LINCOLN — All sheep and lamb inventory in Nebraska on January 1, 2024 totaled 76,000 head, up 2,000 from last year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Breeding sheep inventory totaled 59,000 head, down 4,000 from last year.
Ewes one year and older totaled 48,000 head, down 3,000 from the previous year.
Rams one year and older totaled 3,000, unchanged from last year. Total replacement lambs totaled 8,000 head, down 1,000 from last year.
Market sheep and lambs totaled 17,000 head, up 6,000 from last year.
The 2023 lamb crop totaled 64,000 head, down 1,000 from 2022.
The 2023 lambing rate was 125 per 100 ewes one year and older, compared with 133 in 2022.
Sheep deaths totaled 3,000 head, unchanged from last year.
Lamb deaths totaled 8,000 head, up 500 from last year.
Sheep and lambs slaughtered on farm totaled 1,000 head, unchanged from last year. Shorn wool production during 2023 was 245,000 pounds, down 5,000 from 2022.
Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 35,000 head, unchanged from 2022. Weight per fleece was 7.0 pounds, down 0.1 from 2022.
The average price paid for wool sold in 2023 was $0.75 per pound, compared with $0.70 in 2022.
The total value of wool produced in Nebraska was 184,000 dollars in 2023.
Milk goats and kids inventory in Nebraska totaled 3,500 head, up 200 from last year.
