Oklahoma’s sheep producers had 75,000 head of all sheep and lambs on hand January 1, 2010, down 6 percent from last year. Breeding ewes one year and older, at 43,000 head, are down 7 percent from last year. Rams, at 5,000 head, were unchanged from the previous year. Replacement lambs, at 11,000 head, were down 1,000 head from the year earlier.
Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2010, totaled 16,000 head. Market lambs comprised 94 percent of the total. Thirtyeight percent were lambs under 65 pounds, 25 percent were 65 -84 pounds, 13 percent were 85 – 105 pounds, 19 percent were over 105 pounds. Market sheep comprised the remaining 6 percent of total marketings.
The 2009 lamb crop was 45,000 head, down 8 percent from the
previous year.
Wool production in 2009 was 150,000 pounds, down 32 percent from last year. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 30,000 head, down 25 percent from 2008. The average price paid for wool sold in 2009 was $0.40 per pound for a total value of $60,000, down 32 percent from 2008’s total value of $88,000.
United States:
All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on January 1, 2010, totaled 5.63 million head, down 2 percent from 2009. Breeding sheep inventory decreased to 4.19 million head on January 1, 2010, down 1 percent from January 1, 2009. Ewes one year old and older, at 3.34 million head, were 2 percent below last year.
Market sheep and lambs on January 1, 2010, totaled 1.44 million head, down 4 percent from January 1, 2009. Market lambs comprised 94 percent of the total. Twenty-five percent were lambs under 65 pounds, 12 percent were 65 – 84 pounds, 19 percent were 85 – 105 pounds, 38 percent were over 105 pounds. Market sheep comprised the remaining 6 percent of total marketings.
The 2009 lamb crop of 3.69 million head was down 1 percent from
2008.
Shorn wool production during 2009 was 30.9 million pounds, down 6 percent from 2008. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 4.20 million head, down 5 percent from 2008. The average price paid for wool sold in 2009 was $0.79 per pound for a total value of 24.4 million dollars, down 25 percent from 32.5 million dollars in 2008.