PURPOSE

The purpose of the Sheep and Goats Inventory survey is to provide information on inventory of breeding and market sheep, lambs born during the previous year, and wool production and prices. Additionally, the January survey includes inventory of breeding and market goats, kids born during the previous year as well as mohair production and prices in selected states.

COVERAGE

The January Sheep and Goats Inventory survey is a national program conducted in all states. Farmers and ranchers surveyed are representative of the entire sheep and goat industry.

CONTENT

Questions for the sheep and lambs are asked in the January and July Sheep and Goats Inventory surveys to provide information on inventory of breeding and market sheep, lambs born, death loss, and wool production and value. Questions for goats and kids are asked in January and July survey to provide information on inventory of breeding and market goats, kids born, death loss, and mohair production.

FREQUENCY

The Sheep and Goat Inventory survey is conducted in January and July.

METHODS

The sheep and goat sample is drawn from a universe of farms and ranches in the United States which raise sheep and goats including sheep in feedlots. Over 23,000 are selected in January and 4,600 in July. A sample of area tracts not on the list is surveyed to measure incompleteness. Information collected on the Sheep and Goat Inventory survey is collected via mail, telephone interview, and face-to-face interview.

PRODUCTS

Sheep inventory estimates for each state by class (breeding, market, ewes, etc.), as well as lambs born and wool production for the previous year, are published in the Sheep and Goats report in January. Goat inventory by type, breeding and market goats, mohair production, and mohair price and value are published. Death loss estimates for sheep and lambs are published in the Production, Disposition, and Income report in April. Regional inventory estimates by class are published in the Sheep and Goats report in July.

Estimates of the total number of operations with sheep and percent of inventory by herd size are published in Farms, Land in Farms, and Livestock Operations in January.

USES

Uses of statistical information are extensive and varied. Producers are the primary users of the information for determining production and marketing strategies, planning purchases and capital investments. Other users of the data include financial institutions, producer organizations, agribusiness, state and national farm policy makers, and foreign and domestic buyers of agricultural products. Government agencies are important users of the data. Federal farm programs require information on supplies, production potential and income. Economists, data analysts, and university researchers, transform the data into projections of current trends, interpret their economic implications, and evaluate alternative courses of action in terms of prospective outcomes. These projections multiply the usefulness of the data.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Questions for sheep and lambs pertain to animals on the total acres operated, regardless of ownership except for Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. In these states, questions for sheep and lambs pertain to animals owned by the operation, regardless of location.

RELATED PROGRAMS

Meat Animals: Production, Disposition, and Income
Livestock Slaughter
Farms, Land in Farms, and Livestock Operations