Mt An 5-2  (7-99) a


Sheep


National Agricultural Statistics Service
USDA
Washington, D.C.

Released July 16, 1999, 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 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
ET.




July 1, 1999, All Sheep and Lamb Inventory Totals  9.00 Million Head
             1999 Lamb Crop Totals 4.75 Million Head

All sheep and lamb inventory  in the United States on July 1, 1999, totaled
9.00 million head, 4 percent below July 1, 1998.  Breeding sheep inventory
declined to 5.35 million head on July 1, 1999, 4 percent below July 1998. 
Market sheep and lambs (including newborn lambs), at 3.65 million head, were 5
percent  below last July.

Of the July 1, 1999 breeding herd, 4.38 million head were ewes one year old and
older, 215,000 head were rams one year old and older, and 755,000 head were
replacement lambs (including newborn lambs).

Comparing July 1998 and July 1999 market lambs by weight groups:

                             July 1998          July 1999
                                   -- 1,000 Head --
              Under 65 Lbs.  2,330                   2,120
              65 - 84 Lbs.     720                     730
              85 - 105 Lbs.    420                     465
              Over 105 Lbs.    270                     260

              Total          3,740                   3,575

Region 3 (CO, MT, SD, UT, & WY) accounted for 33.9 percent of the total sheep
and lambs.  Region 2 (NM & TX) accounted for 22.2 percent, Region 1 (AZ, CA,
ID, NV, OR, & WA) for16.7 percent, Region 4 (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, & OK) for
15.0 percent, and Region 5 (all other states) accounted for12.2  percent.

The 1999 Lamb Crop in the United States is expected to total 4.75 million head,
down 5 percent from the 1998 lamb crop of 5.01 million head.  Lambs born during
January through June 1999 totaled 4.21 million head or 89 percent of the yearly
total.  An additional 540,000 head are expected to be born during the period
July through December 1999.

                    All Sheep and Lambs Inventory:  By Region
                       and United States, July 1, 1998-99
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             :    All Sheep     :  99  :  Breeding Sheep  :    Market Sheep
             :    and Lambs     : as % :    and Lambs     :      and Lambs
  Regions 1/ :------------------:  of  :----------------------------------------
             :  1998   :  1999  :  98  :  1998  :  1999   :   1998   :   1999
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             :    1,000 Head      Pct    ------------ 1,000 Head ------------
             :
Region 1     :  1,555    1,500     96      970       940       585        560
             :
Region 2     :  2,120    2,000     94    1,370     1,300       750        700
             :
Region 3     :  3,140    3,040     97    1,705     1,650     1,435      1,390
             :
Region 4     :  1,375    1,340     97      755       740       620        600
             :
Region 5     :  1,210    1,120     93      775       720       435        400
             :
US           :  9,400    9,000     96    5,575     5,350     3,825      3,650
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, 1998-99
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            : Breeding Sheep-One Year Old & Older :             :Total Breeding
            :-------------------------------------: Replacement :   Sheep and
 Regions 1/ :      Ewes       :       Rams        :    Lambs    :     Lambs
            :-------------------------------------------------------------------
            :  1998  :  1999  :  1998   :  1999   : 1998 : 1999 : 1998  : 1999
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                            1,000 Head
            :
Region 1    :   810      800       35        35     125    105      970     940
            :
Region 2    : 1,150    1,070       55        55     165    175    1,370   1,300
            :
Region 3    : 1,425    1,370       50        50     230    230    1,705   1,650
            :
Region 4    :   600      595       30        30     125    115      755     740
            :
Region 5    :   570      545       50        45     155    130      775     720
            :
US          : 4,555    4,380      220       215     800    755    5,575   5,350
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, 1999
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                 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    :    155      175      165       55       550      10         560
            :
Region 2    :    485      135       40       20       680      20         700
            :
Region 3    :    980      175      105      110     1,370      20       1,390
            :
Region 4    :    295      150      100       45       590      10         600
            :
Region 5    :    205       95       55       30       385      15         400
            :
US          :  2,120      730      465      260     3,575      75       3,650
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, 1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            :                 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    :    160      160      180       75       575      10         585
            :
Region 2    :    510      150       35       25       720      30         750
            :
Region 3    :  1,060      185       65      100     1,410      25       1,435
            :
Region 4    :    350      130       80       50       610      10         620
            :
Region 5    :    250       95       60       20       425      10         435
            :
US          :  2,330      720      420      270     3,740      85       3,825
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, 1999 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  :     630          200             830           781          106
          :
Region 2  :     830          190           1,020         1,060           96
          :
Region 3  :   1,480           20           1,500         1,435          105
          :
Region 4  :     690           60             750           524          143
          :
Region 5  :     580           70             650           538          121
          :
US        :   4,210          540           4,750         4,338          109
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, 1999.
4/  Lambs expected to be born July through December 1999.




The next "Sheep" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on January 28, 2000.




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