There were fewer sheep and goats in the U.S. at the start of 2023.
The USDA says the sheep and lamb inventory on January 1st of this year was 1% smaller than on January 1st of last year at 5.02 million head. The market herd was unchanged at 1.36 million head while the breeding herd was 1% lower at 3.67 million head and the lamb crop was down 2% to 3.11 million head, pointing to at least some further contraction in the industry.
