HDR1012000130070718971500Sheep                                                  
                                                                                
Sheep                                                                           
                                                                                
National                                                                        
Agricultural                                                                    
Statistics                                                                      
Service                                                                         
                                                                                
USDA                                                                            
Washington, D.C.                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Released July 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.                                                           
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
July 1, 1997, All Sheep and Lamb Inventory Totals 9.90 Million Head             
            1997 Lamb Crop to Reach 4.95 Million Head                           
                                                                                
All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on July 1, 1997, totaled      
9.90 million head, 4 percent below July 1, 1996.  Total breeding sheep          
and lambs reached 5.78 million head, 6 percent below July 1996.  Market         
sheep and lambs (including newborn lambs), at 4.13 million head were slightly   
below July 1996.                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Of the July 1, 1997 breeding herd, 4.80 million head were ewes one year old     
and older, 230,000 head were rams one year old and older, and 750,000 head      
were replacement lambs (including newborn lambs).                               
                                                                                
Comparing July 1996 and July 1997 market lambs by weight groups:                
                                                                                
                    July 1996      July 1997                                    
                           -- 1,000 --                                          
     Under 65 lbs.  2,460               2,490                                   
     65 - 84 lbs.     840                 820                                   
     85 - 105 lbs.    460                 460                                   
     Over 105 lbs.    270                 265                                   
                                                                                
     Total               4,030               4,035                              
                                                                                
Region 3 (CO, MT, SD, UT, & WY) accounted for 34.3 percent of the total sheep   
and lambs.  Region 2 (NM & TX) accounted for 21.2 percent, Region 1 (AZ, CA,    
ID, NV, OR, & WA) for 17.7 percent, Region 5 (all other states) accounted for   
13.6 percent, and Region 4 (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, & OK) for 13.1 percent.     
                                                                                
                                                                                
The 1997 Lamb Crop in the United States is expected to total 4.95 million       
head, down 6 percent from the 1996 lamb crop of 5.30 million head.  Lambs born  
during January through June 1997 reached 4.36 million head or 88 percent of     
the yearly total.  An additional 590,000 head are expected to be born during    
the period July through December 1997.                                          
                                                                                
                                                                                
Mt An 5-2 (7-97)                                                                
                    All Sheep and Lambs Inventory:  By Region                   
                       and United States, July 1, 1996-97                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             :    All Sheep     :  97  :  Breeding Sheep  :    Market Sheep     
             :    and Lambs     : as % :    and Lambs     :      and Lambs      
  Regions 1/ :------------------:  of  :----------------------------------------
             :  1996   :  1997  :  96  :  1996  :  1997   :   1996   :   1997   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             :    1,000 Head      Pct    ------------ 1,000 Head ------------   
             :                                                                  
Region 1     :  1,800    1,750     97    1,150     1,100       650        650   
             :                                                                  
Region 2     :  2,205    2,100     95    1,515     1,325       690        775   
             :                                                                  
Region 3     :  3,530    3,400     96    1,920     1,850     1,610      1,550   
             :                                                                  
Region 4     :  1,415    1,300     92      780       700       635        600   
             :                                                                  
Region 5     :  1,350    1,350    100      805       800       545        550   
             :                                                                  
US           : 10,300    9,900     96    6,170     5,775     4,130      4,125   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, July 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    :   950      900       40        40     160    160    1,150   1,100 
            :                                                                   
Region 2    : 1,225    1,125       60        55     230    145    1,515   1,325 
            :                                                                   
Region 3    : 1,625    1,570       55        55     240    225    1,920   1,850 
            :                                                                   
Region 4    :   650      580       30        30     100     90      780     700 
            :                                                                   
Region 5    :   625      620       50        50     130    130      805     800 
            :                                                                   
US          : 5,075    4,795      235       230     860    750    6,170   5,775 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, July 1, 1997                        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                 Market Lambs                 :        :           
            :----------------------------------------------:        :  Market   
 Regions 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    :    215      190      180       50       635      15         650   
            :                                                                   
Region 2    :    525      180       45       15       765      10         775   
            :                                                                   
Region 3    :  1,100      200      100      125     1,525      25       1,550   
            :                                                                   
Region 4    :    300      150       85       50       585      15         600   
            :                                                                   
Region 5    :    350      100       50       25       525      25         550   
            :                                                                   
US          :  2,490      820      460      265     4,035      90       4,125   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, July 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    :    240      190      130       75       635      15         650   
            :                                                                   
Region 2    :    440      160       40       20       660      30         690   
            :                                                                   
Region 3    :  1,115      230      150      100     1,595      15       1,610   
            :                                                                   
Region 4    :    315      160       90       50       615      20         635   
            :                                                                   
Region 5    :    350      100       50       25       525      20         545   
            :                                                                   
US          :  2,460      840      460      270     4,030     100       4,130   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.                                                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
                  Lamb Crop:  Per 100 Ewes 1+, Number by Region                 
                           and United States, 1997 1/                           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          :            :              :    Total    :   Breeding   : Lambs per  
  Regions : Lambs Born :Lambs Expected:    Lamb     :   Ewes 1+    :100 Ewes 1+ 
    2/    : Jan-Jun 3/ :  Jul-Dec 4/  :    Crop     :    Jan 1     :   Jan 1    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          :   ------------------ 1,000 Head ------------------         Number   
          :                                                                     
Region 1  :     650          250             900           884          102     
          :                                                                     
Region 2  :     790          170             960         1,160           83     
          :                                                                     
Region 3  :   1,620           20           1,640         1,590          103     
          :                                                                     
Region 4  :     680           70             750           594          126     
          :                                                                     
Region 5  :     620           80             700           608          115     
          :                                                                     
US        :   4,360          590           4,950         4,836          102     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Lamb crop is lambs born in the Native States and lambs docked or branded in 
    the Western States.                                                         
2/  States includes 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.                                                               
3/  Lambs born alive between January 1, through June 30, 1997.                  
4/  Lambs expected to be born July through December 1997.                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
The next "Sheep" report will be released at 3:00 p.m. ET on November 14, 1997.  
                                                                                
                                                                                
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its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age,  
disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status.  Persons with    
disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program         
information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's   
TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).                                  
                                                                                
To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington,      
D.C., 20250, or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or 202-720-1127 (TDD).  USDA is an  
equal employment opportunity employer.                                          
                                                                                
                                                                                
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