Sunday, February 3, 2013

U.S. Sheep and Goat Inventories Decline

According to the recently released annual USDA-NASS Sheep & Goat Report, U.S. sheep and goat inventories declined again; sheep and lambs by 1 percent and goats and kids by 2 percent.

On January 1, 2013, the U.S. sheep and lamb inventory totaled 5.34 million head, down 1 percent from 2012. The breeding sheep inventory decreased  to 3.98 million head, down 1 percent from 4 million head  on January 1, 2012. The 2012 lamb crop was 3.46 million head, down 2 percent from 2011. The national average lambing rate was 109 lambs per 100 ewes, unchanged from 2011.














Shorn wool production was 28.5 million  pounds, down 3 percent from 2011. In 2012, 3.93 million sheep and lambs were shorn, 2 percent fewer than in 2011. The average weight per fleece was 7.3 pounds, unchanged from 2011. The average price paid for wool was $1.53 per pound for a total value of $43.6 million, down 11 percent from 2011.

On January 1, 2013, the U.S. goat inventory totaled 2.81 million head, down 2 percent from 2012. The breeding goat inventory was 2.32 million head, down 2 percent from 2012. The 2012 kid crop totaled 1.79 million head, down 5 percent from 2011.













Meat and all other goats totaled 2.32 million head on January 1, 2013, down 2 percent from 2012. The milk goat inventory totaled 360,000 head, unchanged from 2012. In 2012, the United States produced 770,000 pounds of mohair from 136,000 head of Angora goats. The average weight per clip was 5.7 pounds. The mohair price was $3.89 per pound for a total value of 2.99 million dollars.

Maryland's dairy goat inventory declined from 2,300 to 2000 head, a 13 percent decrease. The inventory of meat and all other goats increased from 10,600 to 11,000 head, a 4 percent increase. 

Download full report

No comments: