Lamb Crop Increases in 2007

July 20, 2007 - As of July 1, 2007, all sheep and lamb inventory in the United States totaled 7.73 million head, down slightly from July 1, 2006. This information was released today by the National Agricultural Statistics Service in its July Sheep and Goats report.

These details are not unexpected as is evident by the comments provided by Jim Robb, director of Livestock Marketing Information Center, when he addressed the American Sheep Industry Association's executive board last week.

"The expectation is that total sheep numbers will be flat from last year or even experience a very slight decline when comparing the year-on-year inventory numbers," commented Robb. "This may be a result of increased culling of aged breeding stock as well as severe drought in many parts of the west, where the majority of the breeding sheep reside."

Breeding sheep as well as market sheep and lambs were also reduced slightly from July 1, 2006. Breeding sheep inventory came in at 4.61 million head, down from 4.64 million head in 2006 while market sheep and lambs registered 3.12 million head, down from the 2006 level of 3.14 million head.

It is projected that the 2007 lamb crop in the United States will 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.

For the second year, NASS reported goat estimates in its mid-year report. All goat inventory on July 1, 2007, totaled 3.6 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.

The report can be viewed in its entirety at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications.

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