All sheep and lamb inventory on January 1, 2023, at 53,000 head, is unchanged from January 1, 2022.
Breeding sheep inventory, at 45,000 head, is unchanged from last year. Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2023, totaled 8,000 head, unchanged from January 1, 2022. The 2022 lamb crop of 41,000 head was unchanged from 2021.
Wool production during 2022 totaled 150,000 pounds, down 6 percent from 2021. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 25,000 head, down 4 percent from 2021.
All sheep and lambs inventory in the United States on January 1, 2023, totaled 5.02 million head, down 1 percent from 2022. Breeding sheep inventory at 3.67 million head on January 1, 2023, decreased 1 percent from 3.71 million head on January 1, 2022. Ewes one year old and older, at 2.87 million head, were 1 percent below last year. Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2023, totaled 1.36 million head, unchanged from January 1, 2022.
Market lambs comprised 94 percent of the total market inventory. Market sheep comprised the remaining 6 percent of total market inventory.
The 2022 lamb crop of 3.11 million head was down 2 percent from 2021. The 2022 lambing rate was 107 lambs per 100 ewes one year old and older on January 1, 2022, unchanged from 2021.
Shorn wool production in the United States during 2022 was 22.2 million pounds, down 1 percent from 2021.
Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 3.17 million head, down 1 percent from 2021. The average price paid for wool sold in 2022 was $1.53 per pound for a total value of $33.9 million, down 11 percent from $38.2 million in 2021.
Sheep death loss during 2022 totaled 205,000 head, up 3 percent from 2021. Lamb death loss increased 3 percent from 365,000 head to 375,000 head in 2022.
Categories: Illinois, Livestock, Goats & Sheep