nd-livestock

NEWS RELEASE                             Sheep Inventory & Wool Production
                                                          January 28, 2005

                      NORTH DAKOTA SHEEP INVENTORY

North Dakota
All sheep and lamb inventory in North Dakota on January 1, 2005, totaled
105,000 head, up 5 percent from 2003's revised 100,000 head, according to
the North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. This was the second
smallest state flock since records began in 1920 while January 1, 2004 was
the smallest recorded.

Breeding sheep inventory increased 7,000 head to 81,000. This was 9 percent
higher than the last year's revised 74,000 head, and the second lowest
since records began in 1905. Ewes one year old and older at 63,000 head,
were up from 2003's revised 59,000. Rams were unchanged from a year ago at
2,000. Replacement lambs totaled 16,000 head, up from last year's revised
13,000.

Market sheep and lambs totaled 24,000 head, down from 26,000 on January 1,
2004. Seventy percent of the market lambs were 85 pounds or more, down from
72 percent last year. Thirteen percent of the total were lambs less than 65
pounds, 17 percent were 65-84 pounds, 31 percent were 85-105 pounds and 39
percent were more than 105 pounds. Only 1,000 head of the total were market
sheep while 23,000 were market lambs.

The 2004 lamb crop of 88,000 head was up 4 percent from 2003's revised lamb
crop of 85,000. The 2004 lambing rate was 149 per 100 ewes one year old and
older on January 1, 2004, compared with 120 in 2003.

Shorn wool production during 2004 was 745,000 pounds, up 15 percent from
2003. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 82,000 head, up from 75,000 head during
2003. Average price paid for wool sold in 2004 was $0.75 per pound, up from
$0.60 per pound in 2003. The total value of wool was $559,000, up 43
percent from $390,000 in 2003 which was due to higher volume of wool shorn
and price per pound.

United States
All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on January 1, 2005,
totaled 6.14 million head, up slightly from 2004, but 3 percent below two
years ago. The inventory has leveled off and is showing a slight increase
for the first time since 1990.

Breeding sheep inventory increased to 4.53 million head on January 1, 2005,
up 1 percent from 4.50 million head on January 1, 2004. Ewes one year old
and older, at 3.57 million head, were 1 percent below last year.

Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2005, totaled 1.60 million head, down
slightly from January 1, 2004. Market lambs comprised 95 percent of the
total marketings. Twenty-six percent were lambs under 65 pounds, 13 percent
were 65 - 84 pounds, 24 percent were 85 - 105 pounds, 32 percent were over
105 pounds, and 5 percent were market sheep.

The 2004 lamb crop of 4.10 million head, a record low, was down 1 percent
from 2003. The 2004 lambing rate was 113 lambs per 100 ewes one year old
and older on January 1, 2004, up 3 percent from 2003.

Shorn wool production in the United States during 2004 was 37.6 million
pounds, down 2 percent from 2003. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 5.07 
million head, down slightly from 2003. The average price paid for wool sold
in 2004 was $0.80 per pound for a total value of $29.9 million dollars, up
6 percent from $28.1 million dollars in 2003.

                                           SHEEP INVENTORY, January 1
                                        NORTH DAKOTA        UNITED STATES
 Class                                 2004     2005        2004       2005
                                      - 1,000 Head -       - 1,000 Head -
 All Sheep and Lambs                  100.0     105.0    6,105.0   6,135.0
   Total Market                        26.0      24.0    1,606.0   1,602.0
     Lambs                             25.0      23.0    1,540.4   1,527.9
       Under 65 Pounds                  3.0       3.0      431.5     413.2
       65 to 84 Pounds                  4.0       4.0      255.9     214.7
       85 to 105 Pounds                11.0       7.0      366.8     381.9
       Over 105 Pounds                  7.0       9.0      486.2     518.1
     Sheep                              1.0       1.0       65.6      74.1
   Total Breeding                      74.0      81.0    4,499.0   4,533.0
       Ewes, One Year & Older          59.0      63.0    3,609.5   3,572.5
       Rams, One Year & Older           2.0       2.0      188.0     190.0
       Replacement Lambs               13.0      16.0      701.5     770.5
 Lamb Crop 1/                          85.0      88.0    4,140.0   4,096.0
   From Breeding Ewes 1 yr + Jan 1     71.0      59.0    3,773.0   3,609.5
   Rate Per 100 Ewes 1 yr +             120       149        110       113
 1/ Preceding year.

                                  WOOL PRODUCTION AND VALUE
                      Sheep Shorn       Weight per Fleece     Production
 State 1/             2003      2004      2003     2004      2003     2004
                     -- 1,000 Head --     -- Pounds --   -- 1,000 Pounds --
 North Dakota        75.0      82.0       8.7      9.1       650      745
 California         500.0     480.0       7.0      7.1     3,500    3,400
 Colorado           360.0     390.0       7.2      6.6     2,580    2,570
 Minnesota          140.0     140.0       6.8      6.5       950      910
 Montana            272.0     267.0       9.5      9.3     2,597    2,472
 South Dakota       330.0     345.0       8.0      7.6     2,625    2,610
 Texas              800.0     810.0       7.0      6.9     5,600    5,600
 Wyoming            390.0     390.0       9.4      9.3     3,650    3,640
 United States    5,074.0   5,073.0       7.5      7.4    38,299   37,622
 1/ Published are a few selected states from the National release. 2/
 Production multiplied by marketing year average price.

                                   WOOL PRODUCTION AND VALUE
                       Production       Price per Pound         Value 2/
 State 1/            2003      2004      2003      2004      2003     2004
                   -- 1,000 Pounds --      -- Cents --    -- 1,000 Dollars --
 North Dakota         650       745       60        75        390      559
 California         3,500     3,400       79        82      2,765    2,788
 Colorado           2,580     2,570       74        85      1,909    2,185
 Minnesota            950       910       30        37        285      337
 Montana            2,597     2,472      103       117      2,675    2,892
 South Dakota       2,625     2,610       76        72      1,995    1,879
 Texas              5,600     5,600       90       102      5,040    5,712
 Wyoming            3,650     3,640      110       117      4,015    4,259
 United States     38,299    37,622       73        80     28,126   29,931
 1/ Published are a few selected states from the National release. 2/
 Production multiplied by marketing year average price.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
  David Knopf, Director
  North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service
  NDSU, IACC Bldg., Room 448
  P.O. Box 3166
  Fargo, ND 58108-3166
  Telephone: (701) 239-5306
  E-Mail: nass-nd@nass.usda.gov
  Internet: http://www.nass.usda.gov/nd/