The Kelso flock began in 1970 as a Coopworth flock. Founded soon after the establishment of the Coopworth breed, the flock was recorded on New Zealand’s first computer-based recording system.
Kelso Coopworths quickly achieved national prominence, with top rams sold at Feilding, Christchurch and Gore at prices up to $5,000. Kelso held an annual flock ram auction sale at Feilding for a number of years, but following a record sale in 1980 elected to sell all rams ‘on farm’ to foster closer relationships with clients, to understand their needs better and to learn from them.
Kelso founder Roger Marshall was invited by the government to select Finn, Texel and Oxford sheep with Dr Leyden Baker in 1983, and subsequently ran a quarantine station on Tutu Totara farm. This sparked his interest in Finns and Texels and was the catalyst, in 1990, to start stud flocks of both breeds.
In 1995 several top East Friesians were included in the ‘stable of breeds,’ and the decision was made to combine the various qualities of the Finns, Texels and East Friesians into a composite sheep breed. The Coopworth flock, incorporating several high performance Romney rams, was then used as base.
By 2007 the flock had developed to seventh generation stock and between 68% and 75% of the original hybrid vigour is retained, plus the particular attributes of the contributing breeds, developed to seventh generation stock by the use of seventh generation stock by the use of top ram hoggets and consistently mating ewe hoggets.
This evolution has reflected changing market needs, with the emphasis moving to increased lamb production, survival rates and growth. The Kelso flock is now a stabilised breed that is dynamically modified to meet the changing requirements of Kelso clients through evaluating and incorporating new sources of genetics.