopworth breed was widened to include sheep bred from white-faced breeds other than the Romney by continued top crossing with Coopworth rams.
In 1988 the Coopworth Sheep Society of North America adopted the upgrading breeding program to allow registration of a Coopworth ewe by three (3) top crossings of Coopworth Registered Rams over any other white-faced wool breed or wool breed cross ewe. Only F3 or beyond ewes are acceptable for registration. Fourth generation or beyond rams are registerable.

Article Two. The Coopworth Standard. Back To Top
2.1 Conformation. The Coopworth is a medium-sized, white-faced sheep with an alert but quiet disposition. The long face is usually clean with a small topknot or bare head and has a slightly Roman nose. Occasional exceptions are not reason for disqualification. The body should be long with good loin hindquarters. The forequarter should be a bit lighter but the pelvis should be wide.
2.2 Wool. The wool is long and should be well crimped with a bright luster and count of 46 to 50. There are several different acceptable styles of wool.
2.3 Ideal Coopworth. The ideal Coopworths are excellent mothers, settle quickly, lamb unassisted, usually twin, are strong and vigorous at birth, grow out well on forage, move freely on fields yet are easily gathered, shear a heavy fleece, yield a good carcass, and are resistant to foot rot.

Article Three. Eligibility for Registration. Back To Top
3.1 Recorded Sheep. Prodigy of Registered CSSNA and/or CSSNZ Registered sheep that fulfill the CSSNA criteria for selection to the satisfaction of the Board and are bred by an Active Member are registerable.
A. Up to 70% of the ewe lambs from a breeder's yearly ewe lamb crop may be registered. Selection is to be based on growth rate, wool production and fertility projection (birth type, dam and sire records). They must be physically sound, exhibit breed type including size and wool quality and be conceived within 38 days of dam's exposure to ram. They may come from a registered flock of any size.
B. Up to 25% of the ram lambs from a breeder's yearly ram lamb crop may be registered. Selection is to be based on growth rate, wool production, and fertility projection (birth type, dam and sire records). They must be physically sound, exhibit breed type including size and wool quality and be conceived within 21 days of dam's exposure to ram and be of multiple birth. They cannot come from an ewe that will be deregistered that year for poor performance. They must come from a flock of at least ten (10) registered ewes. The Board may make exceptions and special consideration to these rules. Exceptions may also be made in the case of Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transplants.
3.2 Upgrade Sheep. Upgraded third generation or better ewes and fourth generation or better rams that have followed the Society's criteria for upgrading which meet the CSSNA criteria for selection to the satisfaction of the Board and are bred by an Active Member are registerable.
A. Special provisions may be made to upgrade qualified sheep to registered Coopworths. The breeder must be an Active Member and follow the prescribed guidelines of the Society. Application must be made to the Secretary before starting. Information on the base ewe flock, such as production, fertility and fleece weight, should be available. For ewe lambs used as Base Stock the same information is required for the lambs' dams. The same lamb selection criteria for registered Coopworth apply to selecting upgrades throughout the process. Inspection may be required at the discretion of the Board.
B. The top seventy percent (70%) of a base ewe flock are selected for the upgrade flock. These high-quality pure or crossbred ewes may be of any whiteface breed or the colored version thereof. They cannot be of black-faced ancestry such as Suffolk. These base ewes are mated to a registered Coopworth ram. Seventy percent (70%) of the resultant ewe lambs of this cross (F1) are selected according to Society standards. These F1 ewe lambs are mated to a registered Coopworth ram. Seventy percent (70%) of the resultant ewe lambs (F2) are selected and are again mated to a registered Coopworth ram. Seventy percent (70%) of these F3 ewe lambs are eligible for registration. Twenty five percent (25%) of the F4 ram lambs will be eligible for registration following the Society ram lamb selection criteria.
3.3 Exceptions. The Board may make exceptions at such times as the Board sees fit.
3.4 Colored Coopworth. Any colored Coopworth or white Coopworth with known colored ancestors may be registered using the same rules and regulations as for white Coopworths. The letter "C" is to be added to the registration number, ear tag or tattoo. No offspring of colored Coopworth are ever eligible for registry as White Coopworth.
3.5 Not Registerable. No sheep in which the single, multi-birth Boorola F gene was introduced are acceptable for registration.
3.6 Probation. The Board may accept flocks on a probationary basis.

