Total Sheep and Lamb Inventory Up 1 Percent
All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on January 1, 2016 totaled 5.32 million head, up 1 percent from 2015. Breeding sheep inventory at 3.97 million head on January 1, 2016, increased 1 percent from 3.94 million head on January 1, 2015. Ewes one year old and older, at 3.13 million head, were slightly above last year. Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2016 totaled 1.36 million head, up 1 percent from January 1, 2015.
Market lambs comprised 94 percent of the total market inventory. Market sheep comprised the remaining 6 percent of total market inventory.
The 2015 lamb crop of 3.44 million head was unchanged from 2014. The 2015 lambing rate was 111 lambs per 100 ewes one year old and older on January 1, 2015, also unchanged from 2014.
Shorn wool production in the United States during 2015 was 27.1 million pounds, up 1 percent from 2014. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 3.68 million head, unchanged from 2014. The average price paid for wool sold in 2015 was $1.45 per pound for a total value of 39.3 million dollars, up 1 percent from 38.9 million dollars in 2014.
Sheep death loss during 2015 totaled 230 thousand head, up 5 percent from 2014. Lamb death loss increased 3 percent from 365 thousand head to 375 thousand head in 2015.
Total Goat and Kid Inventory Down 1 Percent
All goat inventory in the United States on January 1, 2016 totaled 2.62 million head, down 1 percent from 2015. Breeding goat inventory totaled 2.16 million head, down 1 percent from 2015. Does one year old and older, at 1.61 million head, were 2 percent below last year’s number. Market goats and kids totaled 459 thousand head, down 1 percent from a year ago.
Kid crop for 2015 totaled 1.68 million head for all goats, down 2 percent from 2014.
Meat and all other goats totaled 2.10 million head on January 1, 2016, down 1 percent from 2015. Milk goat inventory was 375 thousand head, up 3 percent from January 1, 2015, while Angora goats were down 6 percent, totaling 150 thousand head.
Mohair production in the United States during 2015 was 765 thousand pounds.
Goats and kids clipped totaled
139 thousand head. Average weight per clip was 5.5 pounds. Mohair price was $5.30 per pound with a value of 4.05 million dollars.
Sheep and Goat Revisions
All sheep and goat inventory and lamb and kid crop estimates for January 1, 2015, were reviewed using official slaughter, import and export data, and the relationship of new survey information to the prior surveys. No revisions were made to sheep inventory or lamb crop at the United States level. A revision of 1 percent was made to goat inventory and no change was made to the kid crop. State level estimates were reviewed and changes were made to reallocate inventory estimates to the United States total.
