HDR1012000130070419961500Sheep                                                  
                                                                                
Released April 19, 1996, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service        
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.  For     
information on "Sheep" call Linda Simpson at (202) 720-3578, office hours 8:00  
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.  For assistance with general agricultural statistics,     
information about NASS, its products or services, contact the NASS Information  
Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail:  NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV.                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
 April 1, 1996, Sheep and Lamb Inventory Totals 9.33 Million Head               
                                                                                
All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on April 1, 1996, totaled     
9.33 million head, 6 percent below April 1, 1995.  Total breeding sheep and     
lambs reached 5.97 million head, 5 percent below April 1995.  Market sheep and  
lambs (including newborn lambs), at 3.36 million head were 7 percent below      
April 1995.                                                                     
                                                                                
Of the April 1, 1996 breeding herd, 4.96 million head were ewes one year old    
and older compared with 5.19 million head in April 1995.  A total of            
785,000 lambs will be used as replacements compared with 830,000 head on        
April 1, 1995.                                                                  
                                                                                
Of the total market lambs (including new born lambs), 66.6 percent were         
under 65 pounds, 9.5 percent were 65 to 84 pounds, 12.0 percent were            
85 to 105 pounds, and the remainder, 11.9 percent, were over 105 pounds on      
April 1.                                                                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
Mt An 5-2 (4-96)                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                    All Sheep and Lambs Inventory:  By Region                   
                       and United States, April 1, 1995-96                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             :    All Sheep     :      :  Breeding Sheep  :    Market Sheep     
             :    and Lambs     :  96  :    and Lambs     :      and Lambs      
  Regions 1/ :------------------: as % :----------------------------------------
             :  1995   :  1996  : 1995 :  1995  :  1996   :   1995   :   1996   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             :    1,000 Head      Pct    ------------ 1,000 Head ------------   
             :                                                                  
Region 1     :  2,080    2,050     99    1,150     1,140       930        910   
             :                                                                  
Region 2     :  2,310    2,165     94    1,500     1,425       810        740   
             :                                                                  
Region 3     :  2,725    2,605     96    2,025     1,930       700        675   
             :                                                                  
Region 4     :  1,380    1,300     94      715       725       665        575   
             :                                                                  
Region 5     :  1,415    1,210     86      890       750       525        460   
             :                                                                  
US           :  9,910    9,330     94    6,280     5,970     3,630      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.                                                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                 Breeding Sheep and Lambs Inventory:  By Region                 
                       and United States, April 1, 1995-96                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :Breeding Sheep-One Year Old & Older:                :Total Breeding
            :-----------------------------------:  Replacement   :  Sheep and   
 Regions 1/ :      Ewes       :      Rams       :     Lambs      :    Lambs     
            :-------------------------------------------------------------------
            :  1995  :  1996  :  1995  :  1996  :  1995  : 1996  : 1995 : 1996  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                            1,000 Head                             
            :                                                                   
Region 1    :   920      925      45       40      185      175   1,150   1,140 
            :                                                                   
Region 2    : 1,255    1,200      70       50      175      175   1,500   1,425 
            :                                                                   
Region 3    : 1,720    1,625      65       55      240      250   2,025   1,930 
            :                                                                   
Region 4    :   585      610      35       30       95       85     715     725 
            :                                                                   
Region 5    :   705      600      50       50      135      100     890     750 
            :                                                                   
US          : 5,185    4,960     265      225      830      785   6,280   5,970 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, 1995                        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                 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    :    510      155      165       65       895      35         930   
            :                                                                   
Region 2    :    620       60       75       35       790      20         810   
            :                                                                   
Region 3    :    340       40       65      240       685      15         700   
            :                                                                   
Region 4    :    465       30       65       85       645      20         665   
            :                                                                   
Region 5    :    410       50       25       30       515      10         525   
            :                                                                   
US          :  2,345      335      395      455     3,530     100       3,630   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.                                                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
The next "Sheep" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on November 15, 1996.     
                                                                                
                                                                                
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To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington, D.C.,
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employment opportunity employer.                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
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