Overview

As of January 1, 2008, U.S. farms had nearly 6.1 million sheep and lambs. The U.S. sheep inventory peaked in 1942 with 56 million head. About 80 percent of the sheep produced in the United States are sold as lambs. The top five sheep and lamb producing states are Texas, California, Wyoming, Colorado and South Dakota.

The United States processed 2.5 million sheep in 2007. More than 94 percent were processed in the 500 federally inspected sheep slaughter facilities. These facilities are heavily concentrated. More than 80 percent of the sheep were processed in plants that slaughter over 100,000 per year. Significant sheep and lamb processing states are Colorado, Texas and Iowa.  July 2008 . . . Commodity Lamb

Marketing

• American Sheep Industry Association
• Animal Product Markets in 2005 and Forecasts for 2006, Economic Research Servce, USDA, 2006.  
• Lamb (Domestic Production and International Trade Information), FSAonline, USDA.
• Lamb Marketing Patterns in the United States, 2000, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 2003 - Data from 22 sheep production states was collected by USDA's National Animal Health Monitoring System.
• Sheep, Briefing Room, ERS, USDA.
• Sheep & Goat Marketing Page, Susan Schoenian, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension - This site lists links to market sources, lamb and wool markets, live and carcass grading, and food safety tips.
• Slaughter Lamb Marketing and Price Differences, Oklahoma State, 2000.

Processing/Manufacturing

• Direct and Local Meat Marketing, University of Kentucky Decision Aids to Determine Budgets and Carcass Yields of Lamb - These online tools enable producers to calculate costs and potential carcass yields.
• Focus on: Lamb From Farm to Table, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 2003.
• Food Labeling Procedures, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
• Grading, Certification and Verification for Lamb, USDA. 
• Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications for Fresh Lamb and Mutton, USDA. 
• Selling Meat and Meat Products, University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources - Federal, state or local agency inspection is mandatory for any meat or meat product before it can be sold. This publication explains various product categories and tells which inspection each one requires. This fee download (6-page pdf) includes links to regulatory references and other useful resources.

Production

• Body Condition Scoring of Sheep, Oregon State University, 1994 - Two research trials found that ewe body condition score at lambing had an effect on total pounds of lamb weaned per ewe.
• Handbook for Raising Small Numbers of Sheep, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California - This handbook covers management, reproduction, nutrition, health and wool quality. It includes general tips on feeding and facilities. Visit the online catalog to order.
• Illini SheepNet & Meat GoatNet, University of Illinois - The online resource for the sheep industry.
• Off-season & Holiday Lamb Production, Penn State University, 1994 - This site provides management and marketing information and a sample budget for off-season and holiday lambs.
• Small Ruminant Project, West Virginia University - This program is helping producers implement out-of-season breeding and lambing programs to increase market flexibility and potential domestic marketing opportunities.
• Sustainable Sheep Production, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), 2000 - This online document covers grazing, lambing, alternative health management and innovative marketing ideas.

Businesses/Case Studies

• Contemporary Producer-Owned Lamb Processing Ventures: Lessons Learned, USDA Rural Development,1999 - This case study evaluates two producer-owned ventures: American Lamb Producers, Inc. and Virginia Lamb Cooperative. Both businesses closed in less than 1.5 years.
• Mountain States Lamb Cooperative: Vertical Integration into Lamb Processing, Kansas State University, 2005 - This case study outlines the role the cooperative played in shaping the future of the sheep industry for its members.

Links checked July 2008.