July 20, 2007

Regional Lamb Crop Unchanged

The 2007 lamb crop for Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming is expected to total 1.30 million head, unchanged from the 2006 lamb crop, according to Carrie White with the Wyoming Field Office of USDA NASS. This region accounted for 31.6 percent of the national lamb crop of 4.12 million head.

The July 1 survey also indicated that operators in the five States owned 2.67 million sheep and lambs on July 1, up 1% from last July. The number of breeding sheep and lambs was 1.47 million head, and the number of market sheep and lambs totaled 1.2 million head, both up 1% from last year.

Of the total breeding sheep in the five States, ewes 1 year and older totaled 1.23 million head, up 1% from last year. Rams 1 year and older totaled 40,000 head, and replacement lambs totaled 200,000 head, both unchanged from last year.

Of the 1.2 million market sheep and lambs in the Region, 15,000 were market sheep, down 25% from last year, and 1.19 million were market lambs, up 1% from the previous July.

United States: The 2007 lamb crop in the United States is expected to total 4.12 million head, up 1 percent from the 2006 lamb crop of 4.09 million head. Lambs born during January through June 2007 totaled 3.64 million head or 88 percent of the yearly total. An additional 480,000 head are expected to be born during the period July through December 2007.

All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on July 1, 2007 totaled 7.73 million head, down slightly from July 1, 2006, and 1 percent below July 1, 2005. Breeding sheep inventory at 4.61 million head on July 1, 2007 was down slightly from July 1, 2006. Market sheep and lambs (including newborn lambs), at 3.12 million head, were also down slightly from last July.

The breeding herd consists of 3.76 million ewes one year old and older, 185,000 rams one year old and older, and 665,000 replacement lambs (including newborn lambs). Market lamb inventory at 3.06 million head was comprised of 1.81 million lambs under 65 pounds, 635,000 lambs 65-84 pounds, 360,000 lambs 85-105 pounds, and 250,000 lambs over 105 pounds. Market sheep inventory was 65,000 head.

Total Goat and Kid Inventory Up 4 Percent

All goat inventory on July 1, 2007 totaled 3.60 million head, up 4 percent from the previous July. Breeding goat inventory totaled 2.69 million head, up 4 percent from July 2006. All market goats and kids totaled 905,000 head, up 2 percent from the previous July. On July 1, 2007 meat and all other goats totaled 3.00 million head, up 5 percent from July 2006. Milk goat inventory was also up 5 percent increasing to 335,000 head while angora goat numbers fell 9 percent to 260,000 head. The 2007 kid crop is expected to total 2.03 million head, up 6 percent from the 2006 kid crop of 1.92 million head.