HDR1012000130070418971500Sheep                                                  
                                                                                
Released April 18, 1997, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service        
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.  For     
information on "Sheep" call James Hand at (202) 690-3236, office hours 7:30     
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.                                                           
                                                                                
                                                                                
 April 1, 1997, Sheep and Lamb Inventory Totals 8.72 Million Head               
                                                                                
All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on April 1, 1997, totaled     
8.72 million head, 7 percent below April 1, 1996.  Total breeding sheep         
and lambs reached 5.67 million head, 5 percent below April 1996.  Market        
lambs (including newborn lambs), at 3.05 million head were 9 percent            
below April 1996.                                                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
Of the April 1, 1997 breeding herd, 4.71 million head were ewes one year old    
and older compared with 4.96 million head in April 1996.  A total of            
740,000 lambs will be used as replacements compared with 785,000 head on        
April 1, 1996.                                                                  
                                                                                
                                                                                
Of the total market lambs (including new born lambs), 63.8 percent were         
under 65 pounds, 9.8 percent were 65 to 84 pounds, 10.6 percent were            
85 to 105 pounds, and the remainder, 15.8 percent, were over 105 pounds on      
April 1.                                                                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
Mt An 5-2 (4-97)                                                                
                    All Sheep and Lambs Inventory:  By Region                   
                       and United States, April 1, 1996-97                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             :    All Sheep     :      :  Breeding Sheep  :    Market Sheep     
             :    and Lambs     :  97  :    and Lambs     :      and Lambs      
  Regions 1/ :------------------: as % :----------------------------------------
             :  1996   :  1997  : 1996 :  1996  :  1997   :   1996   :   1997   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             :    1,000 Head      Pct    ------------ 1,000 Head ------------   
             :                                                                  
Region 1     :  2,050    1,830     89    1,140     1,055       910        775   
             :                                                                  
Region 2     :  2,165    1,975     91    1,425     1,405       740        570   
             :                                                                  
Region 3     :  2,605    2,575     99    1,930     1,825       675        750   
             :                                                                  
Region 4     :  1,300    1,180     91      725       640       575        540   
             :                                                                  
Region 5     :  1,210    1,155     95      750       745       460        410   
             :                                                                  
US           :  9,330    8,715     93    5,970     5,670     3,360      3,045   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  States included in regions as follows:  1 - AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, & WA; 2 - NM
    & TX; 3 - CO, MT, SD, UT, & WY; 4 - IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, & OK; 5 - all   
    other States.                                                               
                                                                                
                 Breeding Sheep and Lambs Inventory:  By Region                 
                       and United States, April 1, 1996-97                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :Breeding Sheep-One Year Old & Older:                :Total Breeding
            :-----------------------------------:  Replacement   :  Sheep and   
 Regions 1/ :      Ewes       :      Rams       :     Lambs      :    Lambs     
            :-------------------------------------------------------------------
            :  1996  :  1997  :  1996  :  1997  :  1996  : 1997  : 1996 : 1997  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                            1,000 Head                             
            :                                                                   
Region 1    :   925      850      40       40      175      165   1,140   1,055 
            :                                                                   
Region 2    : 1,200    1,180      50       50      175      175   1,425   1,405 
            :                                                                   
Region 3    : 1,625    1,545      55       50      250      230   1,930   1,825 
            :                                                                   
Region 4    :   610      545      30       30       85       65     725     640 
            :                                                                   
Region 5    :   600      590      50       50      100      105     750     745 
            :                                                                   
US          : 4,960    4,710     225      220      785      740   5,970   5,670 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  States included in regions as follows:  1 - AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, & WA; 2 -   
    NM, & TX; 3 - CO, MT, SD, UT, & WY; 4 - IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, & OK; 5 -   
    all other States.                                                           
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                  Market Sheep and Lambs Inventory:  By Region                  
                        and United States, April 1, 1996                        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                 Market Lambs                 :        :           
            :----------------------------------------------:        :  Market   
  Region 1/ :  Under  :   65    :   85   :  Over  :        : Market : Sheep and 
            :   65    :   to    :   to   :  105   : Total  : Sheep  :   Lambs   
            : Pounds  : 84 lbs  :105 lbs : Pounds :        :        :           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                            1,000 Head                             
            :                                                                   
Region 1    :    500      160      170       65       895      15         910   
            :                                                                   
Region 2    :    550       50       60       30       690      50         740   
            :                                                                   
Region 3    :    340       25       90      215       670       5         675   
            :                                                                   
Region 4    :    425       25       50       70       570       5         575   
            :                                                                   
Region 5    :    350       50       20        5       425      35         460   
            :                                                                   
US          :  2,165      310      390      385     3,250     110       3,360   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  States included in regions as follows:  1 - AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, & WA; 2 - NM
    & TX; 3 - CO, MT, SD, UT, & WY; 4 - IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, & OK; 5 - all   
    other States.                                                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                  Market Sheep and Lambs Inventory:  By Region                  
                        and United States, April 1, 1997                        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                 Market Lambs                 :        :           
            :----------------------------------------------:        :  Market   
  Region 1/ :  Under  :   65    :   85   :  Over  :        : Market : Sheep and 
            :   65    :   to    :   to   :  105   : Total  : Sheep  :   Lambs   
            : Pounds  : 84 lbs  :105 lbs : Pounds :        :        :           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                            1,000 Head                             
            :                                                                   
Region 1    :    400      150      140       75       765      10         775   
            :                                                                   
Region 2    :    410       55       50       45       560      10         570   
            :                                                                   
Region 3    :    360       30       75      270       735      15         750   
            :                                                                   
Region 4    :    375       35       40       70       520      20         540   
            :                                                                   
Region 5    :    350       20       10       10       390      20         410   
            :                                                                   
US          :  1,895      290      315      470     2,970      75       3,045   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  States included in regions as follows:  1 - AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, & WA; 2 - NM
    & TX; 3 - CO, MT, SD, UT, & WY; 4 - IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, & OK; 5 - all   
    other States.                                                               
The next "Sheep" report will be released at 3:00 p.m. ET on                     
July 18, 1997.                                                                  
                                                                                
                                                                                
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an equal employment opportunity employer.                                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
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