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SHEEP & LAMBS

KANSAS AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE
Kansas Department of Agriculture
PO Box 3534
Topeka, KS 66601-3534
Phone: 785-233-2230

Released: January 30, 2004


Sheep and Lamb Inventory

KANSAS: All sheep and lamb inventory in Kansas on January 1, 2004 totaled 100,000 head, up 11 percent from last year. Breeding ewes at least a year old increased 6,000 head and total market animals increased by 2,000.

Breeding sheep inventory, at 64,000 head, was 14 percent above the January 1, 2003 inventory. The inventory of ewes one year and older, at 53,000 head, was up 13 percent from last year. The inventory of rams one year old and older, at 2,500 head, was unchanged from the previous year. Replacement lambs totaled 8,500 head, up 2,000 head from last year.

The 2003 lamb crop, was 66,000 head, up 6 percent from 2002. The 2003 lambing rate was 140 per 100 ewes one year old and older on hand January 1, 2003, compared with a lambing rate of 117 in 2002.

Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2004 totaled 36,000 head. Of these, 17,000 were under 65 pounds, 3,000 weighed 65-84 pounds, 5,500 weighed 85-105 pounds, 7,500 weighed over 105 pounds, and 3,000 were market sheep.

UNITED STATES: All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on January 1, 2004, totaled 6.09 million head, down 3 percent from 2003 and 9 percent below two years ago. The inventory has trended down since 1942 when it reached a peak of 56.2 million head.

Breeding sheep inventory declined to 4.48 million head on January 1, 2004, down 4 percent from 4.66 million head on January 1, 2003. Ewes one year old and older, at 3.60 million head, were 4 percent below last year.

The 2003 lamb crop of 4.12 million head was down 5 percent from 2002 and established a new record low. The 2003 lambing rate was 109 per 100 ewes one year old and older on January 1, 2003, unchanged from 2002.

Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2004, totaled 1.61 million head, down 2 percent from January 1, 2003. Market lambs comprised 96 percent of the total. Twenty-seven percent were lambs under 65 pounds, 16 percent were 65 - 84 pounds, 23 percent 85 - 105 pounds, 30 percent were over 105 pounds, and 4 percent were market sheep.

Text Box

Sheep inventory values will be published in the Agricultural Prices report on February 27, 2004.

Sheep and Lambs on Farms, by Classes, January 1
Class Kansas United States
2002 2003 2004 '04 %
of '03 		2002 2003 2004 '04 %
of '03
- - - 1,000 Head - - - Percent - - - 1,000 Head - - - Percent
All Sheep & Lambs 100.0 90.0 100.0 111 6,685.0 6,300.0 6,090.0 97
Market 35.0 34.0 36.0 106 1,772.0 1,642.0 1,610.0 98
Breeding Sheep & Lambs
    Replacement Lambs under 1 Year
9.0
6.5
8.5
131
733.5
695.0
690.5
99
    Ewes 1 Yr. & Older 53.0 47.0 53.0 113 3,980.0 3,770.0 3,601.0 96
    Rams 1 Yr. & Older 3.0 2.5 2.5 100 199.5 193.0 188.5 98

Kansas and United States, Lamb Crop
Year Kansas United States
Breeding Ewes
1 Yr.+, Jan. 1 		Lambs Saved per 100
Ewes 1 Yr.+, Jan. 1 		Lamb
Crop 		Breeding Ewes
1 Yr.+, Jan. 1 		Lambs Saved per 100
Ewes 1 Yr.+, Jan. 1 		Lamb
Crop
- - - 1,000 - - - Number - - - 1,000 - - - Number - - 1,000 - -
2000 52.0 138 72.0 4,229.0 109 4,622 .0
2001 58.0 124 72.0 4,091.0 110 4,495 .0
2002 53.0 117 62.0 3,980.0 109 4,357 .0
2003 47.0 140 66.0 3,770.0 109 4,120 .0
2004 53.0 -- -- 3,601.0 -- --

Market Sheep & Lambs: Number by Weight Group, January 1
Item Kansas United States
2003 2004 % of 2003 2003 2004 % of 2003
1,000 Head Percent 1,000 Head Percent
Market Lambs
Under 65 Lbs.
 14 .5 17 .0 117 441 .0 433 .0 98
65-84 Lbs.
 3 .5 3 .0 86 266 .3 255 .5 96
85-105 Lbs.
 6 .5 5 .5 85 393 .0 367 .4 93
105 Lbs. +
 6 .5 7 .5 115 474 .9 486 .8 103
    Total
 		31 .0 33 .0 106 1,575 .2 1,542 .7 98
Market Sheep
 3 .0 3 .0 100 66 .8 67 .3 101
Total Market Sheep & Lambs
 		34 .0 36 .0 106 1,642 .0 1,610 .0 98


Wool Production

Kansas shorn wool production during 2003 was 560,000 pounds, up 7 percent from a year earlier. Sheep shorn, at 80,000 head, showed a 10 percent increase from 2002. Average fleece weight from shorn wool was 7.0 pounds per head, down slightly from 2002. The average price paid for wool sold in 2003 was 45 cents per pound, up 15 cents from 2002. Total value of shorn wool was $252,000, up 59 percent from 2002.

U.S. shorn wool production during 2003 was 38.1 million pounds, down 8 percent from 2002. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 5.06 million head, down 8 percent from 2002. The average price paid for wool sold in 2003 was 72 cents per pound for a total value of $27.4 million, up 25 percent from $21.9 million in 2002.


Wool Production and Value
Year Sheep Shorn 1/ Weight per Fleece Shorn Wool Production Price per Pound Value
1,000 Head Pounds 1,000 Pounds Dollars 1,000 Dol.
Kansas
2002 73 .0 7.2 525 0.30 158
2003 80 .0 7.0 560 0.45 252
United States
2002 5,476 .0 7.5 41,322 0.53 21,876
2003 5,057 .0 7.5 38,114 0.72 27,408
1/ Includes shearing at commercial feedyards.


Dave Ranek & Steve Maliszewski, Agricultural Statisticians
Eldon J. Thiessen, State Statistician
Eddie Wells, Deputy State Statistician

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