LEXINGTON, Ky. — According to the Kentucky Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, both sheep and lamb inventories and goat inventories decreased in Kentucky from last year.
The total number of sheep in Kentucky on January 1, 2017, was estimated at 48,000 head, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous year’s estimate. All breeding sheep and lambs were estimated at 38,000 head and all market sheep and lambs were estimated at 10,000 head. Breeding ewes were decreased to 30,000, but breeding rams remained constant at 2,000 head. Replacement lambs numbered 6,000, a decrease of 1,000 from 2016. Lamb crop for 2016 increased by 3,000 from last year to 38,000 head.
All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on January 1, 2017 totaled 5.20 million head, down 2 percent from 2016. Breeding sheep inventory at 3.86 million head on January 1, 2017, decreased 2 percent from 3.95 million head on January 1, 2016. Ewes one year old and older, at 3.04 million head, were 2 below last year. Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2017 totaled 1.35 million head, down 1 percent from January 1, 2016. Market lambs comprised 94 percent of the total market inventory. Market sheep comprised the remaining 6 percent of total market inventory. The 2016 lamb crop of 3.25 million head was down 1 percent from 2015. The 2016 lambing rate was 105 lambs per 100 ewes one year old and older on January 1, 2016, unchanged from 2015.
All meat and other goats in Kentucky were estimated at 56,000 head, down 3,000 head from January 2016. Milk goats at 5,500 head, were up 500 head from the previous year’s estimate.
All goat inventory in the United States on January 1, 2017 totaled 2.64 million head, up 1 percent from 2016. Breeding goat inventory totaled 2.17 million head, up slightly from 2016. Does one year old and older, at 1.61 million head, were slightly above last year’s number. Market goats and kids totaled 469 thousand head, up 2 percent from a year ago. Kid crop for 2016 totaled 1.64 million head for all goats, up 1 percent from 2015. Meat and all other goats totaled 2.12 million head on January 1, 2017, up 1 percent from 2016. Milk goat inventory was 373 thousand head, unchanged from January 1, 2016, while Angora goats were up 1 percent, totaling 152 thousand head. Mohair production in the United States during 2016 was 800 thousand pounds. Goats and kids clipped totaled 141 thousand head. Average weight per clip was 5.7 pounds. Mohair price was $4.56 per pound with a value of 3.65 million dollars.
— USDA, NASS, Kentucky Field Office
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