Article Four. Records. Back To Top
4.1 Records. The breeder must maintain adequate production records in order to justify selection of his/her registered sheep to the satisfaction of the registrar and the Board. The records must include, but are not limited to, dam and sire information, birth date, birth type, how raised, weaning weight and adjusted 100 to 180 day weight, and fleece information. Entropia should be monitored but is not considered a reason for culling at this time. In order to register sheep, evaluation of these factors must be done to determine the top eligible lambs. The method of analysis of these factors to determine the top eligible lambs is up to the breeder's discretion. Use of computer programs and services is highly encouraged but is not mandatory.
4.2 Lambing Report. A Lambing Report consisting of all lambs born in the calendar year is due to the Registrar by December 31. The Lambing Report is completed on a form provided by the Registrar or the Society Secretary. This should be submitted even if no registrations are made in order to properly credit the ewes and rams.
4.3 Lamb Weight Report. The Adjusted Body Weight Report for all eligible lambs of that year is due on or before the time of registration. This weight should be taken between 100 and 180 days. The number of days is at the breeder's discretion, but should be the same from year to year. The Adjusted Weight may be developed by a sheep improvement program or by a simple, days-of-age adjustment. The results are to be reported on a form to be provided by the Registrar or the Society Secretary.
4.4 Fleece Report. A yearly Fleece Weight Report should be submitted to the Registrar by December 31. The form is to be provided by the Registrar or the Secretary of the Society.
4.5 Annual Inventory Report. The Registrar will send the Annual Inventory Report to the breeder based on the information held by the Society's registration process. The breeder must check the report for accuracy and correct it for animals that have been removed or added to the flock. The Report is due back to the Registrar by December 31.
4.6 Forms. In all cases official Society forms must be used, unless prior arrangements are made with Registrar. Use of disks or printouts compatible with the Society's program may be permitted by prior arrangement with the Registrar and the Board.
A. All forms must be completed and fees paid by the Active Member before registration can take place.
B. Lambs registered after 15 months will garner a higher registration fee as established by the Constitution and Bylaws.
C. Late filing (after December 31) of the Lamb Report, Fleece Report, or Inventory Report requires a late fee payment.

Article Five. Deregistration or Culling of Ewes and Rams Back To Top
In order to improve the early conception, lambing percentage, lamb growth rate, wool weight and quality, the following sheep shall be deregistered and have their ear tags removed:
5.1 Any ewe other than a yearling that does not lamb, unless known extreme conditions such as ram or environment prevent her from conceiving.
5.2 Any ewe that on more than one occasion fails to lamb in the first thirty-eight (38) days.
5.3 Any ewe that does not lamb naturally, develops udder problems or prolapses.
5.4 Any ewe that does not have a set of twins by three years of age.
5.5 Any ewe or ram that prematurely develops poor wool or loses constitution or is no longer sound on feet or legs.
5.6 Any ram that does not adequately service ewes due to loss of libido or soundness.
5.7 Any ram that consistently produces lambs with undesirable genetic traits.

Article Six. Anyone seeking initial registration of flock should apply to the Society's Secretary. Back To Top
6.1 Prefix. Flock owners must submit to the Society Secretary a two-letter prefix. The prefix is to be used at the beginning of all lamb identification numbers, ear tags and registration numbers for all lambs born to that flock.
6.2 Flock Number. The secretary will assign a flock number.
6.3 Registration Numbers. Registration numbers consist of the two-letter prefix, serial number of the lamb, and year of birth. The letter "W" for White is optional. The letter "C" for Colored is required if the animal descends from any colored ancestor. Birth type number may follow "W" or "C".
6.4 Ear Tags. Ear tags or tattoos must also contain the breeder's prefix, serial number, year of birth, and "C" if there is a colored ancestor. These must correspond to the breeder's records.
6.2 Transfers. Transferred, registered animals retain their original prefix. New owners have no right to the prior owner's prefix or flock number without the owner's written consent and Board approval.

Article Seven. Inspections. Back To Top
7.1 Who is Inspected.
A. Breeders may request an inspection to aid their breeding program.
B. Upgrading flocks may be inspected to offer guidance and monitor progress.
C. Under unusual situations and at the discretion of the Board, a breeder may be asked to have his flock and records inspected. Inspection would include, but not be limited to, review of records, visual inspection of animals and ear tags. This is not a judging procedure, but simply noting general health, type of wool being produced and the general direction of the flock's progress, etc.
7.2 Inspectors. Inspectors may be another qualified, registered Coopworth breeder, an extension agent, or member of an agricultural college.
7.3 Philosophy. Because there is no "ideal" type of Coopworth except those that produce the best net return for the producer, the inspection should be handled and viewed as a positive exercise for all involved.

Article Eight. Deregistration of a Flock. Back To Top
The Board has the right to inspect any flock and the records kept if information warrants it. A whole flock may be deregistered if, in the opinion of the majority of the Board, and on the advice of three inspectors, the standards of the flock are unacceptable to the Board or if the rules and regulations of the Society are not being carried out both in spirit and in letter.

Article Nine. Presentation of Sheep for Sale. Back To Top
Sheep offered for sale may be dipped but otherwise wool should be in natural condition. No potentially registerable lambs should be sold before all performance data is collected in order to properly compare the animal against its contemporaries.

Article Ten. Transfer. Back To Top
The seller using the official form should make an application for transfer to the Registrar. All applicable information should be provided, signed by the seller and submitted with the proper fees. The Registrar will complete the official transfer forms, certify that the information conforms to the Society records, stamp with the official society seal and send to the buyer. Official transfer is not required on animals that are not to be registered.

Article Eleven. Certificate of Service. Back To Top
The owner of any ewes mated with a registered ram not his/her own, must return to the Registrar a certificate of service signed by the owner of the ram.

Article Twelve. Importation. Back To Top
Any Coopworth imported from New Zealand with proper registration papers from the Coopworth Sheep Society of New Zealand are eligible for registry in the Society. Owners must be Active Members and all registration papers and information must be filed with the Society.
Any colored Coopworths must have certificate papers from the Black and Colored Sheep Breeders Association of New Zealand. A Coopworth breeder who is on the inspection committee of the Black and Colored Sheep Breeders Association of New Zealand must perform the inspection. Owners must be Active Members and all registration papers and information must be filed with the Society.

Article Thirteen. Artificial Breeding. Back To Top
The Board of Directors should be notified prior to using artificial insemination.
Only highly qualified, registered CSSNA or CSSNZ registered rams may be used for semen collection and insemination. To be eligible for registration all lambs of ewes inseminated with domestic or imported semen must be registered according to the Constitution and Bylaws.

Article Fourteen. Embryo Transplants. Back To Top
The Board must be notified at least thirty (30) days prior to the breeder's use of embryo transplants. Donor ewes must be registered and be from the top twenty percent (20%) of the breeder's flock. The breeding record of a donor ewe for that year may be ignored. Rams to be used over donor ewes must be of the quality outlined in Artificial Breeding.

Article Fifteen. Showing. Back To Top
No registered Coopworth sheep shall be entered into competitive showing, but they may be exhibited in natural condition. They should be accompanied by their pedigree and as much productive history, management conditions and other information as is feasible.

Article Sixteen. Directory of the Society. Back To Top
A Flock Book shall be published periodically giving a list of all registered flock owners and all registered rams. There will be a brief history, list of number of ewes mated, number of ewe and ram lambs weaned the previous season and the sires used.

Article Seventeen. Fees. Back To Top
Annual membership dues (January 1 - December 31) $ 25.00
Associate membership dues (January 1 - December 31) 15.00
Lamb listing:
$ 0.25 per lamb up to 200 lambs ($5.00 minimum fee)
$ 0.10 per lamb over 200 lambs
Registration of ewes and rams:
Ewes and rams 15 months and under $ 3.50
Ewes and rams 15 plus to 24 months $ 5.00
Ewes and rams over 24 months $ 10.00Transfers $ 3.00
Initial registration of flock and prefix $ 10.00
Late penalty fee for past due reports $ 25.00Inspection costs (paid by breeder) $25.00 plus $0.30 per mile.